This Chicken Taco Salad Recipe combines seasoned ground chicken, black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, and cheese with a zesty cilantro-lime vinaigrette.
author’s note
Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
I almost always make up a batch of taco meat at the start of the week. I wouldn’t call it meal prep, but I’ve found that having a solid protein and some kind of base ready in the fridge makes lunches and dinners go a lot smoother. It gives me options without locking me into a plan.
This week, I had leftover taco meat and no desire to turn it into tacos again. So I grabbed a bowl and started building a salad with the basics I had on hand. Romaine, black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, and cheese. Simple, familiar ingredients that always work.
At the last minute, I made my cilantro lime dressing. It’s one I can throw together by heart, and it’s my go to when I want something bright and bold. Once everything was tossed together, I took one bite and knew this one was special. It ended up being one of the yummiest dinners I’ve made in a long time, and I knew right away I had to share this Chicken Taco Salad Recipe.
Chicken Taco Salad Recipe Ingredients
| Ingredient | Swaps or Tips |
|---|---|
| Ground chicken | Ground turkey works great too |
| Taco seasoning | Homemade seasoning works well |
| Romaine lettuce | Iceberg or chopped hearts also work |
| Black beans | Pinto beans are a good swap |
| Fresh corn | Frozen corn works when sautéed |
| Avocado | Add right before serving |
| Cheddar cheese | Colby Jack is also great |
How To Make Chicken Taco Salad Recipe
- Blend the dressing and chill it so the flavors can come together.
- Cook the ground chicken with onion, garlic, and taco seasoning until browned.
- Chop and fully dry the lettuce so the salad stays crisp.
- Prep the beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, and cheese.
- Toss everything together and add dressing just before serving.
Quick Tip
If you prefer, you can swap out ground turkey or ground beef for the chicken in this recipe. It will taste a bit heartier, but otherwise, it’s pretty much the same.
Tips For The Best Salad
- Slice lettuce thinly for better dressing coverage and easier eating in your chicken taco salad.
- Thoroughly dry washed lettuce to avoid a soggy chicken taco salad. Read more about how to prep your lettuce here.
- Ensure ripe avocados for creaminess; gently press to check ripeness.
Storage
Leftovers: Dress the chicken taco salad just before eating to avoid soggy lettuce. Store dressing and salad separately. Keep avocado separate to prevent browning.
Make Ahead: Prepare salad components in advance. Store dressing in the fridge; shake well before using. If the dressing solidifies, let it warm up for 20-30 minutes before shaking to remix.
More Delicious Salad Recipes:
Quick Chicken Taco Salad Recipe
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 2 cups cilantro twist and rip off the top half of the bunch to loosely measure (stems are fine), plus more for serving if desired
- 3 limes plus extra lime wedges for serving if desired
- 1-1/2 tablespoons diced jalapeño seeds and ribs removed
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 red onion divided, see note 2
- 1 to 2 cloves garlic minced, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons
- 1 (1-ounce) packet taco seasoning see note 3
- 8 cups romaine lettuce thinly sliced, 3 heads of lettuce
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup fresh corn cut off the cob, 2 ears of corn
- 1 large avocado or 2 small to medium ones, thinly sliced or diced
- 1-1/4 cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 cup extra sharp Cheddar cheese freshly shredded
Instructions
- Zest and juice limes to get 1 teaspoon zest and 6 tablespoons juice. Combine all the dressing ingredients except for the olive oil in a blender or food processor. Add salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper). Pulse until ingredients are combined, then drizzle in olive oil, quickly pulsing until emulsified. Don’t overmix/blend the olive oil or it can create a metallic flavor. Taste and adjust any seasonings to personal preference.
- Add the olive oil to a large cast-iron skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add in 1 cup finely diced red onion and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic. Stir often, cooking until tender, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat if it starts to burn. Add ground chicken and cook for 6–8 minutes or until white and cooked through. Add the taco seasoning and reduce heat to low. Stir to coat and season to taste with salt (it will vary, depending on the taco seasoning). Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
- Wash and chop the lettuce. Cut into ribbons and halve the ribbons—thinner salad pieces allow for more surface area that the dressing can adhere to. Use a salad spinner to ensure the lettuce is 100% dry before adding any other ingredients.
- Thinly slice the other quarter of the red onion to get about 1/4 cup (see note 2), drain and rinse black beans, prepare the corn (see note 4), halve the cherry tomatoes, chop or thinly slice the avocado(s), and shred the cheese. Add to the salad.
- If serving the salad immediately, pour the dressing over (add to desired preference; you may not want to use all the dressing), toss the salad, and enjoy! Add additional lime wedges and cilantro to individual plates.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
i dont like cilantro is there a substitute I could use Thanks
I’d do an entirely different dressing here!
Tried this with my daughter who typically never eats salads! I also added some little bell peppers. She LOVED it. She said it may be her favorite recipe ever. That’s huge for a 10 year old. 🙂 Loved it. Thanks! Ali
This really was the yummiest taco salad!! All of the ingredients went so perfectly together. Yum!!
So glad you loved this Chicken Taco Salad! Thanks so much for your comment Eden! 🙂
This was one of the BEST taco salads i’ve ever had, full of so much flavor.
I love everything about this salad! It’s packed with flavor!