With football playoffs & the Super Bowl coming up, my mind has continued to drift towards finger foods.
You know, the kind that you can mindlessly inhale while you chat & do your best to follow the big game? Luckily, these are packed with simple, good-for-you ingredients that won’t leave you with as much of a gut-ache, had you scarfed down a giant bowl of nachos.
Because as good as that feels in the moment, we all know hindsight is 20/20.
And while these are perfect for game day, they also make the ultimate meal prep food. Bake a batch on Sunday, then mix & match them with meals throughout the week. They’re great over a Mexican-style salad, in a cauli-rice burrito bowl topped with salsa & guac, or snacked on solo after a workout.
You’re on your way to a fajita fiesta in no time, with a no-fuss method and super easy clean-up.
As far as the chicken goes, you could also go for ground chicken, then omit the food processor all together. I like to break up my own so I can choose what quality of chicken I’m grinding – and I also like to make sure it’s thighs, which are more flavorful. The choice is yours, and I’m sure they will be delicious little party bites either way!
Chicken Fajita Poppers | Paleo, Whole30
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp avocado oil, for cooking
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400ยบF.ย Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil, and drizzle or spray with avocado oil.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then place in a blender or food processor.ย Pulse a few times to break up the meat.
- Add the remaining ingredients (peppers, onion, garlic, spices) and pulse for a minute or two, until everything is combined.
- Use a cookie dough scooper to scoop heaping tablespoons full of the mixture onto the lined and greased baking sheet.*ย You can leave them as is, or use your hands to flatten them a bit.
- Brush the tops of the poppers with avocado oil, or use a sprayer to lightly coat them.
- Transfer to the oven, and bake for 25 minutes.ย Broil for 3-5 minutes at the end to brown the tops.
- Serve hot, dipped in guacamole or salsa!
Notes
- If you don’t have avocado oil, use whatever oil you have on hand.
- Cook the poppers in batches if you can’t fit them all on one baking sheet.
- If you don’t have a cookie dough scooper, use a tablespoon measuring cup to scoop instead.
12 Comments
Anonymous
December 19, 2017 at 10:42 pmhow long do you cook the chicken thighs for?
Jessie B
December 19, 2017 at 11:59 pmThe chicken thighs are raw, and bake in the oven- similar to a baked meatball!
Unknown
February 6, 2018 at 8:14 pmHi, All I have on hand is ground chicken. Do you think it work fine?
Megan
November 24, 2020 at 6:00 amWhat do you do if you donโt have a food processor ?
Jessie B
February 6, 2018 at 8:32 pmYes that would be great!!
Yvonne
February 8, 2018 at 9:43 amThese look good! I may try them with canned chicken too.
Jacquie Cobb
February 24, 2018 at 8:50 pmAny idea if these freeze well for a make-ahead meal? And how to re-heat?
Lauren Margolin
May 2, 2018 at 12:51 pmThink you could do these with shrimp or fish? They look amazing!
Jamie
April 21, 2020 at 2:46 pmThese sound yummy! We love those Trader Joeโs chicken burgers, might try adding some cilantro and lime juice/zest to theses as well.
Jessie B
April 23, 2020 at 6:49 pmThose sound like great additions that’ll give these poppers some great extra flavor!
Megan
November 20, 2020 at 5:12 amWhat do you recommend if you donโt have a food processor?
Jessie B
November 23, 2020 at 4:18 pmYou could just use ground chicken, and finely dice the veggies!