This Chicken Taco Salad is loaded with juicy seasoned chicken, crunchy toppings, fresh veggies, and enough bold taco flavor to make you completely forget you're technically eating a salad. It's fresh, satisfying, and comes together quickly, making it perfect for busy weeknights, easy lunches, or whenever the taco craving strikes.
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Looking for more easy lunch, dinner, or salad recipes? I've got a ton! This honey hot chicken salad is loaded with sweet and spicy flavor, and this harvest spinach salad is packed with fresh seasonal ingredients. These chicken enchiladas with white sauce are pure comfort food, and this buffalo chickpea pasta salad is a wholesome twist on a classic pasta salad that's perfect for meal prep and BBQs.
Why You'll Love This Salad 🥗
- It is great for meal prep. Prep the ingredients ahead of time and add the taco salad dressing right before eating.
- Easily customizable. Wether your feeding picky eaters or cleaning out the fridge, this recipe works with almost any taco-inspired topping.
- Taco salad is a complete meal. Perfect for lunch or dinner, this salad is loaded with protein, wholesome vegetables, and crunch, making it satisfying enough to stand alone.
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Ingredients You'll Need
- Chicken - Use velveted chicken, shredded roast chicken or baked chicken breasts for this salad. It's a great way to use up leftover chicken while keeping dinner quick and easy.
- Lettuce - I love using the Crispies and Crunchies blend because it adds a lot of texture and crunch. Romaine, iceberg, and butter lettuce, or a combination of all three, work beautifully too.
- Taco Salad Dressing - This is the best salad dressing for taco salad, hands down! It's creamy, flavorful, easy to make, and ties it all together perfectly.
- Taco Seasoning - If you're using cooked or rotisserie chicken, simply toss it with taco seasoning and a splash of water before warming it in a skillet. If you're starting with raw chicken, season it with taco seasoning while it is cooking.
- Corn Chips - Corn chips are my favorite choice for a crispy topping, but crushed tortilla chips, tortilla strips, or even nacho chips work just as well!
A full list of ingredients with exact quantities can be found on the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations
- Southwest Chicken Taco Salad - Add roasted corn, black beans, guacamole and a dollop of sour cream.
- Taco Salad Bowl - Serve over a bed of brown rice or cauliflower rice.
- Use a Different Protein - Instead of chicken, try crispy baked tofu pieces, grilled shrimp skewers, or garlic butter shrimp.
If you love this recipe, try my blackened shrimp taco bowls or copycat Chipotle burrito bowls, as well!
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How To Make Chicken Taco Salad
Step 1
This chicken taco salad couldn't be easier to throw together. Start by cooking and seasoning your chicken with taco seasoning. While the chicken cools slightly, prepare the remaining ingredients.
Step 2
Add the lettuce to a large serving bowl or individual plates. Then layer on the tomatoes, red onion, cheese, and seasoned chicken. Finish with a generous handful of corn chips, drizzle with taco salad dressing, and serve immediately.
Expert Tips
- Keep the dressing separate until serving. Adding the dressing too early can cause the lettuce to soften and lose its crunch.
- Let the chicken cool slightly. Warm chicken is delicious in this salad, but letting it cook for a few minutes prevents the lettuce from wilting.
- Add the crunchy toppings last. Corn chips, tortilla chips, and other crunchy toppings stay crisp and fresh when added right before serving.
How To Store Leftovers & Make-Ahead
Leftovers: Store salad without dressing and corn chips in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Add the dressing and corn chips right before serving.
Make Ahead: This salad is perfect for meal prep. Cook the chicken, chop the vegetables and prepare the dressing up to 4 days in advance. Store everything separately in the refrigerator and assemble the salad just before serving to keep everything fresh.
Frequently Asked Questions
Taco salad can be served with Catalina dressing, ranch dressing, or a creamy taco salad dressing.
Absolutely! Rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut and absorbs the taco seasoning beautifully.
Store the dressing and crunchy topping separately until serving.
What to Serve with Taco Salad
These are my favorite things to serve with this chicken taco salad recipe:
If you made this Chicken Taco Salad or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating, a 💬 comment and share it on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook!
📖 Recipe
Best Chicken Taco Salad Recipe (Quick & Easy)
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Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 2 large Chicken Breasts
- 1 Tablespoon Taco Seasoning
- ⅓ cup Water
- 4 cups Lettuce
- ½ small Red Onion diced
- ½ cup Cheddar Cheese shredded
- 1 Roma Tomato diced
- ¾ cup Corn Chips
Taco Salad Dressing
- 2 Tablespoons Sour Cream
- 2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons Salsa
- 1 ½ teaspoons Lime Juice
- ¼ package or 1 Tablespoon Ranch Powder optional
Instructions
Taco Salad Dressing
- In a small mixing bowl combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, salsa, lime juice and ranch powder, if using. Stir well, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. 👉 See our full taco salad dressing post for the full recipe.
Chicken Taco Salad
- If using raw chicken, cook it in a skillet over medium heat until fully cooked, then toss with taco seasoning. If using cooked or rotisserie chicken, add it to a skillet with taco seasoning and water, stirring until warmed through and evenly coated.
- Add the lettuce to a plate or large serving bowl and top it with the red onions, tomatoes, cheese, and seasoned chicken. Sprinkle the corn chips over the top and drizzle with taco salad dressing just before serving.
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Notes
- Chicken: Use chicken breast, shredded roast chicken, rotisserie chicken, or velveted chicken.
- Lettuce: Romaine, iceberg, and butter lettuce or a combo of the three work perfectly!
- Corn Chips: Regular crushed tortilla chips, tortilla strips or nacho chips all work well for adding crunch to this salad.
- Vegetables & Toppings: Add roasted corn, black beans, homemade guacamole, sour cream, shrimp, rice, pickled jalapeños, or serrano peppers.
- Keep the dressing and corn chips separate until serving to preserve maximum crunch.
- Store leftovers for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator and it will vary based on the ingredients that you use.
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