Chicken Taco Salad Recipe for Easy Lunches

Chicken Taco Salad for Easy and Tasty Lunches and More

Chicken Taco Salad is the ideal healthy but yummy lunch! Make this kid-friendly meal as a salad or as a taco or have it in a tortilla to make an easy wrap on the go!

The chicken is so tasty and is the star of this recipe, you can have it with anything but it’s so delicious as a chicken taco salad. You can also grill it, cook it in a pan or even if cook it on a smoker, they all are so tasty but we’re going to share how to grill it and cook it in a pan so you have options!

Disclosure: I am participating in the Chicken Farmers of Canada campaign managed by SJ Consulting. I received compensation in exchange for my participation in this campaign. The opinions on this blog are my own.

I kid you not I doubled the recipe for this tasty chicken taco salad and there was barely any chicken leftover because it was that tasty. I had it as a chicken taco salad, my daughter had it as a taco and hubby tried it as a wrap and we all swear ours was the best way lol. They were all so yummy because of the amazing flavour of the chicken. The spices really made the chicken and I personally like to smoke it for a bit and then turn the heat up and grill it the rest of the way as we have a smoker that also grills. No matter how you cook it, grill, in the pan etc.. you can’t go wrong it should be tender and oh so tasty. The wraps will be great for back to school lunches as kids can have whatever toppings they want in their wrap and it doesn’t need to be warmed up to be tasty. I would only add a bit of dressing (like ranch) or use some sour cream but again not too much so it’s not a soggy wrap or too messy. Wraps are always a tasty lunch alternative and easy for kiddos to take to school.

I will sound like a broken record here (hey does anyone use a turntable any more and play vinyl hmmm we still have lots of records ourselves and occasionally like to listen to them) but it’s important to me to use quality ingredients in our food. When I say quality I’m talking about things like chicken with the Raised by a Canadian farmer logo on it just like the one below. 

First though if your local store doesn’t carry it, talk to a manager and ask them to bring it in! Canadian chicken is a healthy choice that it’s grain-fed, free of added hormones and steroids, and raised right here in Canada according to nationally-set, high food safety and animal care standards. We only buy chicken with this logo and it’s important to use for quality and supporting family-owned local farms. 

Hmm doesn’t that look yummy? Okay let’s get onto this recipe, shall we?

Continue to Content

Yield: 6

Chicken Taco Salad Recipe for Easy Lunches

Print

Chicken Taco Salad is the ideal healthy but yummy lunch! Make this kid-friendly meal as a salad or as a taco or have it in a tortilla to make an easy wrap on the go!

For the wraps or salad you can top with a salad dressing of your choice. Although we'd limit the amount of dressing for the wrap if it's not being eaten at home, to make it less messy.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion salt
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste,
• 8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (depends on size)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (can use Canola or Olive Oil)
• 1 avocado diced
• Tomatoes – we used cherry tomatoes from our garden
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

*Optional toppings

• Salsa
• Sour cream
• Guacamole
• Shredded Cheese
• *For Tacos – taco shells or soft shell tortilla we used small tortillas

For Tacos

• *For a Taco Salad – lettuce (we used green leaf)

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion salt and pepper and salt to taste. Season chicken with seasonings mixture.

Grilling Chicken

2. Lightly oil grill with olive oil (use a paper towel or rag and rub onto grill)
3. Turn the grill on low to start and sear each side of the thighs.
4. Turn up to medium-high and grill until cooked. Chicken should have an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Refer to the cooking guidelines here for guidance.
5. Let chicken cool before dicing. (See #4 below)

Cooking Chicken in a Pan

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the skillet in a single layer until cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), about 5 minutes per side.
3. Let chicken cool before dicing into bite-size pieces.
4. Serve chicken with toppings whether as a taco, wrap or salad. I like to top with a bit squeeze lime juice first and then add the rest of the toppings.

Notes

The paprika and chili powder can give the chicken a bit of a pinkish colour, it is cooked so don't worry. If in doubt always use a meat thermometer to check the internal temp of the chicken to ensure it's thoroughly cooked through.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1 taco salad
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 560Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 238mgSodium: 1004mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 6gSugar: 2gProtein: 52g

Please note that we can not guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information. They are a best guess calculation.

The biggest decision you have to make when it comes to this chicken taco salad recipe is whether to have them as tacos, a salad or a wrap, If you really want you can do them all as we did, there is no wrong choice! I highly suggest you double this recipe so that you can have some chicken leftover, it’s that tasty!

Don’t forget you can PIN this yummy recipe for your reference for later!

If you need some other tasty recipe ideas make sure to check out our recipe section for yummy ideas like these:

• Chicken And Grilled Peach Salad With Honey Mustard Dressing
• Lime Honey Sriracha Chicken Kebabs
• Grilled Greek Chicken Salad Recipe

Make sure to follow Chicken Farmers of Canada on their social channels and their website.

More info about Chicken Farmers of Canada can be found HERE

Facebook: Canadian Chicken, Twitter: @ChickenFarmers, Instagram: @ChickenDotCA; Pinterest: ChickenDotCA.