Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad
Meet my Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad. It is seriously crave-worthy delicious. It is so easy because the chicken and vegetables are cooked on the grill and then loaded onto the salad, which is tossed with a creamy avocado dressing. I’ve also included have a couple of handy marinating and grilling techniques that are going to knock your socks off!
I originally shared this recipe on April 18, 2013. It included a giveaway which is now closed. I have updated the images and some of the text today.
Table of contents
Why We Love This Recipe For Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad
I love salad month for one reason alone. I absolutely love salad. I eat huge salads. Like MAJORLY big salads all the time. I like to make a salad in a mixing bowl, then eat the entire thing. Just me… I have a problem, I know. My mom tells me I used to “insist” she pack salad in my lunchbox. Please leave me a comment below letting me know if you are also a big fan of BIG salads!
Anyhoo, I just made this Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad, and it is big. Because you know what I love almost as much as salads? You guessed it–fajitas.
About this easy salad recipe: here is what I did. I used my favorite no-mess chicken marinade technique. It is a great trick. Just peel the garlic and smash it in a re-sealable bag. Then add your chicken breast and pound that flat (check out the photos below in the recipe step instructions).
Pounding the chicken flat inside the bag is super awesome because there is no mess, and the chicken will cook more evenly, so it won’t dry out. Then add in the rest of the marinade ingredients and some Mexican flavored seasonings.
Since I was cooking the chicken on the grill, I cooked the vegetables in a foil packet alongside it. Which means that there aren’t extra dishes to clean. The dressing has Greek yogurt and avocado in it so it is nice and creamy like a cross between creamy dressing and guacamole. First toss some with the greens, then just dollop it on top.
If you love this Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad, then you may want to check out our Ground Chicken Taco Salad Recipe.
Key Ingredients For This Recipe
Chicken breasts
I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts which I separated the tenders from. This is the leanest part of the chicken (and the largest) which is why I love cooking with it.
Mexican spice blend
I used the Yucatecan Recado Rojo spice blend, but any Fajita seasoning blend will do.
Bells peppers
I used red and orange bell peppers but you can use any color.
Onion
A yellow or white onion is great here, but if you prefer your fajitas with red onion you can use that instead.
Corn
Although I don’t buy many of my veggies frozen I do use frozen corn kernels. However, if you have the time and patience you can always cut fresh kernels from a corn cob.
Avocado
Avocado is used to help create a creamy and guacamole-inspired dressing. Make sure it’s perfectly ripe so that it blends smoothly.
Greek-style yogurt
I used low-fat Greek yogurt but you can use full-fat if that’s what you’d prefer. If you’re lactose intolerant you can substitute with a good dairy-free plain yogurt.
Romaine
Romaine is often my go-to lettuce for salads like this because I love the crunch it adds. You can use iceberg or little gem too if that’s what you have on hand.
Additional Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
- 2 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro, plus leaves for garnish
Step-by-Step Instructions to Make This Chicken Fajita Salad
Step 1: Smash garlic
Place the garlic cloves in a large Ziploc bag, then press air out and seal the bag. Smash the garlic with the smooth side of a meat mallet (or any heavy kitchen utensil you have on hand).
Step 2: Pound chicken breast
Open the bag and add the chicken breasts. Press the air out of bag and reseal. Pound the chicken through the bag until the thickest part of the breast is level with the thinnest, about 1/2-inch thick.
Step 3: Marinate chicken
Open the bag once again and add the tenders, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 2 teaspoons Mexican spice mix, and ¾ teaspoon salt. Press out the air and reseal the bag, agitating it until the chicken is coated in the marinade. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
Step 4: Preheat grill
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
Step 5: Cook peppers, onion & corn
Mix the peppers, onion and corn in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon oil, ¾ teaspoon salt and the remaining 2 teaspoons Mexican spice blend. Place 2 (12×22-inch) sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil or a double layer of regular foil on a work surface. Divide the veggie mixture between the center of the two foil sheets.
Step 6: Fold packets
Fold each aluminum square over the veggies into a flat packet and crimp the edges to seal.
Step 7: Grill veggie packets & chicken
Place the vegetable packets on the grill grates and cook, rotating and flipping occasionally until the peppers and onions are soft and starting to brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade and discard the marinade. Grill chicken until no-longer pink in the center, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Let it rest about 5 minutes before slicing.
Step 8: Make avocado dressing
Meanwhile, combine 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoons lime juice, ¾ teaspoon salt, Greek yogurt, honey in a food-processor or miniprep food-processor. Cut avocado in half and remove the pit. Scoop half of the avocado into the food processor or mini prep, then cover and puree, scraping down sides as needed to get ingredients moving, until smooth, 30 to 45 seconds. Add chopped cilantro and pulse to combine.
Step 9: Assemble chicken fajita salad
Toss romaine with about 2/3 of the dressing and divide among four plates. Divide onion and pepper mixture over the lettuce. Top with grilled chicken. Dollop any remaning dressing over the salads. Dice the remaining ½ avocado and scatter over the salads. Garnish with cilantro leaves.
Tips on How to Grill Chicken
Grilling meat can seem like a daunting task if you don’t have much experience with it. My biggest tip for making grilled chicken is to give it loads of flavor by using a marinade for at least an hour before cooking it. Chicken marinades (like the one I’m sharing in this recipe) often have an acidic component, like lemon or lime juice, plus salt, which help a bit to get the flavors of the marinade (spices and garlic) inside the chicken.
