Chicken Taco Salad

Finished wholesome meal, nutritious and ready to satisfy.

5 from 5 votes

This Chicken Taco Salad is packed with flavor—seasoned ground chicken, black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, and Cheddar, all tossed with a zesty cilantro-lime vinaigrette. Fresh, hearty, and so easy to love!

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Total Time45

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Keyword: Chicken Taco Salad

Servings: servings

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $18.52

Equipment

Blender or food processor
Large, cast-iron skillet

Ingredients

Dressing

2 cups cilantro twist and rip off the top half of the bunch to loosely measure (stems are fine), plus more for serving if desired
3 limes plus extra lime wedges for serving if desired
1-1/2 tablespoons diced jalapeño seeds and ribs removed
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Salad

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground chicken
1 red onion divided, see note 2
1 to 2 cloves garlic minced, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons
1 (1-ounce) packet taco seasoning see note 3
8 cups romaine lettuce thinly sliced, 3 heads of lettuce
1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
1 cup fresh corn cut off the cob, 2 ears of corn
1 large avocado or 2 small to medium ones, thinly sliced or diced
1-1/4 cups cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 cup extra-sharp Cheddar cheese freshly shredded

US - Metric

Instructions

Zest and juice limes to get 1 teaspoon zest and 6 tablespoons juice. Combine all the dressing ingredients except for the olive oil in a blender or food processor. Add salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper). Pulse until ingredients are combined, then drizzle in olive oil, quickly pulsing until emulsified. Don’t overmix/blend the olive oil or it can create a metallic flavor. Taste and adjust any seasonings to personal preference.
Add the olive oil to a large cast-iron skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add in 1 cup finely diced red onion and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic. Stir often, cooking until tender, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat if it starts to burn. Add ground chicken and cook for 6–8 minutes or until white and cooked through. Add the taco seasoning and reduce heat to low. Stir to coat and season to taste with salt (it will vary, depending on the taco seasoning). Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
Wash and chop the lettuce. Cut into ribbons and halve the ribbons—thinner salad pieces allow for more surface area that the dressing can adhere to. Use a salad spinner to ensure the lettuce is 100% dry before adding any other ingredients.
Thinly slice the other quarter of the red onion to get about 1/4 cup (see note 2), drain and rinse black beans, prepare the corn (see note 4), halve the cherry tomatoes, chop or thinly slice the avocado(s), and shred the cheese. Add to the salad.
If serving the salad immediately, pour the dressing over (add to desired preference; you may not want to use all the dressing), toss the salad, and enjoy! Add additional lime wedges and cilantro to individual plates.

Notes

Note 1: If you don’t like a lot of dressing, halve the dressing recipe. Any leftover dressing stays good for up to 1 week in the fridge and is delicious over salads, roasted or raw veggies, etc.

Note 2: The red onion is used twice; cut it in half and dice up half of it to use with the ground chicken. Cut up the other 1/4 of the onion (or all the rest of it if desired) into thin strips.

Note 3: Either use 1 packet taco seasoning (I use McCormick®) or make your own by mixing together the following spices: 1 tbsp chili powder, 1 tsp each: ground cumin, paprika, 1/2 tsp each: onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt, pepper, and 1/2 tbsp beef bouillon powder.

Note 4: Thaw and sauté frozen corn or grill fresh corn. To grill: Preheat to 400°F, clean grates, and husk the corn. Rub corn with 1 tsp oil, season lightly with salt and pepper, and grill uncovered for about 12 minutes, rotating every 3 minutes. Once browned, let cool and cut off the kernels.

Storage: Once dressed, Chicken Taco Salad doesn’t store well—the dressing makes the lettuce soggy. I recommend only dressing what you will enjoy the same day. Store dressing, salad, and avocado separately.

Nutrition