Chicken Fajita Salad
with bell peppers / pepitas / avocados
For contrast in textures and temperatures, cook the chicken, peppers, and onions fajita style and finish the salads with fresh elements like avocados and tomatoes.
Smarts: Tex Mex salads like this one are great for customizing. Set out all of the toppings and let everyone build their own bowl at the table.
Ingredients
- Lime juice - 1 Tbsp
- Vinegar, red wine - 2 tsp
- Honey - 1 Tbsp
- Mustard, Dijon - 1 tsp
- Oil, cooking - 3 Tbsp
- Coriander, dried - 1/2 tsp
- Paprika - 1/2 tsp
- Cumin - 1/2 tsp
- Chili powder - 1/2 tsp
- Salt - 1/2 tsp
- Black pepper - 1/4 tsp
- Chicken breasts, boneless and skinless - 1 lb, thinly sliced (sub thighs)
- Bell peppers, any color - 2, sliced
- Onions, medium and red - 1, sliced
- Lettuce, romaine - 8 oz, chopped
- Tomatoes (opt) - 1, chopped
- Avocados - 1, chopped
- Oil, cooking - 2 Tbsp
- Pepitas / pumpkin seeds - 1/4 cup
Nutrition Facts
Prep
- Bell peppers / Onions - Prep as directed and combine. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Make vinaigrette - Whisk together lime juice, vinegar, honey, and mustard. Add oil (portion for vinaigrette) while whisking. Season with some salt and pepper. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Make spice mix - Combine dried coriander, paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
- Prep chicken - Thinly slice chicken. Toss with spice mix and tenderize with a fork. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
- Lettuce / Tomatoes / Avocados - Prep as directed.
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Make
- Heat a skillet or wok with oil (portion for salad) over medium heat. Add peppers and onions and saute until nearly tender, 5 to 7 minutes. (Note: Add a splash of water if the peppers and onions start to burn.)
- Move peppers and onions to one side of the pan and add chicken to pan. Sear chicken without stirring for 2 minutes. Toss everything together and continue cooking until chicken is cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes more.
- Assemble salads with a bed of lettuce and tomatoes. Top with avocados, peppers, onions, and chicken.
- Finish salads with vinaigrette and pepitas on top. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
18 reviews
This was solid. I wished I had a little more dressing, but I think that's probably because the proportions/sizes of the components are hard to standardize exactly.
Good and easy to customize for different ages. Love that you can make ahead and reheat for a quick lunch.
We doubled the spices on the chicken and really enjoyed this salad. We will definitely mark it as a favorite.
Surprisingly tasty! My kids only fought it a little bit. I would definitely eat this again!