Chicken Taco Salad with Cilantro Ranch |Cooking With Amanda

Chicken Taco Salad with Cilantro Ranch Photo

With the holiday season behind us are you feeling the need for some cleaner eating? Cookie detox as I personally refer to it. Or if you love to enjoy your weekends like I do by indulging a bit with decadent foods, then maybe this is the perfect Monday meal to get back on track for the week. Or it's also perfect just as a quick meal for a busy day.

I prefer to have my salads loaded up with toppings, flavor, and drenched with a completely crave-able dressing. With lettuce added as an afterthought. Salads should be filling and hearty enough to be an entire meal! And this salad is no exception!

Chicken is cooked with homemade taco seasoning with tons of flavor and a bit of spice, which is the perfect balance to the cool and comforting cilantro ranch dressing. If you're not much for taco seasoning and the bit of spice, then you can always swap out the chicken with a Chili Lime Chicken instead.

Chicken Taco Salad with Cilantro Ranch Picture

Other toppings include tomatoes, black beans, corn, avocado, cheese, tortilla chips. Feel free to dress the salad up with other favorite taco toppings like black olives, green onion, extra cilantro, or pretty much anything else your stomach and heart desires.

Chicken Taco Salad with Cilantro Ranch Image

The dressing is an easy to put together homemade ranch with the addition of cilantro and lime juice. A quick pulse in the blender or a food processor puts this dressing together in a matter of a minute.

Chicken Taco Salad with Cilantro Ranch Pic

That makes this the perfect easy, healthy, meal. Perfect for detoxing from all the holiday fun that recently occurred or even just for a weekday that you're feeling the need for some greens. Trust me… there are greens in there under all that good stuff!

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Chicken Taco Salad with Cilantro Ranch Recipe

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Ingredients

For the Taco Seasoning:

1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder

For the Salad:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 chicken breasts
4 cups lettuce
1 small fresh tomato, diced
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup tortilla chips
1 avocado, sliced

For the Cilantro Ranch Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1/4 packed cup fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
juice from half a lime

Directions

Mix together chili powder, salt, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a medium size skillet over medium high heat for about 2-3 minutes, until the oil is hot. Gently place the chicken breasts in the heated oil and sprinkle about a teaspoon of the taco seasoning onto the top of each chicken breast.
Cook the chicken for about 6 minutes then turn over to cook the other side. Sprinkle the other side of the chicken breast with another teaspoon of the taco seasoning. Allow the chicken to cook for 6 minutes on the other side. Once the chicken is fully cooked, no longer pink on the inside, remove from the skillet and let sit on a plate or cutting board for a couple of minutes before slicing.
Meanwhile prepare the salad by chopping up the green lettuce and layering into a large salad bowl. Top with the diced tomato, shredded cheese, black beans, corn, tortilla chips, avocado, and sliced chicken.
Prepare the cilantro ranch salad dressing by adding all of the ingredients to a blender or food processor and blending until smooth and creamy.
Pour dressing over the salad. Toss to mix. Serve immediately and enjoy!