Gluten-Free Chicken Fajita Potato Skins

Go team cheese!

This recipe was developed for the amazing folks at McCormick for their Gluten-Free Mixes Launch as member of Healthy Aperture Blogger Network. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting my recipes and site while I work with brands I adore.

You guys, I took two of my favorite dishes–one a main dish, and the other an appetizer–and combined them to create an epic explosion of flavors.

Gluten-free chicken fajita potato skins–boom, dreams do come true!

Just look at that potato skin overflowing with hearty chunks of chicken, colorful bell peppers, sweet onions, and gobs of melty cheese–drool!

You just fell in love, didn’t you?

Who could blame you? They’re some pretty sexy potato skins.

I used McCormick‘s new Gluten-Free Taco Seasoning Mix to add a rich, bold flavor to the chicken fajita stuffing mixture.

Their Gluten-Free Taco Seasoning Mix is a zesty blend of Mexican spices. The warm, spicy mixture adds robust flavor to a variety of meat and vegetarian dishes. It’s certified by the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, contains no MSG or artificial flavors, and priced the same as the regular mixes.

Potato skins are extremely easy to make. The longest part of the process is waiting for the potatoes to bake. I used smaller russet potatoes–because who needs a mammoth size potato skin–to cut down on the baking time.

Potato baking tips:

1. Wash and dry your potatoes.
2. Pierce each potato several times. This helps crisp up the potatoes as they bake.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. The higher heat yields crispier potato skins.
4. Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until fork tender.
5. Allow the potatoes to cool long enough to handle without burning yourself.

Potato skin assembly:

1. Set your oven to broil.
2. Cut the warm potatoes in half. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh, leaving 1/-4-inch intact. You can save the flesh to make something else. I like to mash the flesh with butter and fresh herbs.
3. Line the potatoes on a baking sheet skin side up. Brush each potato with melted butter. Turn the potatoes over and brush the innards with melted butter and season each potato with a pinch of salt and pepper.
4. Flip the potatoes over and broil skin side up for 1 minute. Using tongs, flip the potatoes over and broil flesh side up for one minute.
5. Remove the potatoes from the oven. Add a sprinkle of cheese to each potato skin. Top with chicken fajita mixture and an extra pinch of cheese. Place the potatoes under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
6. Top with sour cream, salsa, and sliced green onions. Go to town!

The crazy cheese lover in me added double the cheese, because we all know more cheese is just plain better. I prefer to use freshly grated cheese for all of my recipes since it melts better.

Potato skins love toppings. Maybe a dollop of sour cream, a little salsa, or even some fresh avocado chunks. The possibilities are endless. I topped my skins with a few slices of green onion, sour cream, and a drizzle of salsa.

These skins are perfect for tailgating and football parties. Or, if you’re like meal, you can make a meal out of them. They have it all–protein, veggies, dairy, and a starch. They’re the perfect portable meal.

How many potato skins can you eat in one sitting? Ready. Set. Go!

If you like this recipe, you might also like McCormick’s Gluten-Free Tacos or 7-Layer Fiesta Dip.

Print Recipe

Gluten-Free Chicken Fajita Potato Skins

Crispy potato skins stuffed with a spicy chicken fajita mixture and double the cheese.

Yield: 16 potato skins

Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Potatoes:

8 small-medium russet potatoes, washed and dried

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

salt and pepper

Chicken Fajita Stuffing:

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1 large chicken breast

4 teaspoons McCormick Gluten-Free Taco Seasoning, divided

1/2 cup chopped red pepper

1/2 cup chopped yellow pepper

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion

salt and pepper

1 and 1/2 cups freshly grated cheddar cheese

4 green onions, chopped

sour cream, for topping

salsa, for topping

 

Directions:

Potatoes:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Pierce each potato several times with a knife.
3. Place potatoes directly on the oven rack. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until fork tender.
4. Remove from the oven and allow the potatoes to cool long enough to handle, about 10-15 minutes.
5. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch intact.
6. Set the oven to broil.
7. Line the potatoes on a baking sheet skin side up. Brush each potato with melted butter. Turn the potatoes over and brush the innards with melted butter and season each potato with a pinch of salt and pepper.
8. Flip the potatoes over and broil skin side up for 1 minute. Using tongs, flip the potatoes over and broil flesh side up for one minute.
9. Remove the potatoes from the oven. Add a sprinkle of cheese to each potato.. Top with chicken fajita mixture and an extra pinch of cheese. Place the potatoes under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Chicken Fajita Stuffing:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Season each side of the chicken breast with 1 teaspoon of taco seasoning and a generous pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Place the chicken in the hot skillet. Cook on each side for 6-7 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
4. Remove the skillet from the pan and turn the heat down to medium-low.
5. Add remaining oil to the pan. Once the oil is heated, add the chopped peppers and onions. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt and add the remaining 2 teaspoons of taco seasoning. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are tender, about 5 minutes.
6. While the peppers are cooking, chop the chicken into small pieces.
7. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the chopped chicken. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.

All images and text ©One Sweet Mess.

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Disclosure: This recipe was developed for the amazing folks at McCormick for their Gluten-Free Mixes Launch as member of Healthy Aperture Blogger Network. All opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting my recipes and site while I work with brands I adore.