Mexican Chicken Salad

Mexican chicken salad
LauriPatterson / Getty Images
Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 10 mins
Total: 35 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings

This fabulous recipe for Mexican Chicken Salad is one I serve often, especially in the summer. Don't be intimidated by the long list of ingredients. The recipe really goes together quickly. This really isn't an authentic Mexican recipe; it's more Tex Mex.

And you can make the chicken mixture and prepare the veggies ahead of time. Cover and store them in the fridge until dinner time. When you want to eat, just assemble, toss the salad, and dig in!

The combination of textures and flavors in this recipe is really superb. For a really nice presentation, serve the salad in tostada bowls you can buy at the supermarket.

I like to serve this salad buffet style, and let each diner assemble her own masterpiece. Serve with lots of cold pop and beer for a fabulous meal.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

  • 3 tablespoons honey

  • 2 teaspoons cumin

  • 1 tablespoon chili powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 (16-ounce) package frozen corn

  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion

  • 2 cups grape tomatoes

  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

  • 2 red bell peppers, chopped

  • 1 (10-ounce) package mixed lettuce leaves

  • 2 avocados, peeled and chopped

  • 2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese

  • 4 cups blue corn tortilla chips

  • 1 cup sour cream

  • 1 (10-ounce) jar salsa, thick and chunky

  • Crisp tostada bowls, to taste, optional

Steps to Make It

  1. For the dressing, in a small bowl combine the apple cider vinegar, honey, cumin, chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cayenne pepper, and mix well with a wire whisk; set aside.

  2. If you are making the salad components ahead of time, refrigerate this dressing.

  3. Heat the olive oil in a 12" skillet. Sprinkle the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt, then saute it in the skillet with the minced garlic, stirring frequently, until it is cooked through to 165 F, about 5 to 7 minutes.

  4. Combine the cooked chicken, corn, red onion, tomatoes, black beans, and red bell peppers in a large bowl.

  5. Stir in the apple cider vinegar dressing.

  6. Cover and chill this mixture for at least 1 hour. (we usually prepare the chicken and vegetable mixture up to this point and chill it until the next day.)

  7. When you are ready to eat, combine the chicken mixture with the lettuce in a pretty salad bowl.

  8. Serve the salad along with the avocados, cheese, tortilla chips, sour cream, and salsa. Each diner garnishes his own salad as desired.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
669 Calories
36g Fat
57g Carbs
37g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 669
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 36g 46%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Cholesterol 95mg 32%
Sodium 998mg 43%
Total Carbohydrate 57g 21%
Dietary Fiber 14g 50%
Total Sugars 15g
Protein 37g
Vitamin C 51mg 255%
Calcium 362mg 28%
Iron 4mg 24%
Potassium 1324mg 28%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags: