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Salads have been in the background for too long. Think about it: those salads from your childhood, replete with limp lettuce, tasteless vegetables, and gloppy dressing are no more. We’re too smart to eat boring salads as we’ve now realized they should be the main event. This bias could be from the fact that I eat a salad as a main meal almost daily. I’ll always cheer for bold fresh flavors to elevate the salad into a perfect meal. The best side effect: you can eat healthily and enjoy it!
A chicken fajita salad uses the best flavors from a fajita and is honestly easier to eat than the real thing. Stir-fried vegetables and chicken sit atop crisp lettuce with a full-on flavor bomb of a dressing. You will love this salad!
What is a fajita?
Traditionally, fajitas consist of strips of peppers, onions, and steak or chicken grilled or fried and served with tortillas. There are various methods and recipes, but the main ingredients usually stay the same. Just like in traditional fajitas, this starts with the meat. While steak may be more traditional, chicken breast is more foolproof and definitely a crowd-pleaser, especially for picky eaters.
After the meat marinates and cooks, the same skillet is used to quickly fry the peppers and onion. The vegetables pick up the bits of remaining flavor from the chicken and are finished with nontraditional beans. The beans add some heft to the salad and make it a rounded meal.
What is the difference between a marinade and a dressing?
- A marinade is a mixture of vinegar, oil, and spices. The mixture imparts some flavor but provides a better texture to the meat as it sits together in the refrigerator.
- A dressing is really the same as a marinade. The ratios may be different, but the results are almost identical.
So why even make a distinction? My point exactly! To add more flavor to the chicken, the dressing for this salad does double duty. First, it’s used as a marinade for the chicken breast. The lime juice in the dressing helps tenderize the chicken and add moisture. The remainder of the dressing provides a fresh punch to the salad and marries all the flavors!
More Chicken Recipes
- Chicken rice pilaf
- Chicken and curried honey lentils harvest bowls
- Grilled chicken berry salad
- Homemade barbecue chicken pizza
- The best roast chicken
- Chicken Caesar pasta salad
Watch How to Make This Chicken Fajita Salad
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Chicken Fajita Salad
Ingredients
For the dressing
- ⅓ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 ½ tbsp honey
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ jalapeño seeds removed
- 1 bunch cilantro stems
- ½ cup neutral oil
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 tsp kosher salt
For the salad
- 2 chicken breasts (approx. 16 oz total) butterflied
- 1 small onion cut in half lengthwise and sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper sliced
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ jalapeño with seeds
- 1 15-oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 avocado sliced
- 1 head romaine lettuce
Instructions
For the dressing
- In a measuring cup, combine the lime juice, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro stems, oil, cumin, and salt. Blend with an immersion blender or upright blender until smooth.⅓ cup fresh lime juice, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 2 ½ tbsp honey, 2 cloves garlic, ½ jalapeño, 1 bunch cilantro stems, ½ cup neutral oil, ½ tsp cumin, 1 tsp kosher salt
- With a sharp knife, butterfly the chicken breast to flatten and make it more even. Pour ½ cup of the dressing over the chicken breast as a marinade. Cover and keep refrigerated for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.2 chicken breasts (approx. 16 oz total)
- Heat 1 tbsp neutral oil in a skillet over medium heat, 2 minutes. Add the marinated chicken breast, one at a time. Sear until browned and the temperature registers 160°F. Once the chicken has been cooked, add the prepared onion and yellow and red peppers to the skillet. Sprinkle with salt and cumin. Sauté until the vegetables are just tender, 4-6 minutes. Add the minced jalapeño and garlic. Continue to cook for 1 minute. Add the drained and rinsed beans. Cook until the beans are just warmed through, 1-2 minutes.1 small onion, 1 yellow bell pepper, 1 red bell pepper, ½ tsp kosher salt, 1 tsp cumin, 2 cloves garlic, ½ jalapeño, 1 15-oz can black beans
- Remove the vegetables and beans from the heat. Slice the chicken into strips and squeeze some fresh lime juice over the meat and sliced avocado. Chop the romaine and place it on a large platter. Drizzle with the remaining dressing to taste, as little or as much as desired. Mix with the lettuce. Add the prepared peppers, onion, and beans. Top with chicken, avocado, and cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips on the side.1 head romaine lettuce, 1 avocado
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
I didn’t have much time so I just made the salad dressing but plan to make the entire recipe soon. This dressing is delicious. I didn’t have any jalapeños but loved it anyway. Can’t wait to make it when I have all the ingredients. Love your recipes and videos. Look forward to hearing you say, “Well hello” every day. Have been learning so much from all your posts. Thank you!
This was fantastic! My husband loved it too and he is pretty picky!
This was delicious, and was a HIT for my family of 5! My 16-yo son (who loves to garden & cook) just requested we make it again.
This was awesome! I served it like you did and we just scooped it up and put it in wraps, lettuce and all. It was sooo delicious. No one was that hungry last night so I had left overs, emphasis on had. My husband ate it all for breakfast!
This was so fabulous with such fresh flavours
A 12/10
Thank you for sharing
So glad you enjoyed!
I made this for dinner tonight and my family agreed it was the best thing I’ve made in a long time! So much flavor, but also light and fresh. I’m looking forward to the leftovers!
This is what we are having tonight! Thanks again for a fabulous recipe Kaleb!!
This dressing is amaaazing!!! 🔥🤗🎉 definitely going into my rotation!!! Ole! 💃🏼
Not quick or simple but WOW the flavors are amazing. Well worth the time and effort. Everyone loved it. I added some leftover corn to the mix and served it with some Mexican rice on the side just in case there were picky eaters in the group. The salad was a huge hit. I have several who have claimed any leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Thank you Kaleb for another great recipe.
Wow, this salad looks delicious, Kaleb! Who doesn’t like a southwestern salad? I’m looking forward to making this soon:)
PS – I just made your hummus with artichoke hearts yesterday and it is amazing!!