Chicken fajita bowl

Spiced chicken strips with charred pepper and onion over cauliflower rice, topped with avocado and lime.

  • Have some energy
  • Vegan option
  • Gluten-free
  • Mexican
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Chicken
  • Keto
  • Low carb
  • High protein
Hands-on
28 min
Total time
40 min, show breakdown
  • Prep 15 min
  • Cook 18 min
  • Clean up 7 min
Pans
1
Ingredients
9
Cost/serving
$4.35

Per serving

Calories
456
Protein
50 g
Fiber
7.4 g
Net carbs
9.7 g
Fat
21 g

High in (% Daily Value per serving): Vitamin C 173%, Niacin (B3) 134%, Vitamin B6 131%, Selenium 86%, Riboflavin (B2) 43%, Folate 38%, Vitamin K 34%, Potassium 32%, Vitamin E 28%, Thiamin (B1) 28%, Magnesium 25%, Zinc 21%

Full nutrition facts, vitamins and minerals. All nutrition is estimated; check your own labels.

Already dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free.

Ingredients for 2

Tap an ingredient for other units and forms.

  • 2 breasts chicken breast, boneless skinless (400 g)
  • ½ head cauliflower (300 g)

    Same amount as: about 2¾ cups.

  • 1 medium red bell pepper (120 g)
  • ¼ medium red onion (28 g)
  • 1 tsp chili powder (2.7 g)

    Same amount as: 5 mL.

  • 1 tsp ground cumin (2.1 g)

    Same amount as: 5 mL.

  • 1½ tbsp olive oil (20 g)

    Same amount as: 20 mL.

  • ½ medium avocado (68 g)
  • 1 tbsp lime juice (15 g)

    Same amount as: 15 mL, ½ lime squeezed from fresh limes.

  • salt, to taste
  • black pepper, to taste

Find alternative ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings. Cook the chicken in rounds if it will not fit in one layer.

Nutrition Facts

2 servings per recipe

Serving size 1 plate (478 g raw)

NutrientPer serving% DV*Whole recipe
Calories456
Total fat21 g27%
Saturated fat3.5 g18%
Cholesterol146 mg49%
Sodium336 mg15%
Total carbohydrate17 g6%
Dietary fiber7.4 g27%
Total sugars6.4 g
Net carbs†9.7 g
Protein50 g99%
Vitamin D0.2 mcg1%
Calcium71 mg5%
Iron2.9 mg16%
Potassium1,485 mg32%
Vitamin A135 mcg15%
Vitamin C156 mg173%
Vitamin E4.2 mg28%
Vitamin K41 mcg34%
Thiamin (B1)0.34 mg28%
Riboflavin (B2)0.56 mg43%
Niacin (B3)21 mg134%
Vitamin B62.2 mg131%
Folate153 mcg38%
Vitamin B120.42 mcg18%
Magnesium104 mg25%
Zinc2.3 mg21%
Selenium47 mcg86%

Estimated, not verified. These numbers are calculated from typical ingredient data and haven't been checked against a lab or your brands. Check the labels of what you buy and confirm anything that matters to you, especially sodium, sugar and allergens.

* % Daily Value shows how much one serving adds to a 2,000-calorie day. † Net carbs is not on US labels; it is total carbs minus fiber, allulose, erythritol and half of other sugar alcohols. "To taste" amounts are counted as written. Counted items (eggs, cloves, spoons) use the rounded amount shown in the ingredient list. Vitamins and minerals are from raw ingredients; cooking lowers some, especially vitamin C and folate. How this is calculated.

Steps

  1. Cut the chicken into 1 cm (½ in) strips. Toss with the chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Slice the pepper and onion into thin strips.

  2. Grate the cauliflower on the large holes of the box grater.

    Done looks like: Small pieces the size of rice grains.
  3. Heat ½ tbsp oil in the skillet on medium-high. Cook the cauliflower 5 minutes, stirring now and then. Divide it between two bowls.

    Done looks like: Hot and tender with a little bite, a few golden bits.
  4. Add another ½ tbsp oil. Lay the chicken in one layer. Cook 3 minutes without moving, then turn and cook 3 minutes more.

    Done looks like: Browned on both sides. The thickest strip reads 74 °C / 165 °F.
  5. Move the chicken to the bowls. Add the rest of the oil, the pepper and the onion. Cook 4 minutes, stirring once or twice.

    Done looks like: Soft, with charred edges.
  6. Add the pepper and onion to the bowls. Top with sliced avocado and the lime juice.

Equipment

Large frying pan or skillet, 30 cm (12 in) $25–60

What to look for

  • Wide flat base so food cooks in one layer
  • Stainless steel or cast iron for high heat

Skip: Woks on flat electric stoves; they do not heat evenly there.

Box grater $10–20

What to look for

  • Four sides, including a coarse side for cheese and vegetables
  • Stable base that does not slide

Skip: Rotary graters. A box grater does more.

Instant-read digital thermometer $10–30

What to look for

  • Reads in 5 seconds or less
  • Thin probe tip
  • Shows °C and °F

Skip: Dial thermometers that take 20+ seconds.

Silicone spatula $5–12

What to look for

  • One-piece (no seam where the head meets the handle)
  • Stiff enough to scrape, safe on non-stick

Skip: Wooden spatulas for non-stick pans; they work but do not scrape as cleanly.

Chef's knife, 20 cm (8 in) $15–50

What to look for

  • Comfortable handle that does not slip when wet
  • Blade you can sharpen, or a cheap one you replace every few years

Skip: Knife blocks with 12 knives. A chef's knife and a small paring knife cover almost everything.

Cutting board $10–30

What to look for

  • At least 30 × 40 cm (12 × 16 in), so food stays on it
  • Wood or plastic; plastic goes in the dishwasher

Skip: Glass or stone boards. They dull knives fast.

What goes wrong

WhatCauseFix
Wet, mushy cauliflower riceCovered with a lid, or cooked on low heat.Cook it uncovered on medium-high so the water steams off.
Grey chicken with no browningToo many strips in the pan at once.Cook in two rounds with space between the strips.

Versions

VersionChangesPer serving
OriginalAs written. Hands-on 28 min, total 40 min.456 kcal
50 g protein
7.4 g fiber
9.7 g net carbs
21 g fat
VegetarianFirm tofu instead of chicken. Also vegan. Hands-on 28 min, total 40 min.429 kcal
30 g protein
11 g fiber
10 g net carbs
29 g fat
Higher carbBrown rice instead of cauliflower. Hands-on 25 min, total 68 min.588 kcal
50 g protein
6.1 g fiber
39 g net carbs
22 g fat

Notes

Allergies: removing an allergen from the recipe does not remove it from your kitchen or from other products. Check labels for "may contain" warnings.

Pregnancy: Cook chicken to at least 74 °C / 165 °F in the thickest part.