Description
This Taco Chicken Salad is fresh, crunchy, and loaded with tender chicken, black beans, juicy tomatoes, cheddar, and crispy tortilla strips. Tossed in a creamy ranch taco dressing and finished with fresh lime, it’s the perfect quick weeknight dinner or easy meal prep lunch.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad:
- 2 cups cooked chicken breasts, shredded or cubed
- 2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped (about 10 cups)
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup corn (canned or thawed frozen)
- ¼ cup red onion, sliced
- 4 green onions, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1½ cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro (optional)
- Juice of ½ fresh lime
- 1 cup tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips
Dressing:
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix ranch dressing and taco seasoning until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
- Wash and prep all vegetables. Chop romaine, slice tomatoes, dice onions, rinse beans, and shred cheese if needed.
- In a large bowl, combine lettuce, chicken, tomatoes, corn, red onion, green onions, black beans, cheddar, and cilantro.
- Drizzle dressing over the salad and toss until evenly coated.
- Top with tortilla strips and squeeze fresh lime juice over the salad.
- Serve immediately while crunchy and fresh.
Notes
- Use rotisserie chicken for a quick shortcut.
- Store dressing separately if meal prepping.
- Add tortilla strips just before serving to keep them crisp.
- For a lighter version, substitute half the ranch with plain Greek yogurt.
- Adjust taco seasoning to taste if you prefer mild flavor.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad , Lunch
- Method: No cook
- Cuisine: Mexican-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 820 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg