Tequila Lime Chicken Salad

I hope you all had a great weekend!  Today, I share with you one of our favorite salads: Tequila Lime Chicken Salad.

Let me tell you – this salad is so good.  Even the chicken by itself is phenomenal.  It marinates over night and the flavors of the tequila, lime and jalapeño in the marinate make the chicken so juicy and zesty.  The dressing is really spicy, but you can adjust it to your liking by adding more orange juice and olive oil to tone it down, or by adding more chipotle peppers to kick it up a bit more.

I make this salad, chicken, dressing, separately or the whole shebang, all the time.  And I always make extras so we can have it for lunches and leftovers throughout the week.  It’s a staple in our house – let me know what you think!

You need to plan a day ahead, and start by marinating the chicken.  Combine the tequila, lime juice, orange juice, chili powder, jalapeño, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl and stir well.  Add the chicken breasts, cover and refrigerate overnight.

To make the dressing, combine the orange juice, chipotle chili in adobo sauce and olive oil in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.  Try for taste, and if it’s too spicy add more orange juice and olive oil.  Or if you want it spicier, add more chipotle peppers.

Heat a grill over medium-high heat and spray or brush with canola oil to prevent the chicken from sticking.  Grill the chicken until cooked through.  Let rest five minutes before slicing.  (And don’t forget to take a taste! So yummy!)

To make the salad, divide the lettuce, cabbage, grape tomatoes, avocado and cucumber among four bowls or plates.  Season with salt and pepper.

Top with the sliced chicken and drizzle with the dressing.

Tequila Lime Chicken Salad
adapted slightly from Elisabeth Hasselbeck’s cookbook, Deliciously G-Free

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup tequila (recipe calls for gold tequila, but I use silver)
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from 5 to 6 limes)
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from 2 oranges)
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 1 fresh jalapeño, minced (and seeded if you want less heat)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• salt and pepper
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• canola oil, for the grill

Dressing

• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup chopped chipotle chili in adobo sauce
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Salad

• 2 cups romaine lettuce
• 2 cups finely shredded cabbage
• 1 pint of grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/2 cucumber, diced (optional)

Steps

1. Combine the tequila, lime juice, orange juice, chili powder, jalapeño, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper in a large bowl and stir well.  Add the chicken breasts, cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. To make the dressing, combine the orange juice, chipotle chili in adobo sauce and olive oil in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.  Try for taste, and if it’s too spicy add more orange juice and olive oil.  Or if you want it spicier, add more chipotle peppers.
3. Heat a grill over medium-high heat and spray or brush with canola oil to prevent the chicken from sticking.  Grill the chicken until cooked through.  Let rest five minutes before slicing, then slice into strips or cubes.
4. To make the salad, divide the lettuce, cabbage, grape tomatoes, avocado and cucumber among four bowls or plates.  Season with salt and pepper.  Top with the sliced chicken and drizzle with the dressing.

Hugs, kisses & yummy dishes… xoxo

Lauren