Chicken Tequila Fajita Salad

Chicken Tequila Fajita Salad

Eating the colors of the rainbow isn’t just for kids. Adults should also include a variety of colors in their diet, too. This Chicken Tequila Fajita Salad has loads of crunch, color and healthy.

National Tequila Day

I just found out it we’d be celebrating National Tequila Day this week. In honor of all things tequila, I prepared this recipe. The results were a pleasant surprise!

I used some tequila I found on a back pantry shelf. And leftover ingredients I had in the fridge from this weeks’ cooking camp. The result was this delicious Fajita Salad (for ADULTS ONLY).

It’s loaded with nutrients. And it has so many colors and textures. Think crunchy lettuce and tortilla strips (thank you, Aldi), colorful fresh-from-garden tomatoes and peppers, and lean high-protein chicken.

The salad really comes together with my a smooth-as-silk uniquely flavored Avocado Dressing, with tequila being the secret ingredient.

The Avocado Dressing alone is with worth the price of admission.

I can definitely see using the leftover dressing as a veggie dip sometime REAL SOON (like tonight). Once again, ADULTS ONLY! The alcohol is NOT COOKED OFF.

What about that tequila?

Self-proclaimed food consumer advocate, “Food Babe” Vani Hari, in her book The Food Babe Way, suggests that tequila should be your alcoholic beverage of choice. Her preference—on the rocks with a wedge of organically grown lime.

According to the “Food Babe,” since tequila is made from the agave plant, and agave plants aren’t sprayed with pesticides, tequila is THE healthiest alcoholic beverage out there. In moderation, I’m sure.

I guess that’s great news for all you straight up tequila lovers out there. Unfortunately for me, it can’t be in the form of a frozen Margarita, which is the ONLY way I’m ever going to drink tequila. But using it in this recipe for Chicken Tequila Fajita Salad turned out WAY better than I ever thought.

This recipe contains just enough tequila to give the Chicken Tequila Fajita Salad, and the Avocado Dressing, a deliciously unique flavor.

Does the alcohol cook off?

The jury is still out in the culinary world as to whether alcohol cooks off when heat is applied.

So, if you’re cooking for kids or those who do not consume alcohol,  don’t take any chances. Just remove the tequila from the recipe and replace it with water.

The flavor of the kid-friendly version of  this Chicken Tequila Fajita Salad, though not quite the same as the original, still ends up tasting delicious.

Recipe Notes for Chicken Tequila Fajita Salad

You can use any combination of greens for this salad in place of romaine and spinach.

Using just Greek yogurt or just sour cream instead of a combination of both works for the Avocado Dressing

This can easily be made on an outside grill and probably tastes even better

Print Recipe

Chicken Tequila Fajita Salad

Author: Anita's Table Talk

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs, sliced thin
• vegetable oil of choice for grilling (I use canola)

Marinade

• juice from 2-3 large limes (about 1/2 cup)
• ⅓ cup tequila (I used Cuervo Gold)
• 3 Tablespoons honey
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 small jalapeno, chopped very fine (seeds and membrane removed unless you like spicy)
• 1 Tablespoon chopped cilantro (optional)
• ½-¾ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt

Salad

• 3 cups Romaine lettuce leaves, chopped
• 1 cup baby spinach, chopped
• 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
• 1 yellow, orange, or red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips

Dressing

• 1 ripe avocado, peeled and pit removed
• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ¼ of reserved Tequila Marinade (see instructions below)
• salt to taste

Instructions

For the Marinade

• WHISK marinade ingredients together in a medium to large mixing bowl.
• RESERVE approximately ¼ cup the marinade to use later for the Avocado Dressing.

For the Chicken

• ADD the chicken slices to the remaining marinade. PLACE in a Ziploc bag, and MARINATE in the fridge for at least 2 hours (even better if left overnight).
• Over medium-high heat, PLACE 1 teaspoon of oil in a grill pan, medium-size skillet or wok. ADD chicken in batches (so they grill and not steam). GRILL until golden brown on each side. REMOVE chicken from pan.
• ADD 1 teaspoon of oil to pan, and STIR-FRY/GRILL pepper strips until they begin to soften.

For the Salad

• COMBINE romaine and spinach in a bowl.
• PLACE salad mixture on a plate and TOP with grilled chicken, peppers, chopped tomatoes. DRIZZLE with dressing. SERVE with tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips if desired.

For the Avocado Dressing

• COMBINE the avocado, yogurt/sour cream combination and the reserved tequila marinade in a blender or bowl.
• BLEND or WHISK until smooth.
• TASTE and ADD salt if it needs it, a little at a time. If consistency is too thick, add a little water to reach desired consistency.