Chili-Lime Chicken Fajitas (Air-Fryer)

Fajitas are the Tex-Mex dinner that nobody complains about. Adults get the freedom to build their own; kids get to assemble; the table conversation moves slower because everyone's chopping their own pepper. The traditional version is grilled over fire (the name "fajita" comes from the skirt-steak cut, which historically went on outdoor grills), but in a home kitchen, the air fryer gets you most of the way there — high heat, fast cook, the charred-edge effect that fajita meat needs.

The marinade is the difference between "boring weeknight chicken" and "actual fajitas." Chili powder for colour and depth. Lime juice for acid that doubles as a tenderiser. Garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, brown sugar (a small amount, to balance the acid). The chicken sits in this for 20 minutes — longer is better but 20 is enough — and comes out with bright red-orange crust that screams Tex-Mex from across the room.

The peppers and onions go in the same basket as the chicken at the last 8 minutes. They char at the edges, soften in the middle, pick up some of the chicken's seasoning. By the time you take everything out, the basket looks like a small-scale charred-fajita-platter that would arrive sizzling at a Chili's table.

The photo shows the family-style serving setup: a wooden cutting board with tortillas folded around the chicken-and-pepper filling, piles of avocado, fresh cilantro, lime wedges. This is what Tuesday-night Tex-Mex looks like in someone's actual kitchen.