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Because I kind of thought our Wednesday could use a little spicing up.
You know, to get us through the Wednesday hump.
I think I have talked about this before, but you guys, what the heck is the difference between a taco and a fajita??
I really just do not get it. I know fajitas are supposed to be done on the grill, but there are plenty of fajita recipes made on the stove and plenty of taco recipes made on the grill. It’s all a bunch of craziness if you ask me.
They both can be served in flour or corn tortillas, they both are filled with meat (or maybe veggie/bean filling) and they both get topped with cheese and hopefully some kind of salsa.
SO, here is how I differentiate my tacos from my fajitas.
I stuff my fajitas with rice and top um with peppers. I top my tacos with salsa or pico de gallo, rarely do I add rice. So really, my fajitas have lots of peppers on top and my tacos don’t….normally. I am not saying they never will because you just never know what I might want to add to my taco toppings. I am typically a fruity salsa kind of girl, but peppers are good too.
Anyway, I guess the biggest difference is rice. Most of my tacos TYPICALLY do not get loaded with rice, BUT I wouldn’t want to close myself in and say never. So there you have it, Tieghan’s interpretation on the difference between a taco and a fajita. Aren’t you glad you tuned in today!
So let’s just talk about that rice for a second. For one, this whole recipe was a, last-minute, let’s clean out the fridge and yet still come up with something great kind of deal. I really wasn’t sure how it was going to go, or even turn out, but I went with.
I made this simple by tossing some chicken in with the last of my homemade taco seasoning. Then I tossed peppers and corn with a little olive oil and placed everything on the grill. While the chicken, peppers and corn where grilling I looked back in the fridge and thought “ok, I need some sauce for these”. So I did what I do and I pulled a few things out and started adding a little of this and a little of that to a bowl.
Ahh right, I am not that good. I used this recipe for the special sauce, but added cream cheese to the mix, which to me is what makes this super special… and super addicting. Oh, and I also added a little chipotle pepper in adobo because you can never go wrong adding a little smoky, spice to the mix.
By then the chicken, peppers and corn were done, so I grabbed them from the grill.
I had some time to kill while everything was cooling off, so that’s when I thought “oh, I need rice, duh”. Luckily, I of course had leftover rice already in the fridge. I then added it to a skillet with some enchilada sauce, beans and cheese and melted it all together.
Best ever, quick cooking, cheesy Mexican rice. Also, the perfect filler for fajitas – so cheesy and delish.
Then I assembled. Loading up on the rice, adding some chicken, piling the veggies high and generously drizzling on some special sauce + cotija cheese.
Pretty sure these are gonna help you get through the Wednesday hump, right?
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I mean, if these don’t help, than I’m sorry to say, you may just have to remain miserable until Friday.
Perfect on a “Taco” Tuesday or any night of the week. So good and really easy to put together. Definitely going to be in heavy rotation.
Hey Samantha,
I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have the best week. xTieghan
Would this work with freshly made rice as well? Or, like with fried rice, does it really require day-old rice? Just found this and wanna make it tonight but I don’t have any leftover rice!
Hey Jessica! This works just fine with freshly made rice, no need for it to be leftover. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Can Greek yogurt be used in place of the crema or will it be a completely different flavor/texture?
What is your taco seasoning recipe for the chicken?
Here is a great homemade taco seasoning:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/46653/taco-seasoning-i/
Tried this tonight- so good! What a great combination of flavors!
Thanks so much, so happy you liked it!
My boyfriend and I made these for his family one night and they were absolutely amazing! We couldn’t eat enough! The rice would be awesome as just a side dish as well! Love love love!!
I am SO glad this went so well for you!! Thank you!
JUST MADE THESE FOR FRIENDS AND IT WAS A SLAMMING SUCCESS!! THANK YOU !!!! Love everything you post too much !
Yummy looks delicious, love grilled chicken…Thanks for sharing.
Simon
Thanks so much, Simon!
Girl, I wish I was the one who took the bite out of the fajita in that very last picture! I’m totally jelly of that person! 😉 These look phenomenal! Pinned!
Thanks for pinning! 🙂
Hope you have a great weekend!
There actually isn’t a “real” difference between the two. Technically speaking, fajita means ‘little belts’ and refers to only beef strips (because they look like tiny belts). You then grill it with veggies, typically bell peppers, in a cast iron skillet. After that’s all said and done, you make your dinner.
Taco, in all honesty, usually is a term designated for how you’re end food preparation will look. A taco is usually made of a soft flour tortilla and filled with whatever you like, and is then folded – similar to a quesadilla, however, the tortillas for those are usually much larger. If you plan on rolling your food in the tortilla, it then becomes a burrito.
So, the difference is only in terms of what it’s pertaining too. Fajita is towards the meat – usually steak strips, but can be chicken or pork – while a taco is really how the tortilla is folded. So, you can make steak fajitas, prepare them in a cast iron, and then put the product into a tortilla and then fold it in half, thus making a taco.
Hopefully that makes sense? (by the way, I’m from Texas where a little of great Mexican food is)
Also! To maybe make it a little clearer, but not everything can be considered a fajita.
Ground beef isn’t a strip, so it doesn’t look like a belt, meaning it can’t be considered fajita meat. However, ground beef can still go into a taco. So, pretty much a fajita can be added into a taco, but what goes into a taco doesn’t always mean it can be called fajita…
This was my first try at a HalfBakedHarvest recipe, and I’m incredibly glad I stumbled across this website! Even with my limited cooking proficiency, this recipe turned out fabulous 😀 THANK YOU!!!
This was my first try at a HalfBakedHarvest recipe – it just caught my eye as I scrolled through. Wow! Even with my limited proficiency at cooking, it was an incredible success thanks to the photographed steps and brilliant recipe. THANK YOU!!!!
So happy you loved these! Thank you!
Oh my goodness Tieghan, you are killing me will all these photos, those fajitas look incredible, and it’s got just about everything I love in there, and the sauce just pretty much makes it inifinitely better.
Thanks so much, Irene!!
Thanks Irene!