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Dark round bowl filled with chicken taco salad with cilantro-lime rice, chopped greens, tomatoes, black beans and sliced chicken breast served with a drink with a lemon inside.

Not Your Mama's Chicken Taco Salad

grilled chicken, quinoa, black beans, tomatoes

STARS

Marinate chicken with achiote, a Yucatecan spice paste, garlic, and orange juice before grilling. Then serve your flavorful chicken breast with cilantro-lime quinoa, black beans, and marinated tomatoes. Top it all off with crispy tortilla strips and crumbled cotija cheese.
difficultyDifficulty Level
EasyEasyEasy
difficulty
Total Time:  25 hours
Active Time:  30 minutes
Ingredients

Chicken

  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon achiote spice paste
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 1 orange, juiced
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Cilantro-Lime Quinoa

  • 2 cups white quinoa
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro
  • 4 scallions, minced
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Tomato Onion Relish

  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ½ red onion, diced
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 serrano pepper, diced

Black Bean Salad

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, to taste

Lime Vinaigrette

  • 2 limes, juiced and zested
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste
  • ½ cup olive oil

Salad

  • 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce (about 2 romaine hearts)
  • ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese
  • Tortilla chips, for serving
Directions
1
To make the marinade, blend the canola oil, achiote, garlic, rice vinegar, orange juice, cumin, oregano and salt in a blender. 
2
Cover the chicken in the marinade in a bowl or zip-top bag and marinate in the fridge overnight, or for at least 4 hours. 
3
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the chicken on a baking sheet, discarding the marinade. Roast for 18-22 minutes, until cooked through. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes before slicing on the diagonal. 
4
Meanwhile, combine the quinoa with 4 cups of water and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and cook until the grains are tender, about 12 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork, then stir in the cilantro, scallion, lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. 
5
To make the relish, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and let sit for 10 minutes. 
6
To make the black beans, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the black beans, cumin and salt and remove from the heat. 
7
To make the lime vinaigrette, add all of the ingredients except the oil to a bowl and whisk well or purée with an immersion blender. While whisking/blending, drizzle in the oil until emulsified. 
8
To serve, divide the lettuce and quinoa between bowls. Top with achiote chicken, black bean salad, tomato onion relish, and drizzle with lime vinaigrette. Sprinkle with cotija cheese and serve with tortilla chips on the side. 

Not Your Mama's Chicken Taco Salad

grilled chicken, quinoa, black beans, tomatoes

STARS

Marinate chicken with achiote, a Yucatecan spice paste, garlic, and orange juice before grilling. Then serve your flavorful chicken breast with cilantro-lime quinoa, black beans, and marinated tomatoes. Top it all off with crispy tortilla strips and crumbled cotija cheese.
difficultyDifficulty Level
EasyEasyEasy
difficulty
Total Time:  25 hours
Active Time:  30 minutes
Servings:  4

Ingredients

Chicken

  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • 1 tablespoon achiote spice paste
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 1 orange, juiced
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Cilantro-Lime Quinoa

  • 2 cups white quinoa
  • ½ cup chopped cilantro
  • 4 scallions, minced
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Tomato Onion Relish

  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
  • ½ red onion, diced
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 serrano pepper, diced

Black Bean Salad

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt, to taste

Lime Vinaigrette

  • 2 limes, juiced and zested
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste
  • ½ cup olive oil

Salad

  • 4 cups shredded romaine lettuce (about 2 romaine hearts)
  • ½ cup crumbled cotija cheese
  • Tortilla chips, for serving

Directions

1
To make the marinade, blend the canola oil, achiote, garlic, rice vinegar, orange juice, cumin, oregano and salt in a blender. 
2
Cover the chicken in the marinade in a bowl or zip-top bag and marinate in the fridge overnight, or for at least 4 hours. 
3
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the chicken on a baking sheet, discarding the marinade. Roast for 18-22 minutes, until cooked through. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes before slicing on the diagonal. 
4
Meanwhile, combine the quinoa with 4 cups of water and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and cook until the grains are tender, about 12 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork, then stir in the cilantro, scallion, lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. 
5
To make the relish, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and let sit for 10 minutes. 
6
To make the black beans, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the black beans, cumin and salt and remove from the heat. 
7
To make the lime vinaigrette, add all of the ingredients except the oil to a bowl and whisk well or purée with an immersion blender. While whisking/blending, drizzle in the oil until emulsified. 
8
To serve, divide the lettuce and quinoa between bowls. Top with achiote chicken, black bean salad, tomato onion relish, and drizzle with lime vinaigrette. Sprinkle with cotija cheese and serve with tortilla chips on the side.