Ranch Chicken Fajitas -- The Broth Was Ready, and So Were We

Semifinals. We won, 31-17. Hector was there. He sat in his field-level seat in his denim jacket and his Eldorado Prep hat and he watched every play with the particular focus of a man who coached football and knows what he's watching. Diego saw him before the game — he found him in the crowd during warmups, raised one fist. Hector raised one fist back. The language of men who don't need more than that.

Diego rushed for 178 yards in the semifinal. He ran with a quality in the second half that I've only seen a handful of times in my career: an elevated state where the player is both fully present and somehow larger than the game they're in. The stadium was loud and everything was complicated and he ran like there was no noise. He carries Ruben's dog tags on game days — his own choice, he asked me for a second set last year and I gave them. He runs with Ruben on him. I don't say that to be sentimental. I say it because it's true and because both of them would want it noted.

After the final whistle I went to Hector's seat. He was standing — standing, on a cold November night, on legs that have been telling him to sit for a year. He stood to meet me. I hugged him. He said, "Championship game." I said yes. He said, "I'm coming." I told him I knew. He said, "I've never not been there for a championship game." I said I knew that too. I walked him and Marisol to the car. He was tired in the marrow by then. He was going to be there anyway.

Came home and made posole from the pot I'd left on low all day. Championship game in one week. The broth was ready.

I know the pot of posole was already doing its work when I walked through the door that night, and that’s its own story — but most weeks leading into a championship game, what I actually reach for is something I can build fast with my hands while my mind is still back at that stadium. Ranch Chicken Fajitas are that meal for me: hot pan, real ingredients, done before the replay highlights finish. The smell of peppers and onion in a cast iron at eleven o’clock at night is its own kind of decompression. You don’t have to think. You just cook, and the week starts to settle into something you can hold.

Ranch Chicken Fajitas

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into thin strips
• 1 packet (1 oz) ranch seasoning mix
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 8 flour tortillas (8-inch)
• Optional toppings: sour cream, shredded Monterey Jack, pico de gallo, sliced avocado

Instructions

1. Season the chicken. In a large bowl, toss the sliced chicken with the ranch seasoning mix, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and lime juice until evenly coated. Let sit for 10 minutes while you prep the vegetables.
2. Cook the vegetables. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large cast iron skillet or heavy pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced peppers and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6—8 minutes until softened and beginning to char at the edges. Season lightly with salt. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. Sear the chicken. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken strips in a single layer. Cook without moving for 3—4 minutes, then flip and cook another 3—4 minutes until cooked through and golden on both sides.
4. Combine and finish. Return the peppers and onion to the skillet with the chicken. Toss everything together and cook for 1—2 minutes until heated through and the flavors have come together. Taste and adjust seasoning.
5. Warm the tortillas. Heat tortillas one at a time directly over a gas flame for 20—30 seconds per side, or wrap the stack in a damp paper towel and microwave for 45 seconds.
6. Serve. Lay out the chicken and vegetable mixture onto warm tortillas. Add toppings as desired and serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 435 | Protein: 40g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 37g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 910mg