Grilled Chicken Taco Salad with a Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

5 from 1 vote

Grilled Chicken Taco Salad with a Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

A delicious deconstructed taco with avocado, grilled corn and spicy homemade chips all dressed up with a cool cilantro-lime vinaigrette.

Prep Time40

Cook Time30

Total Time1 10

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: chicken, dressing, lime, salad, taco

Servings:

Calories: 694kcal

Author: Tricia

Ingredients

For the Salad:

2 ears of corn grilled then removed from the cob
1 can black beans (15 oz) rinsed and drained
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1 small head romaine lettuce torn into bite size pieces
4 flour tortillas or corn tortillas, I used thick Gordita styled flour tortillas
2 tablespoon vegetable oil plus extra for the corn
2 tablespoons taco seasoning recipe below
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup shredded cheese sharp cheddar or your favorite
1 avocado peeled, pitted and sliced, drizzled with lime juice
½ cup red onions thin sliced
Salt and pepper
Fresh cilantro leaves
Lime Vinaigrette for serving recipe below
Lime wedges for serving

For the Taco Seasoning:

1 tablespoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon paprika hot Hungarian if desired
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

For the Vinaigrette:

Grated zest of 1 lime
Juice of 2 limes
1 garlic cloves minced
½ teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon sea salt
⅛ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves

Instructions

For the Salad:

Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a large mixing bowl combine the tortilla strips, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon taco seasoning. Toss to coat. Spread the strips in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 5-10 minutes until crips and lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
Preheat gas grill on high. Clean the grill grates then using long tongs, grease the grate with a paper towel soaked with vegetable oil.
Drizzle the chicken breasts with 1 tablespoon oil, then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the taco seasoning. Grill until the juices run clear and the chicken is done through. Slice and set aside.
Lightly oil the fresh corn and grill until lightly charred. Cut the kernels from the cob and set aside.
To assemble the salad, layer the lettuce, onion, black beans, corn, sliced chicken, sliced avocado, black beans, tomatoes, and cheese. Add salt and fresh ground black pepper and a squeeze of lime on the avocado. Drizzle with the cilantro-lime vinaigrette and toss with the homemade tortilla strips. Serve garnished with cilantro leaves and fresh lime wedges if desires.

For the Taco Seasoning:

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container.

For the Vinaigrette:

In a small bowl add the zest, juice, garlic, sugar, salt and pepper. Whisk together to dissolve the sugar. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking until the mixture is blended and smooth. Stir in the cilantro and refrigerate until needed.

Notes

Taco Seasoning adapted from a recipe on Allrecipes.
Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette adapted from a recipe on Epicurious.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. When multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.

Nutrition