This recipe, in various forms, has been with me for over ten years. Finally, I put it together into a cohesive recipe and now it is a staple in our home.
Making outstandingly delicious dishes is the simple process of building flavor in every step of the recipe, which this recipe certainly does.
- The chicken marinade adds lime, oregano, and garlic flavors
- The black bean and corn marinade brings the cumin, coriander, and more lime flavors
- Grilling the corn brings a smokiness as does grilling the chicken
- The ranch dressing serves up the creaminess along with herbaceousness, and with the addition of the Cholula, a hint of heat and smokiness.
- And finally, the tortilla strips reinforce the corn flavor and add crunch and a bit of decadence from the fried texture and flavor.
All these flavors and textures, when brought together in the salad, create a flavorful bite that your friends and family will think came from your favorite restaurant.
Let me know how you like the recipe!
discover. cook. enjoy.
GF DF Grilled Chicken Fiesta Salad Recipe
Marinated, grilled chicken, roasted corn, black beans, and crunchy tortillas strips make this main-dish salad a winner.
Suggested Tools
Mixing Bowl Set
Measuring Spoons
Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
Small Prep Bowls
Prep Bowls, 4 inch
Sheet Pans and Cooling Rack
The Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1 lb chicken tenders
- 2 limes, juiced
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 handful cilantro, fresh
- 1/4 cup Healthy Harvest Sunflower Oil
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1 drop Liquid Smoke
- 1 tsp Mexican oregano
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp ground pepper
For the Tortilla Strips
- 10 oz corn tortillas, about 10
- 1 1/2 cup Healthy Harvest Sunflower Oil
- kosher salt
For the Corn and Beans
- 2 ears corn, fresh, or you can use 1 cup frozen, thawed and added to the marinade
- 15 oz black beans, 1 can
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 2 limes, juiced
- Healthy Harvest Sunflower Oil
- kosher salt and ground pepper
For the Salad
- 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
- 3 tomatoes, roma, chopped
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
For the Dressing
- 1 cup Victoria's Luscious and Creamy Ranch Dressing
- 2 tsp Cholula sauce
The Process
Mise en Place for the Chicken
- Gather all your ingredients for the chicken.
- Measure out other ingredients for the chicken marinade into prep bowls and the liquids into a measuring cup.
Marinate the Chicken
- Add the chicken tenders and all remaining ingredients for the chicken to a resealable gallon plastic storage bag. Once sealed, massage the marinade and chicken inside the bag to combine all the ingredients. Set aside for an hour, or if marinating for 2 hours, put in the refrigerator and remember to take the chicken out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before grilling to bring it to room temperature.
- You will complete the rest of the prep and cooking while the chicken marinates.
Mise en Place for the Rest of the Ingredients
- Gather the rest of your ingredients.
- Juice the limes for the bean and corn marinade.
- Measure out the cumin and coriander into a prep bowl.
- Open the can of black beans, rinse well and put in a medium mixing bowl.
- Shuck the corn and set it aside.
- Measure the sunflower oil for the tortilla strips into a measuring cup.
- Chop the romaine into bite-sized pieces, add to a bowl, set aside.
- Chop the tomatoes into a medium dice, set aside in a small bowl.
- Slice the green onions, add to a prep bowl and set aside.
- Chop the cilantro, add to a prep bowl and set aside.
Prep and Grill the Corn
- Preheat your grill to high.
- You will need a sheet of foil for each cob, big enough to roll the corn and cover the corn.
- Add one cobb to each sheet, sprinkle lightly with sunflower oil, kosher salt and pepper, then roll up and fold in the edges.
- Grill on high for about 15 minutes, turning 3-4 times.
- Remove from the grill and let cool. You will want to remove the foil to speed up the cooling process.
Marinate the Beans and Corn
- Cut the corn from the cob with a knife and add to the bowl with the black beans.
- Add the cumin and coriander, lime juice and a pinch of kosher salt and mix to combine.
- Cover and refrigerate until ready to use later.
Fry the Tortilla Strips
- Heat the oil in a small saucepan on high. Make sure the amount of oil in the pan does not exceed half of the depth of the pan.
- While the oil is heating, cut your corn tortillas into 1-1 1/2 inch strips and place in a bowl.
- When the oil reaches 360 degrees, add a small amount of corn tortilla strips to the oil. Cook until they are lightly golden brown. Remove from the oil with a slotted tool onto a cooling rack topped with paper towels and add a light pinch of kosher salt.
- Repeat the above steps until all tortilla strips are fried.
- Go ahead, eat some of the tortilla strips! There will be more than enough for the salad.
Prepare the Dressing
- Combine the Ranch Dressing and the Cholula, mix well, set aside.
Grill the Chicken
- Preheat the grill to medium high.
- Add the chicken and grill on each side for about 6-7 minutes or until the chicken is done. Remove from the grill and slice into bite-sized pieces. Discard the marinade.
Make the Salad
- You can serve this salad in a few different ways: 1. buffet style where everyone makes their own salad from the individual bowls of ingredients. 2. Create individual bowls/plates of the composed salad, and 3. Create a large serving platter of the composed salad.
- Here are the instructions for the large platter of salad plating.
- Add a dense layer of lettuce, 1/4 to 1/2 of the bean and corn mixture, half the chicken, half the tomatoes, half the onions, more lettuce, but not as much as the first layer, 1/4 to 1/2 of the bean and corn mixture, rest of the chicken, rest of the tomatoes and onions. Top with dressing, then top withthe the tortilla strips, then green onions and cilantro, and finally, drizzle a bit of dressing over the top.
- Enjoy!!!
Bonus Margarita Recipe
- Ingredients for 2 margaritas: 4 oz tequila, 2 oz of orange liqueur, 2 oz of lime juice, a tablespoon of simple syrup. Add all to a drink mixer and shake well. Salt the rim of rocks or margarita glass, fill with ice and pour margarita into glasses. Enjoy!
- For 1 cup of simple syrup, combine 1 cup granulated sugar and water in a saucepan on medium just until sugar melts. You can store what you don't use in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupsCalories: 454kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 23gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 590mgPotassium: 894mgFiber: 12gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 11775IUVitamin C: 26mgCalcium: 107mgIron: 5mg
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