Crispy Chicken Fajita Linguine

WhatWillyCook's comfort dish of dreams. Juicy fried chicken thighs coated in a smoky, spiced crust, served on top of creamy linguine with charred peppers. Spicy, comforting and absolutely dangerous.

📝 Ingredients

• 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Thigh
• 2 Egg
• 50 g Cornflour
• 2 Bell Pepper
• 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1 tsp Chilli Flakes
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp Onion Salt
• 400 g Linguine
• 50 g Cream Cheese
• 0.5 Lime
• 20 g Fresh Coriander
• Vegetable Oil
• Black Pepper

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Heat the oven to 170°C. Whisk the eggs in a bowl, add the chicken thighs and set aside to soak.
2. 2Mix together the cayenne pepper, half the smoked paprika, the chilli flakes, garlic powder, cumin, onion salt and a good grind of black pepper in a separate bowl. This is your spice mix.
3. 3Get your linguine on in a large saucepan of well-salted water and cook according to packet instructions. Just before draining, scoop out a few ladles of pasta water and set aside.
4. 4Meanwhile, roughly chop the coriander and set aside. Finely slice the peppers into strips. Heat a drizzle of vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and fry the peppers for 6-8 mins until slightly charred and soft. Add half the spice mix, stir to coat and cook for a further minute, then set aside.
5. 5Chicken time. In a bowl, mix together the cornflour, the remaining spice mix and the remaining smoked paprika. Lift the chicken thighs out of the egg and press into the flour mix, turning to get an even coating all over.
6. 6Heat a generous drizzle of vegetable oil in the frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the chicken for 5-7 mins on each side until golden and crisp, then transfer to a baking tray and place in the oven to keep warm.
7. 7Drain the linguine and return to the pan. Add the spiced peppers and cream cheese along with a splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss everything together until the sauce is silky and coats the pasta.
8. 8Remove the chicken from the oven and slice into strips. Divide the pasta between bowls, top with the chicken, squeeze over the lime juice and scatter over the roughly chopped coriander.