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This Chicken Taco Salad is so filling and colorful! Made with a creamy garlic lime dressing, it’s ready in no time at all. Topped with tortilla chips for an addictive crunch, it’s so tasty and perfect for meal prep!
When it comes to salads, I am a taco salad fanatic! From my Fish Taco Bowl and my Beef Taco Salad to my Taco Pasta Salad, I really just love all things taco salad!
This Chicken Taco Salad recipe is my new favorite. It’s really easy to throw together! Simply season and cook the chicken, then prepare the salad vegetables, and dressing, and toss it all together. Voila!
Perfect for meal prep, you can make a double batch of chicken when making this taco salad to have healthy lunches all week! Perfectly healthy and can be enjoyed over lunch or dinner.
Why you will love this recipe
- Healthy: Loaded with vegetables, lean protein, and raw garlic, this Chicken Taco Salad recipe is just so good for you!
- Tastes amazing: It is absolutely packed full of flavor! The chicken gets dry-rubbed with taco seasoning before cooking, and the taco salad dressing is addictive.
- Quick and easy: This hearty healthy salad recipe couldn’t be more simple. Once the chicken is cooked, add all of the salad ingredients to a bowl, whip up the dressing, and toss everything together. So easy!
- The crunch! Nothing beats a little crunch in salads! I added corn tortilla chips as they go perfectly with tacos.
What you’ll need for this Chicken Taco Salad
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are my protein of choice for this recipe, however, chicken thighs, turkey breast, or turkey thighs are also great options.
- Taco seasoning: I used a sachet of store-bought taco seasoning as it’s just so easy to work with. No need to measure!
- Arugula: Bright and peppery, arugula is my favorite salad green! Try spinach or lettuce if desired.
- Veggies: Grape tomatoes, red pepper, and red onion add plenty of color and flavor to this Chicken Taco Salad recipe. You can use any kind of tomato or bell pepper color you prefer. If you’re not a fan of red onions, try green onions instead.
- Corn chips: Crunch! Corn chips are a little treat in this salad, used instead of croutons. Feel free to skip if desired.
Taco Salad Dressing:
- Sour cream: Sour cream brings a rich, creamy, and tangy flavor. Greek yogurt is an excellent substitute.
- Garlic: Fresh raw garlic is so good for you. I only added one clove because it has such a powerful flavor.
- Lime: The juice and zest of one lime give this Chicken Taco Salad Dressing a tangy brightness. It’s addictive!
How to make this Chicken Taco Salad Recipe
1. Season the chicken: Rub the chicken breasts with taco seasoning.
2. Cook the chicken: Preheat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken until blackened and cooked through until the internal temperature reads 165°F.
3. Make the salad: Meanwhile, in a large salad bowl, add all the remaining ingredients for the salad.
4. Cool: Allow the chicken to cool for 5 minutes then slice it and add to the salad.
5. Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk all the dressing ingredients.
6. Toss: Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
Tips for Success
- Allowing the chicken to rest for 5 minutes after cooking retains the moisture inside and makes it super juicy!
- Fajita seasoning will work in place of taco seasoning.
- Greek yogurt is a lighter alternative to sour cream that still tastes rich and creamy while saving a few calories!
- Double batch the chicken to make this recipe for meal prep.
- Store any leftover chicken taco salad in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- If you’re making it ahead, store the dressing separately so the arugula stays fresher for longer.
Frequently Asked Questions
When you make taco salad fresh, the meat will still be warm but not hot when you eat it. Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge and served cold later.
Yes, Chicken Taco Salad is a great recipe to make ahead and store in the fridge for later. I advise storing the salad dressing separately from the salad to keep the greens from wilting quickly.
Store taco salad in the fridge for up to 4 days. It is best to store the dressing on the side if possible and only serve when ready to eat.
More Healthy Salad Recipes to try
- Chicken Arugula Salad
- Asian Chopped Chicken Salad
- Chicken Kale Caesar Salad
- Chicken Caprese Salad
- Southwest Chicken Salad
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Healthy Chicken Taco Salad
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 sachet taco seasoning
- 4 cups baby arugula, or any other greens
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
- 1 red pepper, seeded and sliced
- 1 medium red onion, sliced
- 1 cup corn chips
Taco Salad Dressing:
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 lime, juice and zest
- Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Rub your chicken breast with the taco seasoning.
- Preheat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken until blackened and cooked through, until the internal temperature reads 165F.
- Meanwhile, in a large salad bowl, add all the remaining ingredients for the salad.
- Allow the chicken to cool for 5 minutes then slice it and add to the salad. In a small bowl, whisk all the dressing ingredients.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
Notes
- Allowing the chicken to rest for 5 minutes after cooking retains the moisture inside and makes it super juicy!
- Fajita seasoning will work in place of taco seasoning.
- Greek yogurt is a lighter alternative to sour cream that still tastes rich and creamy while saving a few calories!
- Double batch the chicken to make this recipe for meal prep.
- Store any leftover chicken taco salad in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- If you’re making it ahead, store the dressing separately so the arugula stays fresher for longer.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
