Tex-Mex Salad with Chipotle Chicken and Spicy Avocado Dressing
I started making this chicken in June before the weather had warmed up and it seriously gave me life until the summer finally arrived. It’s charred and spicy and wonderfully tender and can be made under the broiler (win for city-dwellers!) or on the grill. It’s so delicious I use it in everything from fajitas to grain bowls but honestly, it could easily stand on it’s own with a few veggie sides. I’ve been making it in heavy rotation the whole summer, and after perfecting a creamy avocado dressing, I couldn’t wait to share my salad version with you.
The chicken marinates for two hours in chipotle peppers with adobo and garlic, and in the meantime I prep the salad fixings. My idea of the ultimate Tex-Mex salad includes sweet grilled corn, juicy cherry tomatoes, crisp red and orange bell peppers, cool cucumber slices, crunchy tortilla strips, smooth avocado, and a Mexican cheese blend. Black beans would be great too but for some reason I always forget to add them! Oh, and the avocado dressing? It’s spicy, smoky, and creamy, and it packs a little hint of garlic and lime. It’s so yummy I usually end up dipping cut veggies and chips in the leftover dressing…because that seems more civilized than just straight up drinking it. But you do you.
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Tex-Mex Salad with Chipotle Chicken and Spicy Avocado Dressing
Chicken recipe adapted from How Sweet Eats
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes active, 2 hours resting
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Chicken Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
¼ cup olive oil
2 chipotle peppers in adobo, diced
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Salad Ingredients:
2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped
2 cups roasted corn (removed from the cob)
1 cup sliced cherry tomotoes
1 cucumber, chopped
2 red/orange bell peppers, chopped
1 avocado, sliced
½ cup grated Mexican cheese blend
Dressing Ingredients:
½ large avocado
¼ lime juice
¾ cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2+ tablespoons chipotle Tabasco
salt and pepper
Salad Directions:
Place all of the chicken ingredients in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag (or a glass cooking tray). Close the bag and massage the chicken so all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Refrigerate for 2 hours. While the chicken refrigerates, assemble the salad with lettuce on the bottom and the rest of the ingredients on top. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
When the chicken is done marinating, remove from fridge and allow it to come to room temperature as your grill or broiler heats up.
For grill: Grill chicken over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes per side, or until chicken reaches 165°.
For broiler: Lay chicken on a foil-line baking sheet and broiler under high heat for 5-7 minutes per side, or until chicken reaches 165°.
When the chicken is done, allow it to rest and cool slightly before slicing.
Dressing Directions:
Place ingredients in a blender, process until smooth. If the dressing is too thick, add additional lime juice or vinegar to thin it. Salt and pepper to taste.
