Crispy Chicken Taco Salad (Printable)

A vibrant, crunchy salad with spiced crispy chicken, fresh lettuce, tortilla strips, and creamy salsa ranch dressing.

# What You'll Need:

→ Crispy Chicken

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
05 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
06 - 1 teaspoon ground cumin
07 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
08 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
11 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Salad

12 - 6 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
13 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
14 - 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
15 - 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
16 - 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
17 - 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
18 - 1 avocado, diced
19 - 1/2 cup tortilla strips

→ Salsa Ranch Dressing

20 - 1/3 cup ranch dressing
21 - 1/3 cup tomato salsa
22 - 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

# How-To Steps:

01 - Pound chicken breasts to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into bite-sized strips.
02 - Arrange three shallow bowls: one with flour, one with beaten eggs, and one with panko breadcrumbs mixed with chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
03 - Coat each chicken strip in flour, dip in egg, then coat thoroughly in seasoned breadcrumbs.
04 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken strips for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
05 - In a small bowl, whisk together ranch dressing, salsa, and lime juice until smooth and well combined.
06 - In a large bowl or on individual plates, layer romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, black beans, corn, cheddar cheese, red onion, and avocado.
07 - Arrange crispy chicken strips and tortilla strips over the salad vegetables.
08 - Drizzle salsa ranch dressing over the salad immediately before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The chicken stays shatteringly crisp even after you pile it on the greens, thanks to the panko coating.
  • Everything comes together in under an hour, and most of that time is just chopping vegetables while the chicken sizzles.
  • The salsa ranch dressing is ridiculously simple but tastes like you fussed over it for ages.
  • You get to eat chips as part of the meal, which never stops feeling like a small victory.
02 -
  • If your breadcrumbs aren't sticking, the chicken is probably too wet, pat it completely dry with paper towels before you start breading.
  • Don't turn the heat up too high trying to speed things up, the outside will burn before the inside cooks through.
  • Let the breaded chicken sit for five minutes before frying so the coating sets, otherwise it'll fall off in patches.
  • If you're making this for a crowd, fry the chicken ahead and keep it warm in a 200 degree oven on a wire rack so air circulates and it stays crisp.
03 -
  • Use one hand for dry ingredients and one hand for wet when breading, it keeps your fingers from getting coated in cement-like batter.
  • If your avocado isn't quite ripe, leave it on the counter in a paper bag with a banana overnight and it'll soften right up.
  • A squeeze of lime over the whole salad right before eating wakes up every ingredient and makes the flavors pop harder than you'd expect from one little citrus fruit.
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