This grilled chicken taco salad is a go-to for easy weeknight dinners. Marinated in a blend of spices, lime, and a mild oil, the chicken is juicy and bursting with flavor. If you have leftover grilled chicken, this recipe is even simpler. Just marinate, grill, and toss with crisp lettuce, creamy avocado, and your favorite toppings. It’s a satisfying meal that’s perfect for busy evenings.
I get it, chicken taco salads are a dime a dozen. So what makes this one so good?
First, the chicken is super juicy, not to mention really flavorful. It uses my chicken taco marinade that is really easy to make.
Second, it’s not overloaded with ingredients. Yes, there are definitely several toppings for this salad, but it’s a fine balance and I’ve put suggested amounts per bowl in the notes of the recipe card so there’s no confusion.
Third, it’s got a homemade taco salad dressing that uses the same spice blend as the marinade so everything not only goes together well but you’re not making too many different things at once. Hello time saver!
This salad is a great weeknight dinner option; while the chicken is marinating you can prep all the ingredients to save time. And if you’ve got leftover grilled chicken then this salad just became a super fast meal.
Read on for the simple instructions, as well as some tips to make this chicken taco salad recipe.
Grab these ingredients
(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.)
- Grilled chicken – use boneless skinless thighs as they grill up quickly and don’t dry out as easily as chicken breasts. Or feel free to use leftover grilled chicken if you have some on hand.
- Lettuce – this recipe calls for romaine but use whatever type you prefer. When recipe testing I noticed that one heart of romaine made just enough lettuce for two salads.
- Toppings – pico de gallo, black beans, avocado, cooked corn kernels, cilantro, tortilla chips (for crunch), and cheese are what’s included in the recipe, but you can add other items like guacamole, sour cream, or salsa.
- Dressing – use either a store-bought dressing or make your own. I love my 3-ingredient taco salad dressing in this recipe.
How to make taco salad with chicken
(Note: please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the complete written instructions.)
This recipe comes together very quickly since the only thing you’re cooking is the chicken. If you have leftover chicken it comes together even more quickly. The steps are:
- marinate the chicken;
- grill the chicken; and
- assemble the taco salad.
Marinate the chicken
This recipe uses my taco chicken marinade, which is very simple to make.
Grill the chicken
To see more detailed instructions and tips for grilling the chicken, check out this post on chili lime chicken thighs.
We LOVE our Thermoworks Thermapen ONE meat thermometer to quickly and easily check the internal temperatures of meats. We’ve used a Thermapen for years and they are AMAZING. Get one for yourself here (affiliate link).
Assemble the taco salad
*Salad Tip: Make sure to dry your lettuce! Leaving your lettuce wet will prevent the dressing from sticking to the leaves, making for a less flavorful salad.
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Easy Grilled Chicken Taco Salad with Avocado
Equipment
- A sealable plastic bag (or flat dish with lid)
- Grilling tongs
- 4 salad bowls
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp Kosher Salt Diamond Crystal
- 2 tsp Dried Oregano
- 2 tsp Chili Powder
- 1.5 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- ½ tsp Ground Coriander
- ½ tsp Onion Powder
- ½ tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 2.5 tsp oil
- 1 tsp lime juice from 1 lime
Salad
- 2 hearts of romaine or other lettuce, pre-chopped if preferred
- 1 avocado
- 1 cup canned black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup pico de gallo
- 1 cup cooked corn kernels
- ½ cup cheese of choice cotija, queso fresco, or a shredded Mexican blend
- dressing store bought or homemade
- tortilla chips to crumble on top for crunch
- cilantro optional
Instructions
- Start by combining the spices, salt, and pepper into a small bowl, whisking to mix thoroughly. Set it aside then pour the oil and lime juice (or juice a lime) into a large liquid measuring cup. Add the spices to the measuring cup then whisk until fully combined to make the marinade.
- Place the chicken thighs in a gallon-sized sealable plastic bag (or large flat dish). Pour the marinade over the chicken thighs, press as much remaining air out of the bag as you can with your hands, then seal it. Again use your hands to squeeze the bag, coating the thighs with the marinade. Place the bag flat in the fridge for 45 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Take the bag out of the fridge 15 minutes before you plan to grill to let the chicken warm slightly (so the chicken will marinate for 1 hour total) and preheat the grill to around 375 degrees F.
- Use grilling tongs to place each chicken thigh directly on the grill grates. Close the lid and cook the thighs for 5 minutes on the first side, then use the tongs to flip it and cook another 3 minutes on the second side, again with the lid closed. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temp of the chicken thighs, removing them from the grill once they reach 165F. The chicken will likely need another 1 to 5 minutes to be done cooking.
- Once the chicken is done, place the thighs on a cutting board and let them cool for five minutes, then use a large sharp knife to slice or chop the chicken. Set them aside while you assemble the salads.
- Wash the hearts of romaine lettuce if necessary, then dry them off with a towel and use a large sharp knife and cutting board to chop it into bite-sized pieces. Distribute the chopped pieces equally into four salad bowls.
- Next add the other ingredients on top of the lettuce. Divide your chicken into four equal portions and place each on top of the lettuce in a bowl. Use the knife to dice the avocado and scoop the pieces out with a spoon and into each salad bowl, placing half of the diced avocado per bowl. Place the rest of the ingredients in each salad bowl, dividing them in four to create equal portions.
- Pour the desired amount of dressing over each bowl (I like to start with 1 or 2 tablespoons per salad and add more if needed), then top with crumbled tortilla chips and bits of cilantro and serve.
Notes
- Make sure to dry your lettuce! Leaving your lettuce wet will prevent the dressing from sticking to the leaves, making for a less flavorful salad.
- To see more detailed instructions and tips for grilling the chicken, check out this post on chili lime chicken thighs
- This homemade taco dressing recipe goes great with this salad!
- ½ heart of romaine
- 1 to 1.5 chicken thighs, cut up
- ¼ an avocado, diced
- ¼ cup canned black beans
- ¼ cup pico de gallo
- ¼ cup cooked corn kernels
- 2 tbsp shredded cheese
- 1-3 tbsp dressing a handful of tortilla chips
- chopped fresh cilantro
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