Around that time when spring slides into summer and dinners get lighter and easier to prepare Hawaiian Chicken Skillet Fajitas are a recipe, you’ll want to keep on repeat. With a tangy-sweet kick from the Hawaiian inspired marinade and the crunchy sauteed onions and peppers all wrapped in a toasted tortilla your spring and summer will be deliciously epic.
Looking for more easy spring into summer-type dishes? Then try out this Easy Lemon Garlic Skillet Chicken or this Blacked Fish Sandwich. These Sheet Pan Salsa Verde Chicken Fajitas are also delicious.
Hawaiian Chicken Skillet Fajitas
The temperatures are rising, the flowers are blossoming, and thoughts of spending tons of time in the kitchen start to evaporate with future heatwaves and summer Fridays in mind. It’s that time of year when we essentially start to lose time.
I personally begin to crave lighter meals, possibly loaded with seasonal veggies and ones that don’t require pushing buttons on my oven. Fajitas are the fun festive meal including all of my cravings, and these Hawaiian Chicken Skillet Fajitas add a tropical touch to those lazy summer nights.
The sweet and tangy marinade made up of pineapple juice, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, and a drop of oil is one key element in setting these fajitas out from all the others. The other factor is the sauteed pineapple for a perfectly tangy and juicy finish.
How to Make the Perfect Fajitas
Marinating the chicken first is absolutely important and may I suggest making a double batch of the marinade and letting twice the amount of chicken soak it up overnight (even up to a couple of days).
Not only will you end up with perfectly seasoned chicken for these Hawaiian Chicken Skillet Fajitas, but you’ll have additional leftovers for even simpler dinners later in the week.
Prep your fruit and vegetables. Slice and dice them to perfection and then saute them. An iron skillet with a small amount of oil works best. Make sure to gently saute them, tossing them continuously. You definitely don’t want to end up with mushy fajita add-ins.
Sear and cook the chicken in the same iron skillet. Brown the meat evenly on each side for about 5 minutes. The chicken should reach a safe temperature of 165 ℉. Add the marinade to the skillet when cooking the chicken for extra Hawaiian flavoring. Slice and set aside for assembly.
Perfect fajitas also have perfectly heated (kind of toasted) tortillas, which can be heated in a very hot skillet. No oil is needed, but you do need to watch these closely so they don’t burn.
Begin your fajita assembly line with sliced chicken. Then add the sauteed fruit and veggie mix, and then your toppings, which is where you do you.
What Toppings are Best with Hawaiian Chicken Skillet Fajitas?
- Avocado or Guacamole
- Sour Cream
- Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- Jalapeno, fresh or pickled
- Cilantro
Feel free to lose your inhibitions here. You won’t find any judgment from me…
Hawaiian Chicken Sillet Fajitas
Ingredients
MARINADE
- ⅓ cup Pineapple Juice
- 2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Hoisin Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 2 teaspoons Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Cilantro
FAJITAS
- 1½ lbs Chicken Breast
- 1 medium Red Onion sliced
- 1 medium Red Bell Pepper seeded and sliced
- 2 cups Pineapple
- 8 small Flour Tortillas
Instructions
- Marinade: Arrange the Chicken Breast is a shallow dish. Whisk all the ingredients for the marinade together in a small bowl and pour on top of the chicken. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours, or a minimum of 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Chicken: Set a large cast-iron skillet or nonstick skillet over high heat and allow the pan to heat for several minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of oil and place the Chicken Breast into the skillet, cooking on each side for 3 to 5 minutes, or longer depending on the thickness of the chicken. Before flipping the meat to the other side to cook pour in the marinade. Remove chicken and set aside to slice once slightly cooled.
- Fruit and Veggies: Scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan or clean completely and return to the high heat and add an additional teaspoon of oil. Place the Red Onion, Red Bell Pepper, and sliced Pineapple into the heated skillet and cook for about 3 minutes tossing as necessary. Don't overcook the fruit and veggies to avoid them becoming mushy.
- Tortillas: In a clean nonstick skillet, while the chicken and veggies mixture is cooking heat the Tortillas on each side over high heat.
- Assembly: Top each warmed tortilla with the chicken fajita mixture and garnish with Cilantro and sliced Jalapeno or desired toppings.
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