Tex-Mex Chopped Chicken Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing

If you ask me, a chopped salad is a genius invention — a flavor and texture bomb that lends itself to endless inspiration. Nearly any combination of crunchy greens, colorful fruits and vegetables, nuts, and seeds, croutons, pita chips, and so on can be spun into a salad that manages to be light and satisfying at the same time. Add chicken, fish, beans or tofu and you’ve got a real meal. This Tex-Mex Chopped Chicken Salad is a winning example and one I make on the regular.

A Craveable Salad with a Creamy Dreamy Dressing

This Tex-Mex mix start with a nourishing combo of crunchy vegetables, Romaine lettuce, and shredded cabbage. The chicken gets dredged in taco seasoning mix, browned in a hot skillet, and chopped into bite-size pieces. The whole thing comes together with an herby dressing you make in the blender. It’s made with fresh cilantro, lime, and yogurt, which gives it creaminess and helps it cling perfectly to all the ingredients. Toasted pepitas scattered over the top add extra crunch. 

How Long Does a Chopped Salad Last?

Once all of your ingredients are prepped and before you dress the salad, you can stash the pre-chopped ingredients in the fridge for a few days before it starts to head south. Leave any crunchy bits separate and add those just before dressing the salad. 

Tex Mex Salad Swaps and Substitutions 

This salad lends itself to endless swaps and substitutions. You can swap proteins, add different vegetables, or get creative with additional ingredients. Almost anything goes. 

• Protein options: Pork tenderloin, flank steaks, shrimp, or chicken breast can all be swapped for chicken thighs. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time as needed.
• Make it vegetarian: Use extra-firm tofu cut into slabs and then prepped just like the chicken. It’s delicate, so pile it on top of the salad instead of tossing it in. 
• Add beans: One cup cooked black beans will add some heft and dose of healthy fiber. 
• Swap the finishing touch: instead of pepitas, crumble tortilla chips over the top.

More Crisp and Crunchy Salad Recipes

Chopped Salad with Chicken and Lemon Oregano Dressing

Chopped Winter Vegetable Salad

Fattoush Salad with Toasted Pita and Feta

Turkey Taco Salad

Sweet Citrus Taco Salad

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Tex-Mex Chopped Chicken Salad with Creamy Cilantro Dressing 

Colorful, crunchy, and so full of flavor, this Tex Mex Chopped Salad is a satisfying way to do supper. Feel free to use other favorite vegetables you have on hand. When corn is in season, shear the kernels from a cob, sauté in a skillet and add that in, too. This is a great one to make ahead and pack up for lunch. Wait to dress it until just before eating.

Course Salad, lunch, dinner

Cuisine Tex Mex

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Servings 4 servings as a main dish

Calories 560 kcal

Author Katie Morford

Ingredients

For the Salad

• 4 packed cups chopped hearts of Romaine lettuce
• 2 cups shredded red cabbage
• 1 medium red pepper, diced
• 1 cup English or Persian cucumber, diced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 medium avocado, cubed
• 3 scallions (white and light green parts), thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 heaping tablespoon taco seasoning mix
• ¼ cup roasted salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

For the Dressing

• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• ¼ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 3/4 teaspoon taco seasoning mix
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup roughly chopped cilantro
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

Make the Salad

1. In a big bowl, combine the lettuce, cabbage, bell pepper, cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, and scallions. Set aside.

2. Sprinkle taco seasoning and salt over the surface of the chicken, coating it well on all sides.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and cook until deeply brown along the bottom and cooked about halfway up the side, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and continue cooking until brown on the second side and cooked through, another 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Once cool enough to handle, cut into bite-sized pieces and add to the salad bowl.

Blend up the Dressing and Assemble

1. To make the dressing, put the lime juice, yogurt, honey, taco seasoning mix, salt, cilantro, and olive oil into a blender and blend until smooth.

2. Drizzle most of the dressing over the salad. Toss well. Add more dressing if needed. Divide onto plates and top each salad with 1 tablespoon pepitas. Serve immediately.