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5 from 5 votes

Chicken Taco Salad with Crispy Tortilla Strips

Grilled chicken taco salad with grilled peppers, shredded cheese, avocado and salty, crunchy tortilla strips on a bed of crisp romaine lettuce. 
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time12 minutes
Total Time27 minutes
Course: Salads
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 571kcal
Author: Cheryl Bennett

Ingredients

For the Salad

  • 2 large heads romaine lettuce chopped, washed & spun dry
  • 2 chicken breasts pounded
  • 2 bell peppers seeded and cut in quarters
  • 2 avocados peeled and sliced
  • 1/2 red onion finely sliced
  • 2 large tomatoes cut into bite-sized chunks
  • 2 corn tortillas sliced into strips
  • 4 ounces pepper jack cheese shredded
  • 2 limes quartered (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
  • Oil for frying

For the Dressing

  • 1/2 ripe avocado
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat grill to 400°F. Or put oven on broil if you are cooking inside.
  • Place chicken breast in a freezer zip top bag. (I use the freezer bags because they are thicker and won't rip as easily as the regular storage bags)
  • With a meat pounder mallet, pound the thick part of the chicken to flatten it out a bit. (We're aiming for about 3/4 of an inch, but it doesn't need to be perfect).
  • Season chicken with chili powder, cumin, granulated garlic and onion, salt and pepper. Drizzle with half of the oil and rub spices in. Set aside.
  • Drizzle the remaining half of the oil on the peppers and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  • Place chicken and peppers on grill. Cook chicken for 5 - 6 minutes on each side.
  • Cook peppers for 5 minutes per side as well, until slightly charred and softened. Remove peppers and chicken from grill and cut a small slit in the thicker end of a chicken breast to visually check for doneness. (Or use a thermometer - 160°) Set chicken and peppers aside to cool before slicing for the salad.
  • In a 4 to 6 quart pot, add enough oil to come up about 2 - 3 inches. Make sure that the oil doesn't come up more than half the height of the pot.
  • Heat over medium high for a few minutes. When oil is hot (350°F), carefully add strips of tortilla to hot oil. Move tortilla around with a skimmer so they don't clump together. Fry for a few minutes until crispy and golden. Remove and drain on paper towel.
  • Add all ingredients for the dressing to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
  • Slice chicken and bell peppers. Layer all ingredients on top of romaine and serve with dressing.

Notes

CHEF'S NOTES:
Start with a CLEAN GRILL. I know this sounds obvious, but believe me, it can't be said enough. Clean the grates and it will save you the headache of trying to pry your chicken off of them.
Pounding the chicken breast will help it to cook more evenly, ensuring you won't end up with overcooked, dry chicken.
Toss cut avocado in fresh lime juice to stop the avocado from turning brown
Dressing recipe adapted from Cook's Country.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/4 recipe | Calories: 571kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 26g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 1376mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 8g