Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas + Avocado Crema
Sheet pan chicken fajitas are perfect for busy weeknight meals! Plus, it's Whole30-friendly, even topped with a dairy-free Avocado Crema! (But you gotta use a stainless steel wire rack or they'll be soggy!)
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- ¼ cup avocado oil or olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch strips (Step away from the boneless, skinless breasts. They’ll dry out.)
- 1 medium red bell pepper deseeded, cored and sliced into ¼-inch strips
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper deseeded, cored, and sliced into ¼-inch strips
- 1 small white onion sliced into ¼-inch pieces
- 2 limes cut into wedges
- Green or butter lettuce leaves optional
- Grain-free tortillas optional
- Avocado Crema see recipe below
Avocado Crema
- 1 large Hass avocado
- ¼ cup full-fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup chives roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons cilantro roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 450°F with the rack in the middle. Place a stainless steel wire rack in a rimmed baking sheet and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the avocado oil, lime juice, minced garlic, kosher salt, chili powder, and cumin.
- Add the chicken thigh strips to the marinade. (Chicken breasts will dry it. Please use thighs.) Toss in the sliced peppers and onions, too. Use your hands to combine well.
- Plop the chicken and veggies onto the rimmed baking sheet and spread everything in a single layer.
- Place the tray in the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Then, toss the chicken and veggies, and rotate the tray.
- Switch to broil and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the peppers and onions are browned in places. Keep your eyes on the fajitas to make sure nothing burns!
- While the chicken is cooking, make the Avocado Crema. Cut the avocado in half lengthwise and remove the seed. Scoop the flesh into a food processor or blender. Add the coconut milk, chives, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper.
- Blitz until smooth. Add some water to thin out the sauce if desired. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed with salt, pepper, or more lime juice. You can refrigerate the crema in a sealed container for up to 2 days.
- Once the chicken and veggies are finished cooking, pull the tray out of the oven. Serve the fajitas with lime wedges, lettuce wraps or grain-free tortillas, and avocado crema.
Video
Notes
One last thing: Wondering how to clean the stainless steel wire rack? After everyone grabs the chicken and veggies off the rack, I take the pan ’n rack to the sink. Then, I flip the rack upside down, place it in the rimmed baking sheet, and cover it with warm soapy water. I let the rack soak while we eat dinner. When we’re done with our meal, I simply wipe the grime off the rack with a sponge. Then, I can either rinse it or put it in the dishwasher to finish cleaning.
Nutrition
Calories: 481kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 31g | Fiber: 6g