Mexican Caesar Salad with Chicken

You can serve this salad as a main dish when you’re looking for a light, easy dinner or, omit the chicken and serve with a steaming bowl of Tortilla Soup.

How to Give Caesar Salad a Mexican Twist

• In place of conventional croutons, this salad uses lightly crushed tortilla chips that are pan-toasted in olive oil along with minced garlic. The chips add loads of flavor and a deliciously toasty crunch that works just as well, if not better than regular croutons.
• To further develop the Mexican flavor profile, the pan-fried chicken tenderloins are coated with a mildly spicy blend of seasoned flour made with chili powder, ground cumin, and paprika.
• Freshly squeezed lime juice replaces lemon in the dressing, and a handful of fresh cilantro adds a bright, herbaceous note that really stands out amongst all the other flavors.
• A few corn kernels bring a touch of sweetness to the dish and the finishing touch is a topping of crumbled queso fresco. If you’re not familiar, queso fresco is a fresh, Mexican cow’s milk cheese with a mild, salty flavor similar to feta.

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4.84 from 6 votes

Mexican Caesar Salad with Chicken

By Lynne Webb

Mexican Caesar salad with chicken is a fresh, satisfying dinner salad featuring Southwestern-spiced chicken, queso fresco, and a creamy cilantro-lime dressing, ready in about 35 minutes.

Prep: 20 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Total: 35 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1/4 cup flour
• ▢ 2 teaspoons chili powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• ▢ Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 8 chicken tenderloins, about 1 lb
• ▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 2 ounces tortilla chips, roughly crushed (see notes)
• ▢ 2 romaine lettuce hearts, about 1/2 lb, torn into bite-sized pieces
• ▢ 1 cup fresh or defrosted frozen corn kernels
• ▢ 6 ounces queso fresco, crumbled (may substitute crumbled feta)

For the cilantro-lime dressing

• ▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• ▢ 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• ▢ 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• ▢ Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

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Instructions 

• Start by making the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, mayonnaise, garlic, a pinch of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper until smooth. Stir in the cilantro, taste, adjust the seasoning if needed, and set aside while you prepare the salad.
• Combine the flour, chili powder, cumin, paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and a few grinds of black pepper in a large zip-top bag.
• Trim any white tendons from the chicken tenderloins, then pat them dry with paper towels. Add the chicken to the seasoned flour and shake to coat evenly.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Shake any excess flour from the chicken and arrange the tenderloins in the pan. Cook until lightly browned and the internal temperature reaches 165°F, about 2-1/2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest while preparing the tortilla chip topping.
• Wipe out the skillet, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and return it to medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the crushed tortilla chips and cook, stirring constantly, until the garlic is just beginning to turn golden and the chips are lightly toasted. Remove from the heat immediately.
• Divide the romaine among 4 serving plates and top each with about 1/4 cup of the corn.
• Slice the chicken into 1/2-inch pieces and divide it among the salads. Sprinkle with the toasted tortilla chip mixture and the crumbled queso fresco.
• Spoon the dressing over each salad and serve immediately.

Notes

Tortilla chips: If you don’t have a kitchen scale, fill a standard sandwich-size zip-top bag with whole tortilla chips. That will yield about 2 ounces once lightly crushed.

Nutrition

Calories: 666, Total Fat: 43g, Cholesterol: 109mg, Sodium: 675mg, Carbohydrates: 31g, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 5g, Protein: 41g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.