Effortless Fajita Chicken Quinoa Skillet: A Healthy Weeknight Meal with Zesty Avocado Cream Sauce
Finding a delicious, healthy, and easy-to-prepare meal for busy weeknights can often feel like a culinary quest. We all want to put nourishing food on the table without spending hours in the kitchen, and that’s precisely why this Fajita Chicken and Quinoa Skillet recipe has become a true lifesaver in our home. This flavorful dish, complete with an incredibly easy avocado cream sauce, is packed with vibrant ingredients, wholesome nutrition, and comes together with surprising speed, making it an ideal choice for dinner, and even better, for quick and satisfying leftovers.
Mexican-inspired dishes are a constant source of joy and comfort in our household. From sizzling fajitas to crunchy tacos and loaded nachos, these meals are universally loved and rarely result in complaints – a definite win for any home cook! This familiarity and universal appeal were key motivations behind creating this fajita chicken skillet with quinoa, knowing it would be a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. As a food blogger, perfecting a recipe often means making it multiple times, fine-tuning every detail, from the precise amount of seasoning to the perfect texture of the quinoa, to ensure it’s just right for you, our wonderful readers. And trust me, this one was worth every delicious iteration.
For a while, my relationship with quinoa was complicated. Despite its incredible health benefits as a complete protein source and rich fiber content, I found its texture less than appealing – sometimes a bit mushy or even what I might describe as ‘slimy.’ Then, a revelation struck during a lazy Sunday afternoon viewing of America’s Test Kitchen. Their unique method of preparing quinoa completely transformed my perspective and unlocked its full potential. The secret? Toasting the quinoa with butter (or coconut oil) *before* adding any liquid. This crucial initial step imparts a rich, nutty flavor and helps to create a wonderfully firm, distinct texture to each grain, preventing it from becoming clumpy or overly soft.
Following this, allowing the cooked quinoa to rest for five minutes after removing it from the heat ensures that any remaining moisture is absorbed, resulting in perfectly fluffy grains every time. This simple yet effective technique, combined with the magic of butter – especially high-quality grass-fed butter, for its enhanced flavor and nutrients – brought quinoa triumphantly back to our dinner table. It has once again become an integral and delightful component of many of our wholesome meals, including this vibrant fajita skillet. If you’ve had reservations about quinoa in the past, I urge you to try this preparation method; it truly makes all the difference.
Every great fajita dish deserves a fantastic topping, and our easy avocado cream sauce is exactly that – a velvety, zesty addition that elevates the entire meal from good to outstanding. While my go-to for this sauce typically involves bright and tangy salsa verde, sometimes kitchen adventures take unexpected turns. On the day I was photographing this recipe, a stubborn jar of salsa verde simply refused to open. After a valiant, albeit fruitless, fifteen-minute wrestling match (even involving my strong husband!), I opted for a delicious organic red salsa instead. It’s a testament to adapting and making the best of what you have, and sometimes, these impromptu changes lead to delightful discoveries!
The beauty of this avocado cream sauce is its incredible versatility; whether you use salsa verde for a classic tangy kick or a flavorful red salsa for a different depth, the creamy avocado and fresh lime juice create an irresistible topping that complements the savory fajita flavors perfectly. We prioritize organic ingredients whenever possible, and while Trader Joe’s Salsa Verde holds a special, albeit non-organic, place in our hearts (much to my husband’s discerning palate’s occasional disappointment!), finding a high-quality organic red salsa was a perfectly delightful and easy-to-open substitution that day. This sauce is quick to blend and adds a wonderful coolness and richness to balance the seasoned chicken and vegetables.
In our quest for real food meals that fit into a busy schedule, efficiency is key. This fajita chicken and quinoa skillet is inherently quick, but with a little foresight and strategic meal preparation, it can be transformed into an ultra-fast, almost “15-minute” meal. The trick lies in smart planning. Cooking a batch of quinoa ahead of time – perhaps even doubling the recipe to use in various meals throughout the week – is a game-changer. Similarly, having pre-cooked shredded chicken on hand significantly cuts down on active cooking time. We often rely on leftover crock-pot chicken or, more recently, chicken made quickly in our Instant Pot (because, let’s be honest, morning crock-pot planning sometimes slips the mind!).
