These open Cajun chicken fajitas have become one of my favourite quick dinners — bold, colourful and on the table in under 30 minutes. Smoky Cajun-spiced chicken, charred peppers, quick-pickled red onion and smashed avocado, all piled onto a warm tortilla and finished with a creamy kefir and dill dressing that lifts the whole thing beautifully.
They work equally well as a relaxed weekend lunch or a midweek dinner the whole family will actually eat. If you’re looking for more ideas along the same lines, you might also enjoy our easy light lunch recipes and quick dinner ideas the kids will love.
Open Cajun Chicken Fajitas
With kefir, garlic & lemon dressing
Ingredients
For the fajitas
- 2 chicken breasts, sliced into strips
- A generous amount of Cajun spice mix (or see cook’s note to make your own)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 yellow pepper, sliced
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 2 large flour tortillas
- Gem or butter lettuce leaves
- Tabasco, to serve
For the guacamole
- 1 ripe avocado
- Juice of 1 lime
- ½ fresh chilli, finely chopped
- Salt and black pepper
For the kefir dressing
- 1/3 cup (80ml) plain kefir
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- Juice of half a lemon
- Small drizzle of agave syrup
- Small handful of fresh dill or coriander, roughly chopped
- Salt to taste
Method
- Place the chicken strips in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle generously with Cajun spice mix. Toss well to coat.
- Make the guacamole by mashing the avocado with the lime juice, chilli and a good seasoning of salt and black pepper. Set aside.
- Whisk together all the kefir dressing ingredients and set aside.
- Heat a large frying pan over a high heat. Cook the chicken strips on one side of the pan and the sliced peppers and red onion on the other. Cook for 10–12 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and charred at the edges and the peppers and onion have softened.
- Toast the tortillas in a toaster or warm in a dry pan until soft and pliable.
- To assemble, lay each tortilla on a plate and add a layer of lettuce leaves. Spoon the guacamole generously over the base, then pile on the chicken strips, peppers and onion.
- Drizzle with the kefir dressing and finish with a hit of Tabasco. Serve immediately.
Cook’s note To make your own Cajun spice mix, combine 1 tsp each of smoked paprika, garlic powder and oregano with ½ tsp each of cayenne pepper and black pepper, plus a pinch of salt. Don’t be shy with it — this recipe is meant to have a proper kick. The kefir dressing also works beautifully as part of a summer grazing board alongside the roasted red pepper and butter bean dip.