Tequila Chicken Salad is a healthy and delicious way to get your greens.
With fresh orange, zesty lime, and creamy avocado, you will want to make this recipe again and again.
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Tequila Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 3 limes
- ½ c tequila
- ½ c cold water
- 3 cloves garlic, grated
- ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
- 1 lb chicken tenderloins, chicken breast strips
- 3 oranges
- ¼ c extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tb honey
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 heads romaine lettuce, torn or shredded
- 2 ripe avocados
Instructions
- To begin, juice one of the limes into a small mixing bowl. Add in the tequila, water, grated garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper. Whisk these together.
- Place the chicken in a quart sized zip-lock bag. Pour the marinade into the bag. Carefully remove as much air as possible and close. Marinate this in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, place a sieve over a mixing bowl. Peel the oranges and cut the flesh into 3/4 inch pieces, placing them into the sieve as you go. The excess juice from the oranges will drain down into the bowl.
- When no more juice drains, set the oranges aside.
- To the orange juice, add the extra virgin olive oil, honey, cayenne pepper, and the remaining 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.
- With a microplaner, zest one of the remaining limes, giving you a teaspoon of fine lime zest. Add that to the mixture in the bowl. Juice the two limes and add the juice as well.
- Whisk everything together and set it aside for now.
- Heat your oven to 425 degrees.
- Place the chicken strips on a baking sheet, allowing the excess marinade to drip back into the bag.
- Bake the chicken for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.
- Cut the chicken cross-ways into 1/2 inch slices.
- In a large bowl, combine the lettuce and orange chunks.
- Give the dressing a quick whisking and pour over the salad. Toss to coat.
- Halve, pit, and slice the avocados.
- To serve, place some of the salad mixture on your dinner plate. Top with the chicken and garnish with avocado slices.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
If nutritional values are provided for this recipe, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands of ingredients you use. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste or for serving. If nutritional values are very important to you, I suggest using your favorite nutritional calculating tool with the brands you use.
Unit Conversions:
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saving for Cinco de Mayo!
I love this combo!
You know that with this marinade that chicken has to be sooooooo good. Love this salad.
Wow, it’s been ages since I’ve had anything like this – can’t imagine why! On my bucket list!
What a great salad. I love the healthy avocado in there!
I over indulged in margaritas on Friday so while I’m not up for trying this today, I will try it this week. I love salad and I’m intrigued about what tequila would taste like in a dressing. It sounds delicious!
This looks scrumptious. Have everything but the avocados, will pick them up tomorrow and give this a go. Thank you.
Love all those flavors in this salad!
Sounds like a tasty salad!
Such a healthy, scrumptious salad!! Loving the combo of chicken, avocados and citrus!!