With pre-cooked quinoa and chicken ready to go, all you’ll need to do on a busy weeknight is quickly sauté the colorful peppers and onions until they are tender-crisp, warm through the seasoned chicken and quinoa, and blend up the simple avocado cream sauce. This streamlined approach allows you to minimize time spent actively cooking, leaving you more moments to savor your delicious, wholesome meal and less time stressing in the kitchen. It’s truly about making life a little easier without compromising on the quality or taste of your food. This dish is also fantastic for meal prepping lunches, providing a satisfying and healthy option to take on the go. You can even prepare individual portions for quick grab-and-go meals throughout the week, making healthy eating effortlessly convenient.
Fajita Chicken And Quinoa Skillet With Easy Avocado Cream Sauce
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Ingredients
Quinoa
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups water or broth broth adds much more flavor
- 2 Tbs coconut oil or butter
- 1 Tbs Fajita seasoning
Chicken Fajitas
- 3 peppers sliced red, yellow, orange, or green
- 1 onion sliced
- 2 Tbs coconut oil butter, or avocado oil
- 2 cups shredded pre-cooked chicken or you can grill some chicken breasts
- 1 Tbs fajita or taco seasoning
- Cilantro for topping optional
Avocado Cream Sauce
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1/2 cup salsa verde or your favorite salsa
- Juice from half a lime- about 1 Tbs
- pinch of salt
- Water to thin
Instructions
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Quinoa
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In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add butter or coconut oil and quinoa. Sauté, stirring frequently, until the quinoa starts to turn golden brown. Add water or broth, salt, pepper, and fajita seasoning. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook about 15 minutes. Take off heat and set aside covered for five minutes. Fluff with fork.
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Chicken Fajitas
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In a frying pan or cast iron skillet, add oil or butter, sliced onion and peppers. Sauté until onion starts to become translucent. Add in shredded chicken and fajita seasons. Stir to make sure fajita seasoning is covering chicken. Cook until hot.
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Avocado Cream Sauce
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Slice avocado in half, take out pit, and remove meat with a large spoon. Add to a blender or mash really well with a fork. Add in salsa verde, lime juice, and salt. Blend until well mixed, add in a tsp of water at a time if needed to be thinned. Set aside.
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On a plate, lay a bed of quinoa down, add with chicken and fajita veggies, and top with cream sauce. Enjoy.
Notes
1 Tbs cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano (or Italian seasoning)
pinch of red pepper flakes
Nutrition
Beyond its speed and incredible flavor, this Fajita Chicken and Quinoa Skillet is a nutritional powerhouse. Quinoa, often referred to as a “superfood,” offers a complete protein source, alongside essential amino acids and a substantial amount of dietary fiber, keeping you feeling full and energized. The vibrant bell peppers, whether red, yellow, orange, or green, are rich in Vitamin C and potent antioxidants, contributing to overall health and boosting your immune system. Meanwhile, the creamy avocado sauce provides a dose of healthy monounsaturated fats, which are beneficial for heart health and nutrient absorption.
This dish is a beautifully balanced meal that doesn’t compromise on taste or satisfaction. It’s an excellent option for a healthy dinner, a hearty and satisfying lunch, or even a crowd-pleasing family meal that caters to diverse palates. You can also easily customize it to your liking: add extra fresh cilantro for a burst of herbaceous flavor, sprinkle with a touch of shredded cheese (if dairy is part of your diet), or include a dash of your favorite hot sauce for an extra kick of heat. This skillet truly embodies the spirit of easy, wholesome, and incredibly flavorful home cooking that will quickly become a cherished recipe in your repertoire.
We believe that eating well should be enjoyable and accessible, even on the busiest of days. This Fajita Chicken and Quinoa Skillet not only delivers on taste and nutrition but also on convenience. Give it a try this week and experience how simple it can be to create a vibrant, healthy, and utterly delicious meal that your entire family will love. Enjoy the journey of bringing wholesome, real food to your table!