Chicken Taco Chopped Salad with Salsa Vinaigrette
Super easy chicken taco salad with the best taco chicken ever.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 2 boneless skinless, breasts
- ½ teaspoon seasoning salt or kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon each garlic powder, onion powder, and cumin
- 12 ounces light beer
For the Vinaigrette
- ⅔ cup prepared jarred salsa I love Trader Joe's!
- ⅓ cup fresh lime juice
For the Salad
- 8 cups chopped lettuce
- ½ cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup grated sharp cheddar
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- ½ jalapeno thinly sliced (remove the seeds if you're sensitive to heat)
- 1 avocado thinly sliced right before serving
- cilantro leaves optional, for serving
- sour cream optional, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat a large skillet to medium heat with a drizzle of oil. Sprinkle a light dusting of each of the spices in the bottom of the pan, then add the chicken. Sprinkle the top of the chicken with another sprinkle of seasonings. Cook the chicken until browned and cooked through, about 7 minutes per side, then remove to a plate to cool. When the chicken is removed from the pan, add the entire beer to the pan drippings and stir. Allow the beer to reduce by half.
- When the chicken is cooled, tear it into large chunks and add to the beer reduction. Toss in the skillet, and remove from the heat until ready to use.
- Meanwhile, combine the salsa and lime juice in a bowl or jar to form a dressing.
- Assemble the salads using any ingredients you'd like, then top with a heap of the chicken and some vinaigrette. Enjoy!
Notes
- Measurements for spices above are just for a guide. A sprinkle in the bottom of the pan and a sprinkle over the chicken once it's added are really all we're going for!
- 4 boneless, skinless, chicken thighs may be substituted.
- If my boneless, skinless chicken breasts are really thick I cut them in half to make 4 smaller cutlets so they cook faster and more evenly.
- Go crazy here - change up the salad any way you'd like!
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!