Loaded Mexican Chicken Salad
Loaded Mexican Chicken Salad! Juicy chicken marinated in zesty Mexican flavors and grilled to perfection, then tossed with crisp salad greens, fresh vegetables, black beans, queso fresco, and a creamy cilantro lime dressing. It’s the perfect salad for the summer!
If you’re bored with your everyday grilled chicken salad, prepare this fully loaded Mexican-style chicken salad instead! It’s packed with fresh, wholesome ingredients and maximum Mexican-inspired flavors.
Traditional Mexican chicken salad (aka Ensalada de Pollo) is a creamy mayo and sour cream-based cold chicken salad. This grilled chicken salad recipe isn’t quite like the classic, but it’s delicious nonetheless!
Instead of a creamy chicken salad, you’ll marinate chicken in a flavorful Mexican marinade and then cook it on the grill. As for the salad itself, it has mixed greens, a variety of fresh and healthy veggies, creamy queso fresco, and cilantro-lime dressing (which doubles as a delicious marinade!).
This Mexican chicken salad is perfect for meal prepping and enjoying throughout the week, but it’s also perfect for parties; and when it comes to feeding a crowd, you can’t go wrong with Mexican dishes.
This salad is also gluten-free, and if you leave out the queso fresco, it’s also dairy-free! Ready to make the BEST loaded Mexican grilled chicken salad? Fire up the grill, and let’s get started.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s packed with protein, fiber, healthy fats, and nutrient-rich veggies.
- It makes a hearty lunch or light dinner and is meal prep friendly!
- It’s gluten-free and can easily be made dairy-free (omit the cheese!)
- It’s easy to customize with your preferences.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken tenders – Marinated in this Mexican chicken marinade, your favorite lime-infused marinade, or cilantro lime dressing. McCormick’s Mojito Lime Marinade dry mix is my personal favorite store-bought option. You can also use chicken breasts or thighs. Be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Salad greens – I use a blend of romaine and mixed artisan greens, but go with your favorite lettuce!
- Corn kernels – I like steaming fresh corn, letting it cool, and cutting the kernels off the cob, but you can also use canned or thawed frozen corn kernels.
- Tomato – Use a large, meaty tomato like beefsteak or Roma. Alternately, you can use halved cherry or grape tomatoes.
- Black beans – Canned black beans are perfectly fine here. All you need to do is give them a good rinse, and they’re all set. For a fiber boost, you can add pinto beans, kidney beans, or chickpeas.
- Queso Fresco – A crumbly Mexican-style cheese with a bright, fresh flavor. Feel free to use shredded cheddar, Monterey jack, or a Mexican blend.
- Radish – Adds a pop of purple to the salad and a delicious crunch.
For the dressing, you’ll need a short list of ingredients. It’s also great to use as a marinade, so make a double batch to marinade your chicken instead of Mexican chicken marinade. You’ll need:
- Extra virgin olive oil – The base of the dressing. You can also use avocado oil.
- Lime juice & zest – Gives the dressing a tangy, citrus flavor. I do not recommend using bottled lime juice. Fresh lime makes a huge difference.
- Dijon mustard – Adds flavor and warm, rich undertones.
- Maple syrup – Adds a touch of sweetness and balances the bold flavors.
- Cilantro – I like using cilantro as a garnish and in the dressing. If you’re not a fan of cilantro, feel free to use parsley or Mexican oregano.
- Salt– to enhance all the delicious flavors.
How To Make Mexican Chicken Salad
Step 1: Prepare to grill. Start by preheating the grill over medium heat. Now is a great time to prep the salad ingredients.
Step 2: Grill chicken. Using tongs, transfer the marinated chicken tenders to your hot grill, and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165F (about 4 minutes per side). Remove from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Make salads. Assemble the salads separately in 4 large, shallow bowls (or meal prep containers), starting with a bed of salad greens. Top each salad with corn, tomato, black beans, queso fresco, radish, and cilantro. Then, place the grilled chicken on top.
Step 4: Make dressing and toss. Add the dressing ingredients to a blender, then blend until smooth.
When ready to serve, drizzle the dressing over the top and toss to combine. Serve with an optional dollop of DELICIOUS Mexican crema (sour cream or Greek yogurt), and ENJOY!
