Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad is bright, fresh and flavorful. This hearty fiesta lime chicken salad is topped with juicy grilled chicken and loaded with sauteed peppers, onions and corn, making it the perfect main dish salad. The incredible dressing and marinade is citrusy and bright, giving this Southwest salad with grilled chicken an unexpected burst of flavor.
Grilled Chili lime chicken fajita salad is a refreshing and light summer meal that’s still filling and tasty and looks incredible on the plate. Serve this quick and simple chicken fajita salad for lunch or dinner and you’re sure to be satisfied.
If you love chicken recipes, try my Creamy Herbed Chicken, Baked Salsa Chicken, or Crispy Honey Chicken.
Why You’ll Love This Healthy Salad with Grilled Chicken
- It’s a complete meal. This salad is loaded with grilled chicken and all your favorite southwest fajita toppings, making it nutritious and filling.
- It’s not too heavy. You won’t walk away from the table feeling weighed down. The fresh ingredients will satisfy you without leaving you feeling like you are too much.
- It’s Customizable. Add ingredients to create a fresh salad you will love. Try adding black beans, jalapenos, chopped mango, cherry tomatoes and more.
Lime Chicken Salad Ingredients
Cilantro Lime Dressing Ingredients
- Olive Oil: or use your favorite light, neutral flavored oil.
- Lime Juice: fresh lime juice is key to flavor.
- Cilantro: finely chopped fresh cilantro.
- Garlic: minced garlic adds flavor and aroma
- Seasonings: red chili powder, cumin, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper powder add flavor to the marinade.
- Chicken: use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
Salad Ingredients
- Olive Oil: or your favorite oil for sauteing.
- Veggies: thinly sliced red onion, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and fresh yellow corn give the salad a southwest flare.
- Lettuce: roughly chopped romaine lettuce serves as the bed for this salad.
- Avocado: sliced avocado adds creaminess to the salad.
- Lime: slices, to garnish.
How To Make Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad
- Prepare the marinade. In a small bowl, whisk the ingredients to marinate the chicken; olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, red chili powder, cumin powder, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Reserve half of the marinade for salad dressing and pour the remaining over the chicken thighs. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Grill the chicken. Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill; add the chicken thighs and cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through with beautiful grill marks. Transfer the grilled chicken to a plate and set it aside.
- Sauté the veggies. Slightly wipe the grill pan and add oil. Add the onion and peppers on one side and the corn on the other. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Build the salad. Meanwhile, prepare the salad ingredients and mix them in a large bowl. Add the cooked chicken, grilled peppers, and corn to the salad, drizzle the reserved dressing over the salad and toss.
- Serve. Garnish the salad with lime slices and serve immediately.
Tips To Make Grilled Chili Lime Chicken Salad
- Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
- Be sure to reserve half of the marinade to use as the dressing.
- Do not use marinade that has touched raw chicken as the dressing.
- Use a grill pan if you don’t have an outdoor grill.
- I love the juiciness and flavor of chicken thighs but use chicken breast if you prefer.
- Always cook chicken to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F when tested with a meat thermometer.
- If you prefer, saute the veggies in advance and chill before adding them to the salad.
- Warm veggies may slightly wilt the lettuce. This is normal.
- Serve with corn tortillas, if desired.
- Sprinkle with fried tortilla strips for a bit of crunch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Cilantro lime chicken salad is perfect for make ahead lunches or dinner. Prep all of the ingredients and store the salad, chicken and dressing separately, combining just before serving.
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are juicy and flavorful, but you can use chicken breast for this salad recipe if you prefer. You may need to adjust the cooking time. Always cook chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Absolutely. This recipe is also perfect for using leftover chicken from another meal. Shred the chicken, toss it with a bit of the marinade/dressing, and warm the chicken in a grill pan or skillet before adding it to the salad.
Store leftover grilled chili lime chicken salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat the chicken in the microwave until warmed through. Top with dressing just before serving.
You can freeze the leftover chicken for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat if desired. Make a fresh salad as we do not recommend freezing the salad.
This flavorful fajita salad is a meal itself. You can serve it with warm tortillas, chips and salsa, Easy Fruit Salad for a bit of sweetness or Mexican Street Corn.
More Fajita Inspired Recipes
- Best Chicken Fajita Quesadillas
- Creamy Chicken Fajita Skillet
- Shrimp Fajita Sheet Pan
- Chicken Fajita Bake
- Fajita Chicken Mac N Cheese
- Shrimp Fajita Pasta Salad
I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you, including this delicious salad with grilled chicken recipe. I hope you try it, enjoy it, rate it, and share it with your friends and family!
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Grilled Chili Lime Chicken Salad
Ingredients
For the marinade and dressing
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 6 whole chicken thighs boneless & skinless
For the salad
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ medium red onion thinly sliced
- ½ medium green bell pepper thinly sliced
- ½ medium red bell pepper thinly sliced
- ½ medium yellow bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 whole fresh yellow corn
- 4 cups Romaine lettuce roughly chopped
- 1 medium avocado sliced
- Lime slices to garnish
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the ingredients to marinate the chicken; olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, red chili powder, cumin powder, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Reserve half of the marinade for salad dressing and pour the remaining over the chicken thighs. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- Heat a grill pan or outdoor grill; add the chicken thighs and cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through with beautiful grill marks. Transfer the grilled chicken to a plate and set it aside.
- Slightly wipe the grill pan and add oil. Add the onion and peppers on one side and the corn on the other side. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prepare the salad ingredients and mix them in a large bowl. Add the cooked chicken, grilled peppers, and corn to the salad, drizzle the reserved dressing over the salad, and toss.
- Garnish the salad with lime slices and serve immediately.
Notes
- Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.
- Be sure to reserve half of the marinade to use as the dressing.
- Do not use marinade that has touched raw chicken as the dressing.
- Use a grill pan if you don’t have an outdoor grill.
- I love the juiciness and flavor of chicken thighs but use chicken breast if you prefer.
- Always cook chicken to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F when tested with a meat thermometer.
- If you prefer, saute the veggies in advance and chill before adding them to the salad.
- Warm veggies may slightly wilt the lettuce. This is normal.
- Serve with corn tortillas, if desired.
- Sprinkle with fried tortilla strips for a bit of crunch.
This ia great recipe when it’s really hot out and you want something summery. I didn’t think there was enough marinade/dressing so I doubled the recipe for that.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe! Doubling the marinade was a plus!