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Air Fryer Chicken Fajita Tacos with Avocado Crema

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Course: Main Course
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Additional Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 8 tacos

Ingredients

  • 8 small flour tortillas
  • 1 lb boneless and skinless chicken thighs see note 1
  • 3 bell peppers preferably assorted colors
  • 1 small red onion
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 avocados
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2-3 limes 2 for the lime juice, 1 optional lime for garnishing
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • 3 tbsp fajita seasoning store-bought or see the homemade version in note 2 below
  • handful of finely minced cilantro to serve
  • shredded iceberg lettuce to serve

Instructions

  • Slice the peppers, onions, and chicken thigh fillets. For the chicken thighs and peppers, slice into thick slices, about 3/4-inch (2cm wide). Keep the onions separate, as we’ll add them to the air fryer 10 minutes after adding the peppers and chicken (note 3).
  • Season the onions with a pinch of the fajita seasoning and a drizzle of oil. Season the sliced chicken and peppers with the remaining fajita seasoning and add the remaining oil.
  • Preheat the air fryer to 390°F (200°C) for about 3 minutes.
    Add the chicken and peppers to the preheated air fryer.
    Cook for an initial 10 minutes tossing after 5 minutes.
    Add the onions and toss again.
    Cook until chicken is cooked through (tossing a couple of times or using kitchen tongs to move the chicken and peppers around to ensure they air fry on all sides) (about 10-15 minutes more).
    The total cooking time depends on your air fryer. In a Ninja 10-quart (9.5 liter) dual-zone air fryer, it takes about 20 minutes total if dividing the ingredients among the two baskets equally or 25 minutes if using just one basket. The more room the air fryer has, the quicker the ingredients will cook (and the crispier they will be). The chicken is fully cooked when the meat thermometer reads 165°F (74°C).
  • When the chicken is cooked through, transfer the chicken and veggies to a large bowl and add the juice of 1 lime (about 2 tbsp of juice), tossing the chicken and veggies in the lime juice and optionally adding about 1 tbsp of finely chopped cilantro/coriander.
  • While the chicken is cooking, make the avocado crema by mashing or blending the avocado with a pinch of salt, pepper, and juice from 1 lime (about 2 tbsp of juice). Add the sour cream and mix it in. Give it a taste and adjust the seasoning (salt and pepper) to your taste.
  • Prep the remaining ingredients. Shred or thinly slice the iceberg lettuce. Warm the tortillas (If you have a reheat function on your air fryer, you can warm them up in the air fryer. You could also just warm them up in the microwave for about 30 seconds).
  • Assemble the tacos. Serve the chicken and veggies, tortillas, avocado crema, finely minced cilantro, and more lime wedges (both for garnishing and for extra zest for those who prefer some extra lime juice)!

Notes

Note 1: This recipe is best with chicken thighs as the chicken thighs don't get dry in the air fryer the way small pieces of chicken breast would. You can make it with chicken breast; just be aware it will be a bit dryer, and the chicken breast cooks faster, so you have to adjust the cooking time down.
Note 2: Homemade Fajita Seasoning (mix everything together in one small bowl):
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp cornstarch (optional)
Note that most store-bought fajita seasonings will contain a higher amount of cornstarch than the homemade one I’ve included above. While cornstarch is nice to make things a bit crispier, it also means you have less of the flavor seasonings (herbs and spices) so you have to slightly increase the amount to compensate. If using store-bought fajita seasoning, use about 3 tbsp of fajita seasoning as indicated in the ingredients list above.
Note 3: Red onions specifically cook very fast so you don’t want to burn them by adding them at the same time as the chicken and peppers. This is why, we’ll add them after about 10 minutes of cooking the chicken and peppers.