Recipe Tips
- Preheat your grill with the lid closed. Then, place the chicken over direct heat and cook for 2 minutes. Use tongs to pivot the meat 45 degrees and cook for another 2 minutes. Flip and repeat on the other side to achieve grill marks.
- Do not overcook your chicken! If it’s even the slightest overcooked, it will taste dry. If you’re using chicken breasts or thighs, adjust the cooking time.
- Always let chicken rest for 5 minutes after grilling, so the savory juices absorb back into the meat.
- Scale up the ingredients, and make a big batch for summer parties, potlucks, and outdoor events.
- Add the dressing to taste as it’s packed with flavor and a little bit goes a long way.
- Drizzle with crema or sour cream when serving.
Variations
Switch up the protein – Instead of chicken, Mexican marinated shrimp or steak pairs nicely with this salad.
Make it a wrap – Wrap up the ingredients in a burrito-size tortilla or your favorite wrap -or use small flour or corn tortillas for tacos.
Mix-in ideas – Add carrots, bell peppers, scallions, fresh or pickled red onion, fresh or pickled jalapeno, and shredded cabbage. You can also add fresh fruits like mango or pineapple.
Avocado – Firm, ripe avocado is also an option, but it will brown quickly, so wait until immediately before serving before slicing your avocado. It also goes great with guacamole!
Storing & Freezing
Storing: If the chicken, vegetables, and dressing are refrigerated in separate containers, the chicken will last 3-4 days, and the veggies will last 2-3 days. The dressing is best within 5-7 days. You can assemble the bowls for meal prep in a container with dividers to separate the veggies from the meat and beans and use within 3 days. Store the dressing in separate containers.
Freezing marinated chicken: To save time, freeze raw chicken directly in the marinade. Soak fresh (never frozen) chicken with the marinade in a freezer-safe resealable bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to grill, defrost the chicken in the fridge 24-36 hours ahead of time, and the meat will marinate as it thaws.
Recipe FAQ
No! For food safety purposes, you should never use a marinade that’s come in contact with raw chicken. Instead, make a double batch of the marinade to avoid the risk of contamination.
To boost healthy carbs, roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes go great with this salad! You can add whole grain tortillas chips or tostadas for a satisfying crunch.
There are about 365 calories in each serving of this Mexican chicken salad. As for the dressing, one tablespoon has around 65 calories. However, it’s packed with flavor, so a tablespoon is plenty per serving.
More Chicken Salads You’ll Love
Grilled Chicken Salad with Roasted Asparagus
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Loaded Mexican Chicken Salad
Equipment
- grill
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken tenders marinated in this Mexican chicken marinade or your favorite lime-infused marinade. McCormick's Mojito Lime Marinade dry mix prepared is my favorite store-bought option.
- 6 cups mixed salad greens I use a blend of romaine and mixed artisan greens. Go with your favorite lettuce here!
- 1 cup steamed fresh corn cooled and cut off the cob, you can also use canned or thawed frozen corn.
- 1 large tomato seeded and chopped
- 15 oz can black beans rinsed and drained well
- 4 oz Queso Fresco cheese crumbled
- 1 radish chopped
- fresh cilantro to taste, for garnishing
- For the dressing:
- 2 large limes juiced
- 1 tsp fresh lime zest
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp real maple syrup
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat the grill to medium heat while you prep the salad ingredients.
- Grill the chicken tenders over medium heat, about 4 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F with a meat thermometer.
- Divide the salad ingredients between 4 large bowls or meal prep containers and top with grilled chicken.
- Place the dressing ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
- Drizzle dressing over salad right before serving and toss to mix.
- Top with crema or sour cream, if desired.
Notes
- Preheat your grill with the lid closed. Then, place the chicken over direct heat and cook for 2 minutes. Use tongs to pivot the meat 45 degrees and cook for another 2 minutes. Flip and repeat on the other side to achieve grill marks.
- Do not overcook your chicken! If it’s even the slightest overcooked, it will taste dry. If you’re using chicken breasts or thighs, adjust the cooking time.
- Always let the chicken rest for 5 minutes after grilling, so the savory juices absorb back into the meat.
- Scale up the ingredients, and make a big batch for summer parties, potlucks, and outdoor events.
- Add the dressing to taste as it’s packed with flavor and a little bit goes a long way.
Nutrition
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