Having quick, simple appetizer recipes in your tool box is a must have if you host any sort of gathering. Whether it’s a weekly game night with friends or friends showing up last minute, having something delicious on hand will make you the host of the year and who wouldn’t want that title?
These little chicken rolls are perfect for sharing. They are filled with shredded chicken (leftovers or a rotisserie chicken is perfect here), sautéd peppers and onions, shredded cheese and taco seasoning and then rolled up and baked until melty. They are simple, but delicious.
Let’s get started…
Begin by thinly slicing up 2 medium sweet peppers and a small onion (yellow, white or red will all work). Place a large skillet over medium heat, add some neutral oil and sauté the peppers and onion until they are tender and slightly caramelized.
Add 2 cloves of finely minced garlic and cook for another 60 seconds or so.
Add 2 tablespoons of your favorite taco or fajita seasoning, 2 tablespoons of pickled jalapeño (optional, but recommended), 1/4 cup of finely chopped cilantro and about 3 cups worth of shredded chicken. I cooked 2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts and shredded them up for this recipe, but any leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken would work great for this recipe. You could also use ground beef, ground turkey or shredded pork too.
Once everything is evenly distributed, transfer the filling off of the heat and grab 10 small flour tortillas and about 8 ounces of your favorite shredded cheese.
Warm the tortillas for about 15 seconds in the microwave, so they are pliable and easy to roll. Cut the tortillas in half and let’s start rolling…
Sprinkle a little cheese over a half tortilla and add a little bit of your filling. Avoid over filling these little wraps. You want to add enough filling to make them taste good, but not so much that they can’t be rolled up. You kind of have to go by feel and if you start off with too much filling, just unroll them and pull some out! Easy peasy.
Place the rolls into a parchment lined oven safe skillet and repeat the process until all of the tortillas and filling have been used up.
You can lay the rolls on an angle and layer them in as you go. If you have a hard time keeping the first few rolls closed up, I like to place a bowl inside the skillet to keep some pressure on the rolls until there are enough to keep everyone in place.
I also recommend keeping a little space in the center for a bowl of sour cream or guacamole after they are baked up.
Bake your fajita chicken rolls in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until everything is melty and the tortillas are beginning to lightly brown on the edges. I keep an eye on them as they start warming and if any of the tortillas open up a bit, use a pair of tongs to press them closed. Once the cheese starts to melt, it can act as a glue to keep the rolls closed up.
These little rolls are fabulous. The peppers and onions add a subtle sweetness that pairs perfectly with the taco seasoning, pickled jalapeños and sharp cheddar cheese. All those flavors rolled up with some shredded chicken makes for a delicious appetizer that everyone will love.
Serve with sour cream, salsa and maybe some guacamole and lime wedges and watch them disappear.
Fajita Chicken Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 small boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
- 2 tablespoons of a neutral oil
- 2 medium sweet peppers, thinly sliced
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons of taco or fajita seasoning
- 2 tablespoons of pickled jalapeños (optional)
- 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- 10 small flour tortillas
- 8 ounces of shredded cheese
Garnishes
- sour cream, salsa or guacamole
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350° and line a baking sheet or shallow oven safe skillet with parchment paper
- Cook 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, shred and set aside to cool or use leftover or rotisserie chicken
- Place a skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of a neutral oil
- Add the thinly sliced peppers and onion and cook until softened (about 7-8 minutes)
- Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and cook for another 60 seconds
- Transfer the skillet off of the heat and add 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning, 2 tablespoons of pickled jalapeño (optional), 1/4 cup of finely chopped cilantro and the shredded chicken and mix until well combined
- Warm 10 small flour tortillas in the microwave for about 15 seconds and cut them in half
- Shredded a thin layer of the fajita mixture over a half tortilla and top with shredded cheese
- Roll the tortilla into a cone shape and place into the parchment lined skillet
- Repeat with the remaining tortillas and fajita mixture stacking them in a circle
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tortillas are lightly golden
- Serve with sour cream, salsa, guacamole and lime wedges
