Santa Fe Chili-Lime Chicken Salad

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Smoky chili-lime grilled chicken sliced over crisp romaine with charred corn, black beans, cherry tomatoes and crunchy homemade tortilla strips. The whole thing is tied together by a creamy chipotle-lime dressing that comes together in the blender in 60 seconds — a big, bright Tex-Mex salad that eats like a full dinner.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 large)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp brown sugar

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 chipotle peppers in adobo, plus 2 tsp adobo sauce
• 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves and tender stems
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp water, plus more as needed

• 4 corn tortillas (6-inch)
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

• 1 1/2 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen, thawed)
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 10 cup chopped romaine lettuce (about 2 hearts)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar or Monterey Jack
• 1 lime, cut into wedges

Instructions

1. Butterfly the chicken: lay each breast flat and slice horizontally through the thickness to make 4 thin cutlets, each about 1/2 inch thick. This lets them cook fast and stay juicy.
2. In a bowl or zip-top bag, whisk the olive oil, 2 tbsp lime juice, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, 1 tsp salt, pepper and brown sugar. Add the chicken, turn to coat, and let it sit at room temperature 15 minutes (or refrigerate up to 8 hours).
3. Make the dressing: combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, chipotle peppers with adobo sauce, 3 tbsp lime juice, cilantro, garlic, cumin, 1/2 tsp salt and 2 tbsp water in a blender. Blend on high 45–60 seconds until pale pink-orange and completely smooth, adding water 1 tsp at a time until it pours in a slow ribbon. Refrigerate until serving.
4. Make the tortilla strips: stack the tortillas and cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips. Heat the neutral oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering, add the strips and fry, tossing often, 3–4 minutes until golden and crisp. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt.
5. Char the corn: pour off all but 1 tsp of oil from the same skillet, return to high heat, add the corn in an even layer and cook undisturbed 2 minutes, then stir and cook 2 minutes more until spotty brown. Scrape into a bowl, stir in the black beans, and set aside to cool.
6. Grill the chicken: heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high (about 425°F) and oil the grates. Grill the cutlets 3–4 minutes per side, until deeply marked and an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F at the thickest point. Transfer to a board and rest 5 minutes, then slice across the grain into 1/2-inch strips.
7. Build the salad: toss the romaine with 1/3 cup of the dressing in a large bowl until lightly coated, then spread over a platter or divide among 4 bowls. Scatter over the corn and black bean mixture, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion and cheese.
8. Fan the sliced chicken over the top, add the avocado, and pile on the tortilla strips. Drizzle with more dressing, serve the rest on the side, and finish with lime wedges to squeeze over each plate.
9. Serve immediately while the tortilla strips are still crisp and the chicken is warm.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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