This week’s challenge was just “salad” – which in the cooking world can mean anything from leafy greens to pasta. For my challenge, I decided to make my own “burrito salad” only…minus the burrito part.

I started by grilling up some chicken tenders seasoned with a simple taco seasoning. It’s best if the chicken is at least room temperature or even chilled prior to serving it on top of the salad. Cooling the chicken also gives the opportunity to dry off the meat post cooking – nobody wants a soggy salad.

I also made a simple corn salad from some canned ingredients I found in my pantry. I’d much rather have a corn salsa on my salad than pico, mostly because the corn adds a much needed sweetness that I adore. My corn salsa consisted of golden corn, diced tomatoes, black beans, shallots and a jalapeno or two.

Next, I made my own “sour cream” from scratch. Nothing is worse than a burrito without sour cream…and there’s no disappointment unlike opening your fridge to realize you are all out! Some quick thinking lead to my DIY sour cream, made with heavy whipping cream and some lemon and lime.

I let the acidity from the lemon and lime juice curdle the cream then I shook my jar until the heavy cream started to thicken. You can also use a hand mixer to reach your desired sour cream consistency. I kept mine a little runny so I could drizzle it over my salad.

Of course because I am one of those people who once they start making things from scratch, I just can’t stop! So I made my very own chipotle ranch dressing from a little bit of my DIY sour cream, mayonnaise, chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, and classic ranch flavorings like garlic and onion powder with parsley.

The end result is a spicy, tangy dressing that tastes better than store bought ranch dressing.

The final touches include a mixed green salad comprising of crunchy iceberg and dark romaine lettuce, then topped with the grilled chicken, red onion, a few tablespoons of the corn salsa, a drizzle of the homemade ranch and sour cream, and some salty tortilla strips. It was so delicious and filling – and now probably my favorite salad to make!

Spicy Chicken Burrito Salad

The Starving Chef

Easy burrito salad with roasted corn, grilled chicken and crispy tortilla strips on top.

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Prep Time 30

Chill Time 10

Total Time 40

Course Salad

Cuisine Healthy, Salad

Servings

Equipment

salad spinner
salad tossers
mixing bowls
salad bowls

Ingredients

FOR CHICKEN:

3 chicken breast tenders
3 tablespoons taco seasoning

FOR HOMEMADE SOUR CREAM:

1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons lime juice

FOR CHIPOTLE RANCH DRESSING:

½ cup homemade sour cream can sub plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

FOR CORN SALSA:

½ cup golden corn
¼ cup diced tomatoes
¼ cup black beans drained & rinsed
1 shallot finely minced
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 jalapenos diced
1 tablespoon cilantro or parsley

FOR SALAD:

1 head iceberg lettuce
1 head dark romaine lettuce
½ red onion sliced thin
½ cup crispy tortilla strips for topping

Instructions

Preheat and grease a grill pan over medium high heat. Season the chicken tenders with the taco seasoning on all sides. Grill the chicken, 3-4 minutes per side or until cooked through. Cut the chicken into strips. Set aside to cool to room temperature or chill overnight.
In a small jar, combine the heavy cream and lemon and lime juice. Let sit for about 5 minutes, until the cream is 'chunky' in appearance. Shake the jar vigorously for 5 minutes, until the heavy cream thickens up to a sour cream consistency. Chill until ready to serve.
In a separate jar, add half of the homemade sour cream along with the mayonnaise, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley and vinegar. Shake well to combine then chill until ready to serve.
Use a small bowl to stir together the corn, diced tomatoes, black beans, shallot, jalapeno, vinegar, cilantro/parsley and salt and pepper to make the corn salsa. Chill until ready to serve.
Prepare the lettuce by washing then chopping into bite size pieces. Add the lettuce to a large serving bowl along with the slices of red onion. Top generously with the grilled chicken strips, sour cream, chipotle ranch, corn salsa, and tortilla strips. Enjoy!