Orange Chipotle Chicken Fajita Skewers

For Father’s Day this year, jazz up plain chicken and vegetables with this unique orange-citrus and spicy fajita-inspired marinade. The skewered grilled chicken and colourful vegetables will make Dad’s taste buds sing!

In our house we love fajitas; they’re so delicious and healthy. But often in the summer months when we crave fajitas, I don’t feel like heating up the kitchen. That’s why I created these Orange Chipotle Chicken Fajita Skewers for the grill and they’ve become popular with our family.

The chicken and vegetables are tender, juicy and seriously delicious with a hint of orange that balances out the spiciness of the chipotle chili powder. The skewers are vibrant in colour. Since it’s a known fact that eating colourful food helps give you a wide range of nutrients, you can feel good about eating these beautiful colours! Feel free to add more veggies to the skewers if you’re an ultimate veggie lover and want to add even more nutrients!

Chipotle Chili Powder

You can find chipotle chili powder in jars in the spice aisle or loose in a bulk food store. It’s distinctly different from chili powder which you may already have in your pantry. Common chili powder is a seasoning blend that contains crushed chili peppers mixed with garlic powder, oregano, and cumin. Chipotle chili powder has only one ingredient - dried, smoked jalapeño peppers.

Chipotle chili powder goes a long way so 1 teaspoon may be plenty for your family’s taste buds. But if Dad likes things really spicy then go for 2 teaspoons! Even if your family doesn’t like things spicy, try adding just a scant ½ teaspoon of chipotle chili powder. That should be enough to give the skewers a little hint of spice while still imparting that distinct chipotle smoky flavour that stands out in this recipe.

Tips for making Orange Chipotle Chicken Fajita Skewers

• I like to use metal skewers because they can be washed and used over and over again. But disposable bamboo skewers do the job just as well! Be sure to soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes before skewering to prevent them from burning.
• Boneless chicken breasts often have tenders attached. I advise removing the tenders and saving them for another use (use the tenders to make chicken strips or a stir-fry on another day). This way you can cube the chicken into more consistent sizes.
• Cut the peppers and onions into relatively square pieces (about 1½”) so they’ll be just a little larger than the size of the cubed chicken. This way everything on the skewers will cook consistently.
• For best grilling results remove the marinated skewers from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before grilling.
• The chicken demands time to marinate so you can assemble the skewers a few hours in advance or even the night before. This is so convenient since you’ll have them ready to throw on the grill making mealtime a breeze.

Fajita flavours are everyone’s favourite so you’ll want to make these Orange Chipotle Chicken Fajita Skewers all summer long and share them with friends around the grill.

Serve these Orange Chipotle Chicken Fajita Skewers with my Corn, Black Bean & Avocado Salad or Jewelled Rice and Black Beans as a side and you’ll make Dad the happiest man on earth! And don’t forget to have the beer chilling!

Recipe

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Orange Chipotle Chicken Fajita Skewers

An orange and chipotle spiced marinade for skewered chicken with colourful fajita-inspired vegetables for the grill.

Servings 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 orange, zested
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons liquid honey
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 - 2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder, as desired
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 - 5 boneless chicken breasts, approximately 1 kg
• 2 red bell peppers
• 2 yellow bell peppers
• 2 green bell peppers
• 2 medium red onions
• Fresh cilantro for garnish, as desired

Instructions

1. Soak eight 10” or 12” bamboo skewers in water for at least 30 minutes (or longer) or use metal skewers.

2. In a large bowl (which will ultimately fit all the cubed chicken) whisk together the marinade ingredients: orange zest, orange juice, olive oil, honey, garlic, oregano, chipotle chili power, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper.

3. If the chicken breasts have tenders attached, remove them and reserve tenders for another use. Cut chicken breasts into 1” cubes. You should get at about 36 - 40 pieces. Transfer the cubed chicken to the large bowl with the marinade. Toss to combine well, cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes or longer.

4. Meanwhile, cut the bell peppers into square pieces about 1 ½” each. Cut the onion into similar size pieces.

5. Spear skewers with about 5 cubes of chicken each, alternating the chicken and veggies in a consistent pattern of: chicken, onion, chicken, green pepper, chicken, yellow pepper, chicken, red pepper; butting them tightly. Brush any remaining marinade over the chicken and vegetables.
6. Place the skewers in a non-metal rimmed baking dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate to marinate for at a few hours or overnight.
7. About 30 minutes before grilling, remove the skewers from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature.
8. Grill skewers on a medium-high pre-heated BBQ for about 6 minutes on each side for a total of 12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are lightly charred. Place skewers on a platter and tent with foil. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with cilantro as desired.