Loaded with yummy ingredients like shredded chicken, black beans and corn, this chicken taco salad is an easy and healthy dinner!
No need for take out when you can make this easy salad in about 30 minutes at home! The secret is rotisserie chicken, canned beans and frozen corn!
I love taco salads, but the ones you get at restaurants are loaded with calories! I found this recipe from Cooking Light that loads up on beans and veggies and uses less fat cream cheese to give you a creamy dressing.
Instead of using fried tortilla chips, you make your own by cutting tortillas into strips, spraying them with cooking spray (avocado is great) and then baking them.
The other secret to quick and easy taco salad with chicken is using rotisserie chicken! If you have any leftover be sure and check out my roundup of Rotisserie Chicken Recipes.
Ingredients.
- Corn tortillas - or use chips if you don't want to make your own chips.
- Salsa verde.
- Cream cheese - can use lower fat.
- Shredded cooked chicken - from a rotisserie chicken.
- Green onions, red bell pepper, cilantro, lettuce and radishes.
- Canned black beans and frozen corn - can use fresh corn.
- Lime juice, olive oil and chipotle chili powder.
Step by step instructions.
Make the tortilla strips.
Preheat the oven to 450°F. Cut the tortillas into ¼ inch slices. Place on a cookie sheet and spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with chili powder (chili powder is optional.) Bake for 5 minutes or until crispy and golden.
Prepare the chicken.
Over medium heat, add salsa and cheese to pan. Stir, cooking for about 4 minutes or until cheese melts. Stir in chicken and cook for about 1 more minute. Stir in the onions and one tablespoon of lime juice. Remove chicken mixture to a bowl and wipe out the pan.
Prepare the veggies.
Return the pan to the heat and turn it up to medium high. Add oil to the pan and sauté the beans, corn and red bell pepper for a couple of minutes or until crisp tender. Stir in the cilantro.
Assemble the salad.
Whisk together 1 tablespoon lime juice with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large bowl. Add the lettuce and toss to coat. Divide the lettuce mixture between 4 plates. Divide the chicken between the plates and then divide the corn/bean mixture. Top with tortilla strips and radishes.
This is so good and so easy! You can make it as hot as you'd like by choosing a spicier salsa.
It is definitely lighter than the heavy ranch style taco salads you find at a lot of places. But the cream cheese makes it feel a bit more indulgent.
More main dish chicken salads.
Recipe.
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Chicken Taco Salad
Ingredients
- 6 6-inch corn tortillas cut into ¼ inch strips
- cooking spray
- ¼ teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder optional
- 1 cup salsa verde
- ⅓ cup low fat cream cheese
- 3 cups cooked chicken shredded
- ½ cup green onions sliced
- 2 tablespoons lime juice fresh squeezed
- 5 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
- ⅔ cup black beans canned, rinsed and drained
- ⅔ cup corn frozen, thawed
- ⅔ cup red bell pepper chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
- 6 cups romaine lettuce chopped
- 3 radishes thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Place tortilla strips on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with chili powder. Bake for about 5 minutes or until golden and crisp. Let cool.
- Over medium heat, in a medium skillet, stir together the cream cheese and salsa. Cook stirring about 4 minutes or until cheese melts. Stir in shredded chicken and cook for about a minute. Stir in onions and lime juice. Scoop out into a bowl and keep warm. Wipe out skillet.
- Add oil to skillet and over medium high heat sauté the beans, corn and red bell pepper for about 2 minutes or until crisp tender. Turn off the heat and stir in the cilantro.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon lime juice and 1 tablespoon oil. Add lettuce and toss to coat.
- To serve - divide lettuce between 4 plates. Divide the chicken mixture between the plates and then top with corn/bean mixture. Serve with the tortilla strips and radishes.
Ann says
I made this chicken taco salad over the weekend while we were camping. I used some leftover chicken, and it turned out great! Will definitely be making it again!
Savita says
Such an easy and healthy dinner to make, my family loved the recipe. It was sure a hit.