Description

This salad takes a bit of time to prepare, but it is so worth it. The chicken is juicy and full of flavor and the salad's homemade Catalina dressing is sweet and tangy.

Ingredients

• Cilantro Lime Chicken:
• 1 lb. boneless chicken breasts, pounded to an even thickness
• Cilantro Lime Marinade:
• 1 c. loosely packed cilantro leaves and stems
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 T. freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 t. EACH chili powder, ground cumin, onion powder
• 1/2 t. EACH: smoked paprika, salt, pepper, sugar
• 1/4 t. cayenne pepper, optional
• Chicken Taco Salad:
• Cilantro Lime Chicken, cooked
• 1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered (or 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped)
• 1 c. black beans, drained and rinsed
• raw corn from 2 ears sweet corn
• 1/2 c. finely grated sharp Cheddar cheese, or to taste
• 2 avocados, chopped
• tortilla chips, slightly crushed or tortilla strips, to taste
• Creamy Baja Catalina Dressing:
• 1/4 c. ketchup
• 1/4 c. red wine vinegar
• 3 T. sugar, more or less to taste
• 1/4 c. mayonnaise
• 1/4 c. sour cream (or yogurt)
• 1 T. reserved Cilantro Lime Marinade

Steps

1. Cilantro Lime Marinade:
2. Add all marinade ingredients to food processor; pulse until finely chopped, scraping down sides several times; remove and reserve 2 T. for basting, will use 1 T. for basting, 1 T. for dressing.
3. Add remaining marinade to a shallow dish or large zip lock bag; add chicken; turn to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator 2-10 hours.