Chicken Fajita Salad With Cumin-Lime Dressing
The dressing for this salad keeps nicely in the fridge. Make it a day or two in advance if you plan on making the salad, or even make a batch just to keep on hand in case the mood strikes or to use with other dishes. If you have time, marinate the chicken even longer. Ideally, make the dressing, marinate the chicken, and prep the veggies and lettuce the night before, and then on the following day just cook up the fajita mixture and serve.
Ingredients
Cumin-Lime Dressing Ingredients
- 1/4 cup grape seed oil or canola oil
- Zest of 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger - optional
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt , or to taste
Chicken Fajita Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or chicken thighs, sliced into thin strips
- 1/4 cup grape seed oil or canola oil (for marinade, plus more for cooking)
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice or lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt , or to taste
- 1 onion , sliced
- 1 large bell pepper , seeded & sliced thin
- 1 jalapeño pepper , seeded & minced (optional)
Salad Ingredients
- 1-2 heads lettuce , washed and torn or cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 cup salsa - optional
Instructions
Make the Dressing: (This can be done well in advance)
- In bowl, combine all dressing ingredients (oil, lime zest, lime juice, garlic, oregano, cumin, optional ginger, salt, and pepper). Whisk together well, then set aside.
Make the Chicken Fajitas
- Make marinade for chicken: In large bowl, combine 1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil, garlic, lime or lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, cumin, paprika, sugar and salt.
- Add chicken to the marinade, stirring the chicken to complete coat with the marinade, then cover and chill for about 20 minutes.
- Cook the chicken: Heat a large skillet on high heat and coat the pan with about 1 Tablespoon of oil. Add the onions and cook until lightly golden and almost soft (about 1 minute). Stir in the bell peppers and sear the peppers and onion until slightly charred. Add the minced jalapeños (optional) and cook for about 1 minute to slightly soften and then remove peppers/onion mixture from the skillet and set aside.
- In same pan over high heat, add the marinated chicken. DO NOT add the excess marinade juices because it will make the chicken less charred and crispy. But if you want a more wet fajita mixture, you can add the excess marinade.
- Cook chicken until cooked through, stirring occasionally, then add pepper/onion mixture back into the skillet with the chicken. Cook for 1 more minute or until onions are hot and the mixture is combined well.
- Allow the chicken fajitas to cool slightly before adding to the salad.
Finish the Salad
- When ready to serve, toss fresh lettuce with cumin lime dressing. Plate the salad and top off with chicken fajitas and optional fresh tomato salsa.
If your air fryer is preheated or if you are cooking multiple batches, you may need to reduce timing by a few minutes (unless preheating is called for in the recipe).
Nutrition
Calories: 289kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 48mg, Sodium: 712mg, Potassium: 526mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 1634IU, Vitamin C: 46mg, Calcium: 40mg, Iron: 1mg