Home ยป Cilantro Lime Chicken Taco Salad with Creamy Baja Catalina Dressing

Cilantro Lime Chicken Taco Salad with Creamy Baja Catalina Dressing

After a busy weekend, this week has been back to the grind. Our administrative assistant broke her RIGHT wrist last week and being both right handed and fully reliant on her hands at work – work has been a bit chaotic this week in her absence. I hope she’s back to good soon not only because work isn’t the same without her but also because we neeeeeeed her!

Pulling double duty at work helps me keep organized – because organized I am not. Posting a weekly menu online each week might leave people to believe otherwise, but I’m pretty far from organized. Unfortunately.

This is becoming much more evident as my hockey team captain skills are being put to the test on week one of the season: 3 missing players to find skill level-appropriate subs for and I’m responsible for finding someone willing to run the scoreboard…for a 9:15pm game on Sunday. What ever did I sign myself up for?

Glad my life-life has been smoother sailing with a week back to business: workouts, family meals, and lots of snuggles on the couch after dinner – my personal favorite part of the day. I’ve made several winning recipes this week and the kids have been pretty good about trying everything….which always makes for more peaceful meal times.

I whipped up the marinade in just a few minutes one morning and let our chicken marinade away all day. After work, grilling and assembly were quick and easy, making it a perfect weeknight meal. I wasn’t so sure about the dressing – ketchup, yogurt…I don’t know. Seemed a little different in a questionable but not necessarily bad way.

Low and behold, this salad was BOMB.COM. For real, I’d bet just about anything on the fact that no one could find a salad to top this salad. Not up for salad? Just make the chicken. Vegetarian? Skip the chicken and enjoy the loaded salad and that delicious dressing. Uh-may-zing. Enjoy!


Cilantro Lime Chicken Taco Salad with Creamy Baja Catalina Dressing
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6 servings
 
Ingredients
Cilantro Lime Chicken:
  • 2 cups loosely packed cilantro leaves and stems
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 6 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 tsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Creamy Baja Catalina Dressing:
  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • 3 Tbsp sugar
  • ¼ cup low-fat mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 Tbsp reserved Cilantro Lime Marinade
Salad:
  • 2 large heads romaine lettuce, chopped
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (15 oz) can corn, drained
  • ¾ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • 2 avocados, chopped
  • 1 cup tortilla chip strips
Instructions
  1. In a mini food processor, combine the cilantro, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, and spices (chili powder through cayenne pepper); pulse until smooth. Set aside 1 tablespoon of the marinada and refrigerate for use in dressing. Transfer to a gallon-sized ziplock and add chicken; turn to coat chicken completely. Allow to marinade in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until smooth; set aside.
  3. Preheat grill to 400 degrees F. Grill chicken for 7-9 minutes per side or until cooked through; remove to a cutting board and allow juices to settle before slicing against the grain into thin slices.
  4. Meanwhile, place romaine in a large bowl and drizzle with dressing. Toss well to coat using tongs. Add tomatoes, beans, corn, cheese, avocado, and tortilla strips; gently toss to combine. Divide salad into 6 portions and top with sliced chicken.
Notes
Recipe from Carlsbad Cravings
Nutrition Information
Serving size: ⅙ recipe Calories: 588 Fat: 26.2 Carbohydrates: 49.3 Sugar: 15.0 Sodium: 801 Fiber: 13.7 Protein: 43.2 Cholesterol: 90
Be well,

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3 Comments

  1. Julie
    May 1, 2019 / 10:53 pm

    When I played hockey, we had a Google doc with our games on it. Each team member had to find at least one volunteer during the season to run the clock/keep score for our games (preferably two volunteers per game because it’s easier on them that way) …thankfully, we had awesome husbands/boyfriends that would help, so that took the burden off. Good luck!! ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. Pingback: Cilantro Lime Chicken Taco Salad with Creamy Baja Catalina Dressing
  3. Flat belly fix
    May 12, 2019 / 6:47 am

    Great recipe!

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