Mexican-style Chicken Salad
Whole30 Approved
Serves 2-4 people
I love taco salads and could eat them all day long, everyday! I find myself making something similar all the time so I wanted to try something more fresh, still within the Mexican-style but with other great flavors and textures. I like this because it doesn’t have cheese, but the olive texture replaces that (it doesn’t replace the cheese of course but this does the trick when you are omitting dairy), and this is bold with all kinds of huge flavors that work really well together for a simple, quick, healthy meal the whole family will love. This salad did the trick and even was a huge hit with the hubby.
You’ll Need:
Salad:
- 2 chicken breasts, cleaned and cut in half or butterflied
- ¼ bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- ½ can black olives (more if you would like)
- A handful of jicama, cut into matchstick size pieces
- 1 cucumber, peeled and then spiralized (or you can cut in half lengthwise and slice if you do not own a spiralizer, though I definitely recommend investing in one, they are awesome)
- 1 avocado, cut into bite sized chunks
- 1 lime, cut in half to squeeze on top
- 2 heads of hearts of romaine
- Savory Spice Shop’s Mexican Adobo Chicken spice (enough to generously coat each side of the chicken breasts
- Olive oil for cooking
- 2 tbsp. Quick chimichurri mixture
Quick Chimichurri:
- 1 bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
- ½ cup champagne vinegar
- ¼ cup olive oil
- A pinch of salt and pepper
Dressing:
- ⅓ cup dijon mustard
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- The juice from 3 limes, 2 lemons, and 1 orange
- 2 pinches of salt and pepper
Method:
Pat chicken dry with paper towel then generously season both sides with adobo spice rub.
In a cast iron skillet, coated with olive oil, heat pan then add in chicken. Cook on medium heat until cooked thoroughly, about 3-4 minutes on both sides depending on stove and pan. Remove chicken, set aside until cool then slice in bite sized pieces.
Chop romaine and put into a big salad bowl and add in jicama, spiralized cucumber, chimichurri mixture, olives, and dressing and toss until ingredients are lightly coated with dressing. Place in bowls, add chicken, cilantro, avocado, and squeeze half a lime over each salad.