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This easy-to-make Chicken Fajita Salad with Honey Chipotle Dressing is flavorful, filling, and makes a great dinner! Make it in less than 25 minutes!
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You won’t be able to get enough of this salad. Everyone loves chicken fajitas but this is, dare I say, a unique chicken fajita salad.
What makes it unique? The dressing (that also doubles as a marinade).
It’s super easy to pull together, just make the dressing, marinate your chicken with a little bit of it, and save the rest for the salad.
This salad makes an incredibly tasty main dish, or a side dish. Perfect if you’re hosting a party or going to a BBQ.
I like to meal prep it. It’s a great lunch to have in the fridge during the week, and a great quickie dinner to pull out of the fridge!
Ingredients + substitutions
The ingredients are pretty simple. Let’s go over them, you’ll need:
For the Honey Chipotle Dressing:
- Olive oil - you can swap the olive oil for any neutral-tasting oil. Avocado or canola are great swaps. If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, though, you’ll notice I only use olive oil.
- Red wine vinegar - I recommend using red wine vinegar in this recipe, but you can use white wine vinegar or champagne vinegar.
- Chipotle pepper - from a jar.
- Adobo sauce - also from the jar with the chipotle peppers. This stuff is awesome.
- Honey - for sweetness. The honey also helps to thicken and emulsify the dressing, don’t leave it out!
- Dijon mustard - for a bit of flavor and tang. It also acts as an emulsifier.
- Spices - oregano, cumin, and garlic powder.
For the Chicken Fajitas
- Chicken breasts - you can, of course, use boneless, skinless chicken thighs in place of chicken breasts, use about 2 ½ pounds.
- Bell peppers - any color! I used red and yellow, but you can use green, or a mix of colorful bell peppers.
- Onion - I used a red onion but you can use any onion that you have and like.
For the Salad (putting it all together)
- Romaine lettuce - or any crunchy lettuce, I like romaine because it holds up well to the warm chicken and fajita veggies.
- Black beans - this ingredient is certainly optional, feel free to use them or leave them out!
- Cheddar cheese - freshly grated cheddar is best.
- Cherry tomatoes - Roma tomatoes also work.
- Lime wedges - for serving.
Ingredients + substitutions
STEP 1: First, make the honey chipotle salad dressing by combining the olive oil, red wine vinegar, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, honey, dijon mustard, oregano, cumin, and garlic powder in a mason jar. Screw the lid on tightly and shake until it’s well combined. OR just whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl, but using a mason jar does make things easier!
STEP 2: Next grab your chicken breasts and toss them with 3-4 tablespoons of the dressing. Set them aside to marinate (10-15 minutes is enough).
STEP 3: In a large pan over medium-high heat, drizzle a little olive oil and add the chicken breasts, bell pepper strips, and the onion slices. Sear the chicken well on each side and saute the peppers and onions. Remove from the heat when the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes then slice the chicken into strips.
STEP 4: Assemble the salad by adding the chopped romaine lettuce, black beans, cheddar cheese, and cherry tomatoes in a large bowl. Add the warm chicken, peppers, and onions to the top. Serve with the remaining dressing and lime wedges.
More topping ideas + variations
Salads are customizable, and this one is no different! Load it with your favorite fajita or taco toppings.
Consider adding:
- Crunchy fajita strips, Fritos, or crushed Doritos
- Sour cream
- Salsa
- Cilantro
- Pickled jalapeno peppers
Leftovers + recipe notes
A note on the dressing/marinade: Please be sure to discard the dressing that the chicken breasts were marinating in. Do not reuse it for the salad…if you need more dressing, make a double batch!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Keep the chicken and fajita veggies separate from the salad. Warm them in the microwave and serve them over the rest of the salad when you're ready to eat it.
More recipes I think you'll enjoy:
Chicken Fajita Salad with Honey Chipotle Dressing
Ingredients
- ¾ cup olive oil
- ½ cup red wine vinegar
- ½ chipotle pepper minced
- 1 tbsp adobo sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp oregano
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 3 chicken breasts
- 2 bell peppers cut into strips
- 1 onion cut into thin slices
- 6 cups romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
- ½ cup cheddar cheese grated
- ¼ cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 lime cut into wedges for serving
Instructions
- First, make the honey chipotle salad dressing by combining the olive oil, red wine vinegar, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, honey, dijon mustard, oregano, cumin, and garlic powder in a mason jar. Screw the lid on tightly and shake until it’s well combined.
- Next grab your chicken breasts and toss them with 3-4 tablespoons of the dressing. Set them aside to marinate.
- In a large pan over medium-high heat, drizzle a little olive oil and add the chicken breasts, bell pepper strips, and the onion slices. Sear the chicken well on each side and saute the peppers and onions. Remove from the heat when the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes then slice the chicken into strips.
- Assemble the salad by adding the chopped romaine lettuce, black beans, cheddar cheese, and cherry tomatoes in a large bowl. Add the warm chicken, peppers, and onions to the top. Serve with the remaining dressing and lime wedges.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Keep the chicken and fajita veggies separate from the salad. Warm them in the microwave and serve them over the rest of the salad when you're ready to eat it.
Nutrition
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