We all know that feeling of dread when we get off of work or check out of a late meeting, feel so hungry, know it’s getting late, and have no plan for dinner. Need to feed a crowd? No problem! This EASY and delicious recipe has “weeknight warrior” written all over it. This recipe can also easily be doubled or tripled to meal prep for the week or to host a larger dinner party. Our intensely flavorful Honey Orange Chintestle Adobo does all the heavy lifting for you – sweet, tangy, creamy and full of warming spices, without being overly spicy. Simply slice up the chicken and toss in the marinade, bake in the oven for 25 minutes and prep all the rest while the chicken is cooking. A mouthwatering, authentic Oaxacan inspired meal the whole family will love, in minutes, not hours.  

Yield: Makes 10-12 tacos, serves 4-6 

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

1 jar of ¡Ya Oaxaca! Honey Orange Chintestle Adobo 

1.5 pounds chicken breasts or thighs, or a mixture of both

3-4 Bell, Poblano, Anaheim, or Ancho peppers, or a mixture of your choosing depending on your spice preference

1 white, yellow or red onion 

2 tablespoons olive oil or other neutral cooking oil

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper, optional 

1 pack of 6 inch corn tortillas

1 cup cotija cheese, crumbled

1 jar of our escabeche, optional for garnish

1 bunch Cilantro, optional for garnish

1 lime cut into wedges, optional for garnish

1 ripe avocado, optional sliced for garnish

Instructions:

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (for easier clean up). 
2. On a clean plastic cutting board use a sharp knife to slice raw chicken lengthwise, cutting against the grain will help to preserve moisture. Be sure to cut the strips in ½ inch to 1 inch pieces, not cutting them too small will also help preserve moisture while baking in the oven. 
3. When all the chicken is cut, place into a bowl and toss with about ½ the jar of Honey Orange Chintestle Adobo (if making a 1x batch) or until all the chicken is well covered in sauce. Reserve the additional sauce for serving with the meal, if desired. You can also marinade the chicken the night before if desired, but not necessary. 
4. While the oven is coming to temperature, slice all your peppers and onions into ¼ inch to ½ inch strips, place together in a mixing bowl and sprinkle with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss to combine.
5. On the prepared baking sheet, first spread the marinated chicken and distribute evenly around the pan, then add the tossed peppers and onions in the open spaces around the chicken until the pan is full, but do not overcrowd the pan, if you need to spread across two pans, this will help things cook more evenly and encourage browning vs steaming from the food not having space to release its water during cooking. 
6. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes. Set a kitchen timer and when it goes off, bump up the heat to 425. Pull out the tray, rotate it and use a wooden spoon or spatula to move the meat and vegetables around, check the browning and flip some of the peppers and chicken. Bake for another 12-13 minutes or until the edges of the peppers, onions and chicken have a little color and are thoroughly cooked. 
7. During the baking cycles, assemble all your garnishes and toppings; cilantro, limes, cotija, avocado, escabeche, remaining adobo sauce, tortillas etc. Use that last bit of oven time to warm your tortillas as you like and wrap them in a towel to keep warm or use a tortilla warmer to serve with the meal.
8. Assemble tacos with the prepared fajita filling and layer with your preference of toppings and enjoy! Store any leftover fajita filling in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.