Fajita Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Stuffing chicken breasts has become one of my favorite things to do.  Not only are the possiblilites ENDLESS, its always a great surprise to see fresh veggies and cheeses stuffed inside a protein packed chicken breast.  The inspiration for these fajita stuffed chicken breasts came from my undying love for Mexican food.  I was trying to find another way to incorporate the mexican spices and peppers into my diet but without the carbs included in a tortilla.  Wrapping all of these ingredients in a chicken breasts gives me plenty of protein  and is very filling!  Enjoy these with a fresh salad or with my One-Pot Black Beans and Rice!


Servings: 4  Serving Size: 1 chicken breast with 1/4 cup enchilada sauce Calories: 419 • Fat: 18 g  Protein: 44 g Carb: 28 g  Fiber: 4 g  Sugars:  7 g

Ingredients

4 Chicken breasts
1 red pepper - thinly sliced
1 medium green pepper - thinly sliced
1 medium red onion - thinly sliced
1 tbsp Homemade Taco Seasoning - Recipe to follow
1 cup low-fat Mexican Cheese - divided
1 cup crushed Tortilla Chips

Enchilada Sauce

1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup fat free chicken broth
2 garlic cloves - minced
2 tbsp chipotle chilis in adobo sauce
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Housemade Taco Seasoning

1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1.5 tsp ground cumin
1/2 to 1 tsp sea salt (more or less to taste)
1 tsp black pepper

Directions

Combine all of your taco seasonings in an airtight container and mix well.  Store in a cool, dry area for up to 2 months.

Place a saucepan over medium heat and coat liberally with cooking spray.  Cook the garlic until fragrant.  Add the tomato sauce, chicken broth, chipotle chilis, and seasoning and bring to a boil. 

 Reduce heat to low and simmer 8-10 minutes.  Remove the large chipotle chilis from the sauce and chop them into bite sized pieces, then add them back to the pot.  Set aside until you are ready to use.

In a medium pan over high heat saute the peppers and onions until just beginning to turn soft. 

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Butterfly the chicken breasts, being very careful not to completely cut through the breasts.  Generously coat each breast in the enchilada sauce (do not dip the uncooked meat into the sauce, you will be using it later!) and then sprinkle with approximately 1/4 tbsp of taco seasoning.  Top with peppers, onion, and 1/4 cup cheese. 

Tightly roll the each breast, securing with toothpicks as needed.  Place the crushed tortilla chips on a plate and roll the chicken breasts on the chips, coating each breast thoroughly.  Lay the breasts into a cooking pan coated with with non-stick cooking spray. 

Bake for 25-30 minutes.  Once you remove the breasts from the oven you can drizzle them with the leftover enchilada sauce and serve any leftover peppers and onions you have on the side.