Chicken Taco Salad
This Chicken Taco Salad is packed with fresh veggies and protein! Taco-seasoned chicken is cooked in a zesty cilantro lime sauce, then tossed in a spinach salad loaded with beans, avocado and corn. A hearty helping of cheese, salsa and tortilla strips make this the best taco salad ever!
It’s not hard to eat your veggies when they taste like a taco!
If you think all salads are boring, I’m about to change your mind. You couldn’t make a salad more hearty or satisfying than this Chicken Taco Salad if you tried.
SAVE THIS EASY TACO SALAD RECIPE TO YOUR FAVORITE PINTEREST BOARD!
Today’s salad is definitely MEAL WORTHY. It takes all the delicious components of a taco and all the good-for-you nutrients of a big green salad and tosses them together in one filling dish.
Why This Taco Salad is Best
- Lots of variety – I love that every bite of this salad has a different combination of textures and flavors.
- Flavorful chicken – Cooked with taco seasoning and lime, it’s the perfect zesty juicy protein for a salad.
- Customizable – Mix and match your favorite vegetables and taco toppings to your heart’s content.
- Hearty and satisfying salad – With lots of chicken, avocado and beans, no one will be left hungry after this meal!
Best of all, this salad is quick and easy to make. Including the time it takes to cook the ground chicken and chop up your produce, the Chicken Taco Salad is ready to eat in about 30 minutes, making it perfect for an easy dinner or a fantastic lunch.
What do I need?
We uses these ingredients to make our taco salad:
- ground chicken
- homemade taco seasoning
- lime juice
- cilantro
- baby spinach
- black beans
- corn
- orange bell pepper
- red onion
- avocado
- cherry tomatoes
- Mexican style shredded cheese
- Chunky salsa
- Tortilla strips
- Sour cream – an optional, but delicious, topping.
Does this salad have dressing?
I found that this salad didn’t need the addition of dressing. The combination of juices from the chicken, creaminess of the avocado and spicy tang of the red salsa made dressing seem redundant.
Add some freshly squeezed lime juice, and put a dollop of sour cream on top and you’ll be good to go!
Fresh or frozen corn?
You can make this chicken taco salad with either fresh corn kernels or frozen and thawed corn. I don’t recommend canned corn, as the flavor isn’t as fresh (and it tends to be on the saltier side).
Can I cook the chicken ahead of time?
You sure can. Follow the instructions for seasoning and browning the ground chicken, then store it in an airtight container until you’re ready to assemble your salad.
I like this salad best when the chicken is warm and the other ingredients are cool, so I would reheat the chicken in the microwave or on the stove for a bit to warm it up first.
Salad Recipes
When I make a salad, I want it to be full of flavor and an exciting mix of ingredients.
If you’re craving a lighter salad with a hint of sweetness, try my Strawberry Spinach Salad next. This Greek Quinoa Chicken Salad is another good-for-you salad my family loves.
In the summer, we eat these Avocado Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps constantly. They’re so refreshing when the weather is warm!
More salads you’ll love . . .
- 4-Bean Tuna Pasta Salad
- Easy Macaroni Salad
- Loaded Red Bliss Potato Salad
- Pesto Chicken Pasta Salad
- Tex-Mex Pasta Salad
- Tropical Quinoa Salad
- Sausage Veggie Pasta Salad
Recipes with Taco Seasoning
Homemade taco seasoning has been a total game changer for quick weeknight meals. I make a big batch and keep on hand to make everything from Taco Hummus Wraps to Chicken Taco Dip. It’s so much more affordable than store bought packets and tastes world’s better.
After you’ve made this taco salad recipe, you can reserve the rest of your taco seasoning to make these other reader favorite taco (and taco inspired) recipes too.
- Taco Braid
- Shrimp Tacos
- Mexican Breakfast Casserole
- Crockpot Taco Chicken
- Crunchy Taco Chicken
- Taco Casserole
- Easy Layered Taco Dip
So many tacos to eat, so little time!
Chicken Taco Salad is a hearty, flavorful, meal-worthy salad that’ll get you excited to eat your veggies!
Chicken Taco Salad
Equipment
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1 large bowl or serving platter
-
1 Large skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 3 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning
- ¼ cup water
- half lime juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro plus additional for garnish, if desired
- 5 cups baby spinach
- 15 ounces low sodium black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn thawed (can use fresh!)
- 1 orange pepper seeded and sliced
- ⅓ cup sliced red onion
- ½ cup halved cherry tomatoes
- 1 avocado diced
- 1 cup Mexican Style Shredded Cheese
- 1 cup chunky salsa or regular
- ½ cup tortilla strips
- sour cream, sliced jalapeños if desired
Instructions
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Cook the chicken in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the taco seasoning, water, lime juice, and cilantro. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
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Place the spinach onto a large platter. Add half the black beans, corn, pepper, onion, tomatoes, and cheese.
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Evenly distribute the seasoned chicken over the top. Cover with remaining black beans, corn, pepper, onion, tomatoes and cheese.
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Top with salsa, tortilla strips.
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Serve with sour cream and slice jalapeños.
Nutrition
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