Cilantro Lime Chicken Taco Salad

Recipe adapted from carlsbadcravings.com

Ingredients – Marinade & Chicken:

  • 1 cup Fresh cilantro leaves & stems
  • 4 cloves Garlic
  • 3 Tablespoons Lime juice
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Chili powder, ground cumin, onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon Smoked paprika, salt, pepper, sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 pound Boneless chicken breasts (or 1 block of extra firm tofu)

Ingredients – Salad:

  • 1 large head Romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 1 cup Cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
  • 1 can Black beans, drained & rinsed
  • 1 can or 1.5 cups Corn, drained & rinsed (fresh, frozen, or canned)
  • ½ cup Sharp cheddar cheese, grated
  • 2 Avocados, chopped
  • 1-2 cups Tortilla chips, slightly crushed

Ingredients – Dressing:

  • ¼ cup Ketchup
  • ¼ cup Red wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons Sugar
  • ¼ cup Mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup Sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon Reserved cilantro lime marinade

Directions – Marinade:

  1. Add all marinade ingredients to food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, scraping down sides several times. Remove & reserve 2 tablespoons for basting.
  2. Place marinade in a shallow dish or large freezer bag. Add chicken (or drained & diced tofu) and turn to coat. Marinate in refrigerator for 2-10 hours.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, drain chicken from marinade, and add to skillet.
  4. Cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes. Turn chicken over, cover, and reduce to medium heat. Cook for 4-6 more minutes or until chicken is fully cooked (internal temp of at least 165 degrees F.
  5. Remove chicken to cutting board and baste with reserved marinade.

Directions – Dressing:

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Store in the refrigerator. Best if chilled at least 30
    minutes before serving. May keep in airtight container up to 7 days.

NOTES: For more of a vinaigrette style dressing, you may substitute canola oil in place of the mayo and sour cream.

Directions – Salad:

  1. Slice or chop cooked chicken (or tofu).
  2. In a large bowl, add all of the salad ingredients and toss to combine.
  3. Add chicken (or tofu).
  4. Serve and drizzle individual servings with desired amount of dressing.

NOTES: Instead of making this into a salad, you could add the salad ingredients, chicken (or tofu), and dressing in hard taco shells or in tortillas and eat as tacos.