It is very rare that I would choose a salad over a taco, until I met this salad!
My Zesty Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad!
Let me be very clear about something: I do not take average salads seriously. I never have. A bowl of sad lettuce with some pale tomatoes and a drizzle of ranch does absolutely nothing for me, and I will not pretend otherwise. Life is too short. Tacos exist.
If I’m choosing a salad to eat, even one to bring together…it better present as a full course meal that will leave me so satisfied, the only thing I will be craving is when I can eat this salad again.
And that is this salad!
It Started With Rotisserie Chicken (As All Good Things Do)
Here’s the thing about weeknight cooking: I want to feel like a genius without actually suffering. Enter the rotisserie chicken! Already cooked, already seasoned, already doing the most. But I didn’t just pull it apart and toss it in a bowl like some kind of animal. No. I tossed that chicken in spices and fresh lime juice with just a whisper of honey, then threw it in a hot pan until it got slightly caramelized and a little golden at the edges.
That step. THAT step. It takes five minutes and it is the difference between “this is a nice salad” and “wait, do I love salads now?!”
The honey caramelizes just enough to give the chicken this jammy, sticky-sweet-savory thing going on, while the lime keeps it bright and the spices give it a little edge.
The Salad Itself Is Not Messing Around
We have crisp romaine. We have hearty shredded cabbage. We have corn (sweet, a little smoky, structurally important). We have black beans (protein! fiber! filling you up so you don’t eat the whole bag of chips after!).
We have fresh cilantro in quantities that some would call “aggressive” and I call “correct.” We have sliced green onions for that sharp little bite that ties everything together.
This is not a side salad. This is not a sad desk lunch. This is a main character salad that walks into the room and everyone turns their head.
The Dressing Is the Love Language
The cilantro sour cream vinaigrette is what I want people to really understand. It is creamy without being heavy. It is tangy without being sharp. It coats every single component of this salad — the beans, the corn, the chicken, the leaves — like it was designed specifically for each one. Because it was. I designed it that way!
Of course I added tortilla strips for a salty crunchiness! When I tell you I ate this out of the big bowl by myself with zero regrets (Jeremy was late from work, what else was I to do?!).
Why You Need to Make This
You deserve a salad that actually excites you! Once you taste caramelized honey lime chicken sitting on top of this crispy, bright, creamy-kissed situation, you will fully understand why I, a person who would choose a taco in almost any scenario, voluntarily chose the salad.
Make it for meal prep. Make it for company. Make it for yourself!
PrintZesty Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad
- Yield: 4-5 1x
Ingredients
For the Cilantro Lime Chicken
2–3 cups shredded, cooked chicken (from a rotisserie chicken)
1 lime, juiced
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp honey
For the Salad
1 large head romaine, chopped
1 cup shredded green cabbage (may use bagged coleslaw mix)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup canned sweet corn
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 avocado, diced
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips (for crunch)
For the Sour Cream Cilantro Vinaigrette
3/4 cup sour cream
2 limes, juiced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro (packed)
1 small garlic clove
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
Pro Tip: Place salad bowls in the freezer or refrigerator to chill before serving this salad.
For the Chicken
In a large bowl, add the shredded chicken, then add the next 8 ingredients (from the limes to the honey). Mix to thoroughly coat the chicken. (You can do this the morning of or a few hours before. Place in the fridge until ready to use.)
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add the chicken mixture. Sauté until the chicken warms through and the honey starts to give the chicken a nice char. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
For the Vinaigrette
Add sour cream, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, honey, cumin, and salt to a blender and blend until smooth.
Check for consistency, if it is too thick, add water gradually until it reaches a pourable, vinaigrette consistency.
Taste and adjust salt and lime. It should be bright first, creamy second.
For the Salad
In a large bowl, add all the ingredients except the tortilla strips. Toss with about 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Add chicken and toss. Top with tortilla strips.
Serve in chilled salad bowls, then drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette.
Excellent, filling salad! The dressing is delicious and easy to make.