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Chicken Taco Salad with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing

4.2 out of 5 stars | 4 ratings
cutting board with aha logo and vegetables
With many elements of a taco but in salad form, this dish makes a light yet filling lunch. Use the skinless breast meat from a rotisserie chicken for a speedier process; also, double the salad dressing recipe to drizzle over sliced tomatoes as an easy side for a dinner.

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Taco Salad with Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing
CaloriesCalories
308 Per Serving
ProteinProtein
22.3g Per Serving
FiberFiber
6.9g Per Serving

Ingredients

Servings  4   Serving Size   4

For the dressing:

  • 1 cup packed cilantro leaves and stems
  • 1 green onion (roughly chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice (from about 1 lime)
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
  • 1/8 teaspoon
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • pinch sugar

For the salad:

  • 1 1/2 cups shredder or chopped cooked chicken breast (from rotisserie or about 1/2 pound raw chicken breasts)
  • 6 cups chopped Romaine lettuce hearts
  • 1 cup canned, no-salt-added corn kernels (drained, rinsed)
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup sliced radishes
  • 2 tablespoon finely chopped red onion
  • 1 avocado (peeled, pitted, diced)

Directions

Tip: Click on step to mark as complete.

For the dressing:

  1. Into the bowl of a food processor or blender, add all the ingredients.
  2. Process until dressing is smooth, about 30 to 45 seconds. Scrape dressing down from the sides with a spatula and process again, about 20 seconds.
  3. Transfer dressing to a bowl and reserve.

For the salad:

  1. If using rotisserie chicken, remove the skin from the chicken breast and discard skin. Shred the meat using 2 forks or chop it up into small pieces with a knife. If preparing chicken breasts, use directions below.
  2. Prepare the vegetables: thinly chop the Romaine hearts; drain the liquid from the canned corn and rinse it; chop the tomatoes; slice the radishes; finely chop the red onion; and peel the avocado, remove the pit, and dice it.
  3. Onto a large platter or divided equally onto plates, arrange the salad by first layering the lettuce. Top with chicken, corn, tomatoes, radishes, red onion, and avocado.
  4. Serve with the Creamy Cilantro-Lime Dressing on the side or drizzle it on top of the salad

Cooking Tip: If not using rotisserie chicken, simply warm a medium nonstick pan with 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add around ½ pound thinly cut boneless, skinless chicken. Sauté until chicken is fully-cooked, about 5 to 10 minutes depending on thickness. Remove from heat, transfer chicken to a plate, and chop into bite-sized pieces when cool.

Keep it Healthy: Crave a little crunch in your salad? Try a healthy alternative to store-bought chips by making your own crispy tortilla strips. Slice 3 to 4 corn tortillas into 1-inch strips. Warm 2 teaspoons oil in a medium nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add tortilla strips and, stirring constantly with a spatula, cook until golden and crunchy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Top on the salad.

Tip: This salad (or others) can be layered into mason jars or plastic containers for portable work lunches.

 

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