Mine is a family of foodies. We eat real food meals ninety-nine percent of the time, with the occasional quick dinner of crackers and cheese thrown in every once in awhile for good measure. We also tend to eat with the seasons, opting for grilled meals most summer nights and baked casseroles or soups in the winter. Transitional seasons give us the chance to do a little of both. The meal I’m sharing today is the result of some recipe experimentation to include the flavors of summer wrapped up in a hearty dinner. If you’re a fan of Mexican food, you’re going to love our chicken fajita cornbread bake.
So, how do you feel about fajitas? In our house, both fajitas and tacos are a staple. We eat one or the other (if not both) most every week of the summer. If I had to choose, though, fajitas would definitely win as my favorite. Tender grilled strips of chicken and fresh peppers seasoned with cumin and tomatillo salsa are tough to beat. Both of those traditional fajita features can be found in this recipe. But then I spice things up by topping the meat and veggies with a delicious cornbread crust. Of course I can only speak for myself here but it’s tough to go wrong when cornbread is involved.
You will need a bowl to mix your cornbread but other than that, this is a one skillet meal. You get it nice and sizzling hot before tossing in your chicken and veggies just like you would if you were making traditional fajitas. From there, you add a bit of sauce for simmering and then comes the cornbread topping. This meal goes from zero to table in about forty minutes so it’s a nice choice for weeknight dinners.
Just after plating, you’re going to want to do yourself a favor and top the chicken fajita cornbread bake with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of freshly-chopped cilantro. Diced avocado would be a welcome garnish as well.
CHICKEN FAJITA CORNBREAD BAKE
Ingredients
For the Fajita Filling
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
- 3-4 small bell peppers of varying colors
- 1 medium red onion
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 2/3 cup salsa verde
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- pinch of cayenne pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
For the Cornbread
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1/2 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, grated
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup whole milk
Instructions
To make the fajita filling:
- Preheat oven to 425º.
- Cut the chicken breast into long strips. Set aside.
- Rinse and thinly slice the bell peppers, discarding seeds and ribbing.
- Thinly slice red onion.
- Place an oven-safe skillet over high heat and allow the pan to get hot (two to three minutes). When the pan is hot, add two tablespoons cooking oil and swirl the pan to coat.
- Add the chicken breast strips to the pan and allow them to cook completely on one side before stirring to flip. Once one side of the chicken has completely cooked, flip the chicken to cook the other side. This should result in nicely browned pieces of chicken.
- While the chicken is cooking, combine the cumin, chili powder and cayenne with the salsa verde, whisking to mix thoroughly.
- When chicken is cooked through, add peppers and onion to the pan and continue cooking over high heat for two to three minutes, until veggies are bite tender. Lower the heat and add two cloves of minced garlic to the center of the pan. Cook just until the garlic is fragrant, about thirty seconds.
- Pour the salsa and spice mixture into the pan and allow it to come to a simmer. Cover the pan and allow it to simmer for five minutes.
To make the cornbread:
- Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in a small bowl. Whisk with a fork to combine. Stir in the frozen corn and pepper jack cheese.
- Crack the egg into a liquid measuring cup and stir lightly. Add the buttermilk, milk and melted butter. Stir just briefly to barely combine.
- Make a well in the center of the cornmeal mixture and gently pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir again briefly just to combine, allowing lumps to remain.
- Turn off the heat to the skillet. Pour cornbread batter over the fajita filling. Place skillet on the middle rack of a preheated oven.
- Bake for about twenty minutes, or until the cornbread is set and lightly golden brown.
- Top each portion with sour cream, chopped cilantro and diced avocado if desired.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 299Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 649mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gProtein: 15g
You might also enjoy:
Instant Pot Mexican Meatball and Barley Soup
What size cast iron skillet should we use?
I use a 12 inch skillet, but a 10 inch would work fine as well.