This grilled chicken Mexi-salad is perfect for your next fiesta! It's a fresh, festive dinner salad that is packed with flavor! Juicy grilled chicken, zesty veggies, crisp lettuce, topped with a smoky chili vinaigrette and sprinkled with a salty mexican cheese.
The dressing has a full smoky, slightly sweet flavor...It's out of this world!!
Everything in this salad can be made ahead of time and assembled at your convenience.
______________________________________________
Salad:
Serves 4-6
- 8 oz. Romaine hearts, washed and chopped
- Queso Fresco (Mexican crumbling cheese)
______________________________________________
Grilled Chicken:
- 4 chicken breasts or 2 lb chicken tenderloins
- olive oil
- this Spiced-Up Dry Rub or McCormick Taco Seasoning
- salt
- drizzle with oil and shake on rub and grill to
Drizzle chicken with oil, coat in rub and a little extra salt. Grill until cooked through out. Chop diagonally into strips. Can be served on the salad hot or made ahead of time and kept in fridge.
______________________________________________
Veggie Pico de Gallo Topping:
- 3 small roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1/4 C red onion , finely diced
- 1 small jalapeno (or 1/2), seeded and minced (optional)
- 1/4 C cilantro, minced
- 1 T fresh lime juice
- 1/2 cucumber, diced small
- corn from 1 cob (grilled is best)
- 1 T olive oil
- a sprinkle of ground cumin
- salt to taste
Combined all ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and keep in the fridge.
______________________________________________
Smoky Guajillo Chili Vinaigrette-
Can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- 4 large dried guajillo chilies seeded and torn
- 1/2 cup water from the chilies (the hot water that you soak the chillies in)
- 1/2 small white onion (quartered)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 tsp the adobo sauce from a small can of chipotles
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 1/2 T agave nectar
- 1 T olive oil
- 2 T wine vinegar (white or red)
- 1 T dijon mustard
- salt to taste
In a small bowl soak the chilies in 1 cup of super hot water for an hour.
On a medium-high stove, in a small pan, dry roast the onion and garlic. The onion and garlic will be done when they're charred and tender.
Transfer the chilies, chili liquid, onion, garlic and the remaining ingredients to your food processor and puree until completely blended.
______________________________________________
P.S. This salad would be amazing with beans and avocado too!