Chicken Fajita Bowls with Cauliflower Rice

Let's Cook

1. 1Step 1

   Put the patted-dry chicken thighs in a bowl with the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, and several grinds of pepper. Rub it in with your hands until each piece looks evenly dusted with no bare patches. Do this before anything else — the salt needs the few minutes you spend slicing to start working into the meat.

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   If the rub clumps and won't spread, the chicken is still damp. Blot it again with paper towel — dry surfaces both take spice better and brown faster.

2. 2Step 2

   Cut the bell peppers in half, pull out the seeds and white ribs, and slice into ½-inch strips. Halve and peel the onion and slice it the same width. Even thickness matters more than neatness; thin shreds will burn before the thick ones soften.

3. 3Step 3

   6 min

   Set a large skillet, cast iron or stainless if you have one, over high heat with 1 tbsp oil. Wait until the oil thins out and shimmers and a flicked drop of water skitters and pops. Lay the thighs in a single layer without touching and leave them alone for 5 minutes. When a piece lifts without tugging and the underside is deep brown in patches, flip and cook 4 to 6 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer in the thickest part must read 165°F (74°C). Move them to a cutting board.

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   Resist moving the chicken early. Rearranging it drops the pan temperature and the crust tears off instead of releasing.

4. 4Step 4

   8 min

   Add 1 tbsp oil to the same pan, still on high, and add the peppers and onion with a pinch of salt. Spread them flat and let them sit undisturbed 2 to 3 minutes, until you see black-edged blisters, then toss once and repeat. They're done at 6 to 8 minutes total, when the peppers bend easily but still snap when you bite one. Scrape into a bowl.

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   Don't rinse the pan between stages. The browned spice left behind is flavor the vegetables pick up.

5. 5Step 5

   6 min

   Lower the heat to medium-high. Add the last 1 tbsp oil and the cauliflower rice with a pinch of salt, spreading it thin. Stir every minute or so for 4 to 6 minutes, until the steam stops rising, the grains look dry and separate rather than glossy, and they smell faintly nutty. Frozen needs a couple of minutes longer and will spit as the ice goes.

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   Taste a spoonful before plating. Dry cauliflower tastes sweet and toasty; if it still tastes watery, give it another minute.

6. 6Step 6

   Slice the chicken across the grain — against the lines running through the meat — into ½-inch strips. Divide the cauliflower rice among four bowls, top with chicken and peppers, fan avocado slices over the top, and squeeze a lime wedge over each bowl just before eating.