Spicy Chicken Skillet with Bell Peppers

Thin chicken strips are seared, then tossed with bell peppers and onion in a quick tomato-chile pan sauce. Warm tortillas and a simple cilantro finish turn the skillet into a fast main course with clear fajita-style flavor and a little extra sauciness for scooping.

By Julienne

Cook time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 20 ml neutral oil divided
• 3 g fine salt divided
• 1 g black pepper divided
• 4 g smoked paprika
• 3 g ground cumin
• 4 g chili powder
• 600 g boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 cm strips
• 10 ml neutral oil divided
• 150 g yellow onion thinly sliced
• 300 g bell peppers sliced into 1 cm strips
• 4 g fine salt divided
• 1 g black pepper divided
• 3 clove garlic cloves minced
• 30 g tomato paste
• 120 ml water
• 30 ml lime juice freshly squeezed
• 5 g fresh cilantro chopped
• 8 piece small flour or corn tortillas warmed
• 5 g fresh cilantro chopped

Instructions

1. Heat 20 ml of the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with 3 g of the salt, 1 g of the black pepper, the smoked paprika, cumin, and chili powder. The oil shimmers and the chicken is evenly coated with spices.
2. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook, stirring once or twice, until browned and nearly cooked through, then transfer it to a plate. The chicken has visible browning and is mostly opaque at the center.
3. Add the remaining 10 ml of oil to the skillet. Add the onion and bell peppers with the remaining 4 g of salt and 1 g of black pepper. Cook until softened and lightly browned at the edges, then add the garlic and cook briefly until fragrant. The peppers are tender-crisp and the onions are translucent with some browning.
4. Stir in the tomato paste, then add the water and scrape up any browned bits from the pan. Return the chicken to the skillet and simmer until the sauce lightly coats the meat and the chicken reaches 74°C at the thickest pieces. The sauce is glossy and reduced slightly, and the chicken is fully cooked through.
5. Stir in the lime juice and half of the cilantro. Warm the tortillas in a dry pan or wrapped in a clean kitchen towel in the microwave. The sauce tastes bright and the tortillas are hot and pliable.
6. Serve the chicken and peppers with the tortillas on the side, spooning the pan sauce over the top and finishing with the remaining cilantro. Each serving has chicken, peppers, and enough sauce to spoon or tuck into tortillas.