Santa Fe Salad Recipe
Santa Fe chicken salad is a vibrant and flavorful dish that combines seasoned chicken with southwestern-inspired ingredients. A Cheesecake Factory inspired recipe, this one is topped with a fresh vinaigrette that's easy to make in minutes.
Servings: 4
Calories: 593kcal
Cost: $10
Equipment
- 1 skillet
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
- 1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- Juice and zest of 1 lime
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- 15 ounce can black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup fresh corn or frozen, thawed corn
- 1 cup grape tomates cut in half
- 1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- 1/2 cup tortilla strips
For the Spicy Peanut Cilantro Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 2 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinaigrette
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/2 tablespoon lime zest
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt, pepper, brown sugar, lime juice, zest and 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Add the chicken to a bowl and pour the spice mixture over it. Toss to coat. Allow the chicken to marinade for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
- Heat the remaining olive oil to a skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook until golden, approximately 7-8 minutes. Flip the chicken and turn the heat to medium low. Continue to cook the chicken until cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 160˚F.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Arrange the lettuce on a large platter. Top with the black beans, corn, tomatoes, cheese and tortilla strips.
- Slice the chicken across the grain and arrange on top of the salad.
- In the bowl of a small food processor or blender, add the cilantro, peanut butter, garlic, honey, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, zest, sesame oil and cayenne pepper. Pulse until roughly chopped.
- While running the processor on low speed, stream in the olive oil until smooth. Season with kosher salt to taste.
- Serve the dressing with the salad.
Nutrition
Calories: 593kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 41g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 1227mg | Potassium: 1308mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 6869IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 218mg | Iron: 6mg