I love fajitas, and I love puff pastry. I thought it would be a great combination to marry the two, giving you a delicious buttery flaky “hot pocket”. You can’t go wrong with this dish. Whether you’re serving two large Fajita Stuffed Puff Pastries or individual ones, they are both a hit!

 

 

 

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Yields: 6 servings for individual puffs
Yields: 6 servings for the large rolls
Equipment: 2 rimmed baking sheet pans lined with foil/parchment paper, paring knife, chef’s knife, small mixing bowl, spatula, 1 (12-inch) sauté pan, pastry brush, 1 gallon-size baggie, 1 large bowl

Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless skinless thin-cut chicken breasts, sliced thin
6 tablespoons of fajita seasoning
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil (substitute any neutral oil)
1 1/2 sweet onions, sliced thin
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and sliced thin
1 poblano pepper, seeded and sliced thin
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon of Kosher salt
1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces of shredded cheese, Mexican blend
2 tablespoons of *cornstarch slurry (2 tbsps cornstarch + 2 tbsps of pan sauce)
2 packages of rolled Puff pastry
8 ounces of cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2 large eggs + 1 tablespoon of water, lightly beaten together = the egg wash
Garnishes
1/2 head of iceberg lettuce, thinly shaved
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
1/4 cup of cilantro leaves
1/4 cup of Queso Fresco, crumbled
2 Haas Avocado, pit removed and thinly sliced

Instructions:
Start by marinating the sliced chicken breasts in a gallon baggie with the fajita seasoning and 1/2 cup of grapeseed oil. Remove all the air from the baggie, zip it up, and massage the chicken so the seasoning and oil evenly coat it. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

In the meantime, prep all the vegetables. In a preheated large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil. Add all the veggies into the pan with 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt and 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Cook until veggies soften and lightly caramelize, around 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the pan, transfer to a bowl, and set aside.

The pan is still over medium-high heat, and add the marinated chicken. Spread the chicken out in the pan into one even layer. It’s okay if the chicken touches. Stirring occasionally, allowing the chicken to brown and caramelize for around 10 minutes. Add back into the pan the sautéed veggies, and stir to combine.

A sauce will develop at the bottom of the pan from the liquid released from the spiced-covered chicken and veggies. Before adding filling to the puff pastry, you must thicken the sauce. Take 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of the pan liquid, and stir to form a paste in a small bowl or cup. Add the *cornstarch slurry back into the pan and stir to combine. As you stir everything together, the sauce will thicken quickly.

Instructions For The Puff Pastry Large Rolls And Individual Puffs:
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Depending on the brand of puff pastry you buy, follow the instructions for thawing the dough if needed. The brand I chose and prefer is the rolled style, 9″ x 14″ seamless sheet (refer to the picture above), which is found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store and doesn’t require thawing. The amount of filling this recipe yields allows you to make both styles of my Fajita Stuffed Puff Pastries.

Lay the puff pastry out onto a board or flat surface. Depending on whether you will make individual ones or two large ones, use a chef’s knife to score, then cut the dough into 2 large equal or 6 smaller equal rectangles. Again, depending on the type of puff pastry you buy, you may need to roll your puff pastry out, onto a floured surface, into a large rectangle 1/8-inch thick before cutting.

Spread an even layer of softened cream cheese over the puff pastry, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the cream cheese.

Below are two different techniques for these delicious Chicken Fajita Stuffed Puff Pastries.

Once the chicken fajita mixture has cooled, spoon the mixture onto the bottom third of the puff pastry. Carefully roll up the dough until it meets the other side, and carefully pinch it to seal the end. You want to pinch each end of the dough to seal it and then fold the ends under. Place the seam side down onto the baking sheet. Score three slits into the top of the dough using a paring knife. Liberally brush egg wash over the pastry. Repeat this process for the second rectangle of dough. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown.

To make individual Chicken Fajita Stuffed Puff Pastries. This method requires 12 squares equal in size. You want to roll out each square to measure 6″ x 6″. Prepare each square the same way. This time, you brush the edges of the mini squares with egg wash. Pull the outer corners of the pastry over the chicken mixture to completely enclose the filling. Pinching the dough where they meet. Brush the outside with egg wash. Bake using two rimmed baking sheet pans for 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown.

There you have it, my Chicken Fajita Stuffed Puff Pastries.

Notes:
1) Fajita Seasoning Blend:
1 tablespoon of chili powder
2 teaspoons of paprika (substitute smoked paprika)
2 teaspoons of oregano
1 teaspoon of Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (optional)

2) Instructions For Storing Fajita Seasoning Blend:
a) Place in a sealed, tight container and store in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months.
b) If you use aluminum foil instead of parchment paper, lightly spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray to ensure the pastry does not stick.
c) You need 3 tablespoons of fajita seasoning for 1 pound of chicken.
d) Store fajita seasoning for up to 3 months in a cool, dry place.
e) Cornstarch slurry is a mixture of equal parts cornstarch plus equal parts liquid.

3) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/