Jack in the Box Chicken Fajita Pita Recipe

Jack in the Box's Chicken Fajita Pita is grilled chicken, cheddar, lettuce, grilled onions and tomato in a whole grain pita, with fire-roasted salsa on the side. This copy seasons a pound of chicken breast strips with chili powder, cumin and paprika, cooks them in a hot skillet with a sliced onion for about twelve minutes, and fills four pitas.

What is in Jack in the Box's Chicken Fajita Pita

Brand Eating's review of January 2015 lists the parts: grilled chicken pieces, shredded cheddar, lettuce, grilled onions and tomato inside a pita made with 16 grams of whole grain, with fire-roasted salsa served on the side. It cost $4.99 at the time.

The recipe is not published. This one is a reconstruction from that description, and MakeFoodLovely is not connected with Jack in the Box.

Recipe

Jack in the Box Chicken Fajita Pita

A reconstruction of Jack in the Box's Chicken Fajita Pita — seasoned chicken breast strips, browned onions, cheddar, lettuce and tomato in a whole grain pita, with fire-roasted salsa on the side. Four servings.

4.5 (2)Print

Prep

15 min

Cook

15 min

Total

30 min

Serves

4

Cuisine

Tex-Mex

Ingredients

• For the seasoning:
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• For the pitas:
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 4 whole grain pita breads
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cups shredded lettuce
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup fire-roasted salsa

Instructions

1. Stir the chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and salt together. Toss the chicken strips with 1 tablespoon of the oil, the lime juice and the seasoning.
2. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and browned at the edges. Move it to a plate.
3. Add the chicken to the hot skillet in one layer. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning once, until browned and 165°F inside. Return the onion to the pan and toss.
4. Warm the pitas for 20 seconds in the microwave under a damp paper towel. Cut each one in half and open the pockets.
5. Put 2 tablespoons of cheese into each half, then the hot chicken and onions, then lettuce and tomato. Serve two halves per person with the salsa on the side.

Nutrition

Calories:

510

Calculated from the ingredient quantities above using the USDA FoodData Central database, then divided by the number of servings. It is an estimate and will vary with the exact products you use.

Onions, and no peppers

A fajita is usually cooked with onions and bell peppers. The description of the pita names grilled onions and no peppers, and the card follows it. For a classic fajita filling, add one bell pepper, cut into strips, to the skillet with the onion.

The seasoning is a short fajita blend. The Taco Bell seasoning on this site can stand in for it: use 1 tablespoon.

A fire-roasted salsa for the side

Keep the salsa on the side, so the pita does not go soft. A jar labelled fire-roasted works. To make one, broil 3 plum tomatoes, 1 jalapeño and half an onion on a foil-lined sheet for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until charred in spots. Blend them with 1 clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon of lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in short pulses, so the salsa stays coarse.

Keeping the pita from tearing

• Warm it first. A cold whole grain pita cracks when it is opened. Twenty seconds under a damp paper towel softens it.
• Cheese goes in first, against the warm bread and under the hot chicken, so it melts.
• Thin strips. At a quarter inch the chicken cooks through in the time it takes to brown.

For another filled flatbread, the Starbucks spicy falafel pocket on this site is wrapped in lavash.

Making it ahead

The cooked chicken and onions keep three days in the refrigerator and reheat in a hot skillet in 2 to 3 minutes. Fill the pitas just before eating. Other Jack in the Box copies on this site are the chicken sandwich and the fries.