When you put the chicken on the grill, make sure not to overlap or overcrowd the chicken. You also want to flip the chicken only once during the grilling process, if possible. This will help the chicken cook evenly on each side, and will leave those lovely grill marks on the meat. Those grill marks aren’t just for aesthetics! They impart a lovely flavor onto the chicken that’s tough to replicate with spices.
Finally, after the chicken is taken off the grill, you want to let it rest on a plate for a good four or five minutes before slicing it. This will give the juices time to redistribute throughout the meat and will make for a more tender bite.
As long as you keep these few tips in mind when grilling the chicken for this fajita salad, you shouldn’t have any issues!
FAQs and Expert Tips
I would recommend waiting to grill the chicken and veggies until you’re ready to eat, however you can prepare the veggie packets the night or morning before to save some prep time. You can also marinate the chicken overnight, if desired.
Absolutely! Just because you’re choosing to eat meat-free doesn’t mean you should miss out on this recipe. Just swap out the chicken for your favorite plant-based chicken or veggie burger patty.
Try to eyeball how much lettuce you’ll realistically eat in one sitting. Since it’s just lettuce you can easily cut more, but chopped lettuce doesn’t always stay that fresh as leftovers (especially if it’s dressed). With that being said, you can store any leftover veggies and/or chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
Additional Easy Salad Recipes to Try
- This French Bistro Brunch Salad is such a classic!
- Tacito Salad Appetizer Bites are perfect for dinner parties.
- I’m in love with these little Mexican Chicken Salad Lettuce Cups.
- Vegan Corn Salad with Jalapeno Cilantro Dressing is a great lunch recipe.
- You can never go wrong with this Mexican Pasta Salad.
- I love serving this Mexican Four Bean Salad with a side of tortilla chips.
At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie
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Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Meet my Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad for Salad Month—it is low-carb and gluten-free and will be the star of any Cinco De Mayo celebration!
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenders separated, about 1 pound
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
- 4 teaspoons Mexican Spice Blend or Fajita seasoning mix, divided
- 2 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 2 bell peppers, cored and cut into strips
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
- 1/4 cup plain low-fat Greek-style yogurt
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 large avocado
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus leaves for garnish
- 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
Instructions
- Place garlic cloves in a large Ziploc bag, press air out and seal the bag. Smash garlic with the smooth side of a meat mallet.
- Open bag and add chicken breasts. Press air out of bag and reseal. Pound meat through the bag until the thickest part of the breast is level with the thinnest, about 1/2-inch thick.
- Open bag again and add tenders, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 2 teaspoons Mexican spice mix, and ¾ teaspoon salt. Press out air and reseal bag and agitate until the chicken is coated in the marinade. Refrigerate 30 minutes to 2 hours.
- Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
- Mix peppers, onion and corn in a large bowl with 1 tablespoon oil, ¾ teaspoon salt and the remaining 2 teaspoons Mexican spice blend. Place two sheets measuring 12 by 22-inches of heavy-duty aluminum foil or a double layer of regular foil on work surface. Divide pepper and onion mixture into the center of the two foil sheets.
- Fold into a flat packet and crimp edges closed.
- Place vegetable packet on grill grate and cook, rotating and flipping occasionally until the peppers and onions are soft and starting to brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade. Grill chicken until no-longer pink in the center, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Let rest about 5 minutes before slicing.
- Meanwhile combine 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoons lime juice, ¾ teaspoon salt, Greek yogurt, honey in a food-processor or miniprep food-processor. Cut avocado in half and remove pit. Scoop half of the avocado into the food processor or mini prep, cover and puree, scraping down sides as needed to get ingredients moving, until smooth, 30 to 45 seconds. Add chopped cilantro and pulse to combine.
- Toss Romaine with about 2/3 of the dressing and divide among four plates. Divide onion and pepper mixture over the lettuce. Top with grilled chicken. Dollop any remaning dressing over the salads. Dice the remaining ½ avocado and scatter over the salads. Garnish with cilantro leaves.
Notes
How to Store:
Try to eyeball how much lettuce you’ll realistically eat in one sitting. Since it’s just lettuce you can easily cut more, but chopped lettuce doesn’t always stay that fresh as leftovers (especially if it’s dressed). With that being said, you can store any leftover veggies and/or chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Grilled
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Calories: 338 cal
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 446mg
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 9g
- Protein: 28g
Okay so this salad has my name written all over it! All of the best of grilled chicken fajitas in one delicious salad!! Love it!
Oh this came just in time for my weekend plans! Love it!
This was a dream for dinner! So delicious—and I provided tortillas so my husband could make fajitas with some of the chicken!
Thank you for a delicious recipe. My husband and I cooked for a church food event and took home some leftovers which included a bag of chopped romaine, grilled chicken, one red bell pepper, and cilantro. I cut up the cooked chicken which was a bit dry and marinated it in the seasoning with olive oil and lime juice. This salad was good, even using the leftovers. We will try it from scratch in the future.
I love this recipe! My favorite Mexican would have to be enchiladas and tamales. I have a question before I put this recipe to the test. The instructions say to add chicken and pound then add tenders. The ingredient list says chicken breast, then tenders after apostrophe. Are both included in this recipe. I am confused, but would like to try this recipe this weekend. I, too, love big salads. I never start a buffet with anything else.
Hi Julia,
The chicken tenders are often still attached to the back of the chicken breast depending on which farm/ brand you buy it from. Since they are already thin, you don’t need to pound them. So they go into the bag after the breast is pounded. Hope that helps.
I love carne asada
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