Taco Salad with Chicken and Lime Cilantro Dressing

Hi guys — it’s Friday, wahooo! I am headed to Philadelphia this weekend for Travis’s fifth year college reunion (mine is next year, eek!). I am so excited to see friends and walk around my old college campus. Plus, you know I will be eating my way through the city these next few days. I had so many favorite restaurants in Philly and I can’t wait to get back to some of them!

I wanted to pop in before my trip and share a new summer recipe: this Taco Salad with Shredded Chicken and Lime Cilantro Dressing!

You guys know that I love to take a classic recipe and make it healthier. So why not deconstruct everyone’s beloved taco and turn it into a crave-worthy salad!?

Sure, taco salads are nothing new, but a good restaurant version might cost you upwards of 1,000 calories! What, are you surprised? Those salads come swimming in cheese, fried toppings and fatty dressings. No señor, not going to fly in my book.

In comes my Taco Salad. It’s packed with veggies like corn and bell peppers, healthy fats from avocado, a good dose of fiber from black beans, and lean protein — shredded chicken!

The Lime Cilantro Dressing might be my favorite part. It SCREAMS summer with every bite, so really, really don’t skip this.

I love adding tortilla chips on top because they provide a nice crunch with every bite. Feel free to use whatever type of tortilla chip you like and have on hand.

Disclaimer: I was provided Del Real Shredded Chicken for the purpose of this post, but the recipe and content are all my own. Thank you for your continued support of this blog!

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Taco Salad with Chicken and Lime Cilantro Dressing

Prep Time

20 mins

Total Time

20 mins

 

Taco Tuesday gets a healthy makeover with this Taco Salad with Chicken and Lime Cilantro Dressing. Make it in 20 minutes and easy to pack for lunch.

Course: Main Course, Salad

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Keyword: Chicken, Cilantro, Lime, Taco

Servings: 2

Author: Rachel (littlechefbigappetite)

Ingredients

For the Salad:

• 5 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 6 oz. Shredded Chicken
• 1/2 cup black beans, cooked
• 1/2 cup charred corn (either frozen and defrosted or grilled corn on the cob)
• 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 avocado, diced
• 6-8 tortilla chips, crushed

Lime-Cilantro Salad Dressing:

• 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• pinch sugar

Instructions

1. To make the salad, divide the chopped romaine among two large salad bowls. Add half each of the shredded chicken, black beans, corn, bell pepper, and avocado to each bowl. Top each salad with crushed tortilla chips.
2. To make the dressing, combine all dressing ingredients in a blender or mini food processor and pulse until the ingredients come together, 15-20 seconds.
3. Dress each salad with about 2 Tablespoons of the dressing, or to taste. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed.

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