Chicken Fajita Salad with Chimmichurri Dressing

30 Minute Chicken Fajita Salad topped with zesty Chimichurri Dressing the perfect flavorful dinner recipe.

30 Minute Chicken Fajita Salad with fresh veggies, chipotle chicken, creamy avocado then topped with a zesty Chimichurri Dressing. This Chicken Fajita Salad is one flavorful dinner recipe that’s sure to please any crowd.

Guys, I honestly don’t think I ever stop eating during the day.

I wake up in the morning – feed Madison, get Cason out the door for school, make a big bowl of oatmeal filled with ground flaxseed, almond milk and peanut butter and then the rest of the day I’m grazing the refrigerator or the pantry every 30 minutes.

When I was pregnant I felt full or uncomfortable all the time. Now that baby girl is out, I never feel full. I’m constantly eating something.

The first couple of weeks after Madison was born I was stuffing my face non-stop with carbs and protein just trying to fill up. But after week two I realized “ok, time to get back on track.”

Don’t get me wrong those BBQ chips, muffins, and bread all tasted great but I didn’t feel like myself.

I decided to place an order for curb side pick up (because honestly y’all I rarely go into the grocery store now) so I could load my pantry and frig with things that are healthy. The biggest problem I have is I wasn’t a big “snacker” before, now it’s all I do so I needed to have healthy snack options in the house. I loaded my cart with Rx Bars, Lara Bar Bites, smoothies, lots of gluten free products, raw nuts, fresh fruits, vegetables and hummus.

And honestly, now I feel much better about myself and my body feels better.

I think I underestimated the transition back to newborn life. I thought I’d still be out of the house after she was born. But turns out with the newborn feeding/nap schedule, having a son that I need to drop off and pick up from school plus the fact that it’s the worst flu season EVER. It makes it a lot more difficult to get out of the house and get things done.

I’m finding it hard to even get things done for my blog. I finally photographed my first recipe since Maddie was born, which is crazy to me! But it felt great to get back in the swing of things again and feel more like myself. I guess just baby steps each week.

As we head into the warmer months and Spring rears it’s beautiful little head, my craving for all things fresh is increasing!

And that’s what this Chicken Fajita Salad is all about. Fresh vibrant flavors with light healthy proteins and vegetables.

What I love about this salad is the mixture of textures and flavors. There are fresh juicy tomatoes, creamy avocado, pickled red onion that still have a little “crunch” to them and then soft sautéed bell peppers. The flavor for this salad escalates with the seared blackened chipotle chicken and then the zesty chimichurri drizzled on top for a dressing.

This Chicken Fajita Salad will satisify even the pickest of eaters, my 5 year old son loved it and doubled up on the chimichurri sauce, so he’s totally my son. #allaboutthatsaucelife

It takes less than 30 minutes to make, high in protein and bursting with with fresh vibrant flavors.

If you’ve tried my California Steak Salad then you’re going to love this recipe too! It’s definitely worth a try. Serve it with my Mango Margaritas and you have yourself one tasty fiesta! 🙂

Bon Appetit friends!

Chicken Fajita Salad

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Krista @ JoyfulHealthyEats.com
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins
• Total Time: 30 mins
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: gluten free, salad, 30 minute meal, chicken
• Method: Stove
• Cuisine: Mexican

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Description

30 Minute Chicken Fajita Salad with fresh veggies, chipotle chicken, creamy avocado then topped with a zesty Chimichurri Dressing. This Chicken Fajita Salad is one flavorful dinner recipe that’s sure to please any crowd.

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Ingredients

Chicken Fajita:

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dry cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon grape seed oil
• 1 head of green leaf lettuce, chopped
• 1 tablespoon grape seed oil
• 1 yellow pepper, juilienned
• 1 red pepper, julienned
• 1 cup pickled red onion
• 2 avocado, sliced
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

Chimichurri Dressing:

• 1 garlic clove
• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, add smoked paprika, garlic powder, ground cumin, dry cilantro, sea salt, chipotle chili powder and black pepper. Mix to combine.
2. Season both sides of the chicken breast with spice mixture. Set aside.
3. Heat large skillet to medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of grape seed oil to the pan and then add julienned peppers. Saute until slightly browned, about 4-5 minutes.
4. Remove from the pan and then add 1 tablespoon of grape seed oil and then immediately add the seasoned chicken breast. Sear both sides for 6-7 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink. Remove from the pan and let rest. Slice when the chicken has cooled down.
5. For the dressing: add garlic clove, fresh cilantro, red wine vinegar, lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to a small food processor or blender. Blend until the cilantro is finely chopped. Then add olive oil to the food processor and blend until the dressing combines.
6. To assemble the salad add green leaf lettuce to a large bowl (or four individual bowls), top with sliced chicken breast, sautéed peppers, pickled onions, cherry tomatoes and sliced avocado. Serve with chimichurri dressing on the side.

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Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups of salad
• Calories: 456
• Sugar: 6 g
• Sodium: 828 mg
• Fat: 31 g
• Saturated Fat: 4 g
• Carbohydrates: 22 g
• Fiber: 9 g
• Protein: 27 g
• Cholesterol: 55 mg

Keywords: chicken fajita, chicken fajita recipe, chicken fajita salad, fajita salad recipe, chicken salad recipes, healthy salad recipes, mexican food, healthy mexican recipes, cinco de mayo recipes, easy chicken recipes

IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, BE SURE TO SNAP A PIC AND HASHTAG IT #JOYFULHEALTHYEATS. I LOVE SEEING WHAT YOU MAKE!

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