Seriously, What the Hell Is for Dinner?
It’s Wednesday. Your energy’s dead, the fridge is a crime scene, and you can barely picture a meal that doesn’t come out of a box or a drive-thru bag. That’s why we roll with something so easy you sorta feel like you’re cheating. Enter: Lazy-Ass Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas.
One pan. Budget-friendly as hell. Actual vegetables. Dinner heroes exist, and sometimes they’re a parchment-lined rectangle in your own damn oven.
Ingredients (Feeds 4 Hungry, Possibly Grumpy People)
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts OR thighs (cheaper + juicier, your call)
- 3 bell peppers (go wild – red, green, yellow, whatever’s cheapest)
- 1 large onion (yellow or red, cut the tears with goggles if you have to)
- 3 tbsp olive oil (or whatever you’ve got—veg oil is fine, no panic)
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- Big pinch salt and black pepper
- 10 small flour or corn tortillas (microwave ’em, don’t overthink it)
- Optional toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, avocado, lime wedges, whatever weird shit your kids eat
Instructions: Bare-Minimum Effort, Maximum Win
- Crank oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a sheet pan with parchment or just oil the hell out of it.
- Slice your chicken into thin-ish strips. Chop peppers and onion the same way. This is the only “work” here. Toss everything on the pan.
- Drizzle with oil. Dump on all the spices, salt, and pepper. Use your fucking hands or a big spoon and toss it all together until coated like a crime scene.
- Spread out in a somewhat even layer. Don’t pile it 6 inches high or you’ll steam, not roast. Just trust me.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes. Stir halfway if you’re feeling wild. Done when chicken’s cooked through and veggies look roasted around the edges.
- Wrap tortillas in foil and toss next to the sheet pan in the oven for the last 5 minutes, or nuke them for 30 seconds. Don’t get fancy—just warm.
- Serve. Let everyone assemble their own. Slam on toppings. Roll up and shovel it in. Dinner done.
Swaps, Shortcuts, and Picky-Ass Tweaks
- Meat swap: Cheap steak or pork strips instead of chicken? Go for it. Frozen chicken? Thaw that mess first.
- Veg cheats: Swap in a frozen stir fry blend. Dump straight on the pan, increase bake time by 5 mins.
- Spice wimps? Cut chili powder in half, skip paprika, or sneak on individual plates. No reason to be held hostage by tiny tyrants’ taste buds.
- Cash-strapped night? Bulk up with canned black beans (drained, rinsed) tossed on the sheet pan in the last 10 mins. Skip cheese and sour cream.
- Gluten-free? Corn tortillas. Or dump the whole pan on rice. Boom.
Why This Recipe Slaps
It’s under $15, feeds the squad, and you do one goddamn pan. Cleanup is a joke. Nobody argues. If someone hates onions, they can just pick them out and shut up. Plus, leftovers = tomorrow’s lunch if you’re lucky enough to have some still in the fridge. This is the kind of recipe I build my weekly plans around.
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