Chicken Fajita Salad

Everything you love about fajitas in a salad! It starts with some lettuce tossed with a simple lime dressing, and from there we pile on some sautéed peppers and onions, seasoned chicken breast, and a variety of toppings to create this unbelievable salad. For anyone who thinks salads are boring, give this a try and you will quickly change your mind! 🙂

Serves about 3

Ingredients:

For the dressing:
Juice of 1 lime
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. honey
Salt and pepper

For the marinade:
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Juice of ½ lime
½ tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. cumin
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper

For the guacamole:
1 avocado
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro
Juice of ½ lime
Salt and pepper

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to about ¾ inch thick
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large red or green bell pepper (or half of each), cut into strips 
1 onion, cut in half and sliced
Chopped Lettuce
Chopped tomato
Shredded cheddar cheese
Sour cream

Directions:

Step 1: Make the marinade! Whisk all of the ingredients for the marinade. Reserve one tablespoon of the marinade for later. Put the chicken in a dish or a Ziplock bag and pour the rest of the marinade over the chicken, moving the pieces around so they are completely coated. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or two.

Step 2: Make the dressing! Whisk together the juice of 1 lime, two tablespoons of oil and 1 teaspoon of honey. Add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Step 3: Make the guac! Spoon out the flesh from the avocado and cut it into chunks. Place the avocado in a bowl along with the garlic and lime juice and mash it together (I like to leave mine slightly chunky). Stir in salt and pepper to taste.

Step 4: Cook the chicken! Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade (discard the marinade) and place the chicken in the skillet. Cook for approximately 8-12 minutes (turning halfway through) or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center. Remove the chicken from the skillet.

Step 5: Cook the peppers and onions! Heat another tablespoon of oil in the skillet over medium heat and add the peppers and onions. Sauté for a few minutes, then add the reserved tablespoon of the unused marinade. Saute for another minute, then remove from heat.

Step 6: Assemble the salads! Toss the lettuce with the dressing and place some lettuce in each bowl. Top the lettuce with the cheese, tomato, peppers and onions, and the chicken. Spoon on some of the sour cream and guacamole, and then…dig in!