This Chicken Taco Salad is a fresh and healthy dinner idea that’s loaded with flavor. It’s packed with crunchy iceberg lettuce, tender chicken breast, cheddar cheese, tortilla strips, and all the best taco toppings!
2cupsjarred tomato salsamild or spicy, to your preference
1cuptortilla stripsor crushed tortilla chips
corn, chopped red onion, black beans, sour creamoptional, as desired
Instructions
In a medium skillet, pour in chicken broth and add chicken breasts. Sprinkle chicken with taco seasoning.
Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the thickest part of chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F (or use my slow cooker or Instant Pot methods listed above).
Remove from skillet and let rest on a cutting board for 5-10 minutes while you prepare the rest of your ingredients. Slice chicken and place back in skillet with liquid for maximum flavor and moisture.
Add desired amount of lettuce, tomato, avocado and cheese to a large plate or shallow bowl. Top with 1/4 of the chicken, and serve with 1/2 cup salsa and 1/4 cup tortilla strips, plus additional toppings listed as desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
Making Ahead of Time:
Make your chicken ahead of time and store it in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 2-3 months. If it’s frozen, thaw it in the fridge overnight so it’s ready to go when you want to assemble your salad. You can heat it up but I usually prefer cold meat on salad anyway.
Shred your cheese in advance or keep a bag of pre-shredded cheese on hand.
Chop your lettuce in advance and store it in a large container or ziploc baggie with some paper towels to prevent it from getting soggy. The lettuce will start to get brown after a day or two so I recommend doing little bits at a time.
Chop your tomatoes and any other toppings you like to store in containers in the fridge. That way you can just pull out all your options and assemble whenever!