Sante Fe Chicken Salad

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Whenever it’s too hot to turn on the oven I like to make large entree salads for dinner.  We often grill chicken or steak and then use it to top our favorite salads.  After a while the same salads get repetitive.  I’ve been looking for a Mexican type salad like the ones I enjoy eating out at restaurants.

Make a tasty Sante Fe Chicken Salad with Homemade dressing for dinner!

I found one that had chicken on top of it and a salsa ranch dressing.  It was simple to prepare, had a lot of veggies in it, and the dressing was much healthier then what I get out at restaurants.  We grilled the chicken after it marinated in a tequila lime sauce.  It was perfect for a hot day and it was filling as well.

Sante Fe Chicken Salad (adapted from Elly Says Opa)
For the chicken:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half
2 T. lime juice
2 T. Tequila
2 T. orange juice
1 T. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 t. oregano
1/4 t. red pepper
1 t. paprika
2 cloves garlic, smashed
salt and pepper
For the dressing:
1/4 c. salsa
2 T. sour cream
2 T. ranch dressing
1 T. fresh lime juice
1 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
For the Salad:
4 c. lettuce
1/4 c. cilantro, chopped
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 avocado, diced
3/4 c. black beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 c. corn
1/3 c. Pepper Jack cheese
Tortilla chips
1.  Combine the lime juice, tequila, orange juice, vegetable oil, spices, and garlic in a large zip top bag.  Place the chicken in the bag and seal.  Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
2.  To make the dressing combine all ingredients in a small bowl.  Refrigerate until ready to use.
3.  Heat a grill to medium high heat.
Sante Fe Chicken Salad
4.  Remove the chicken from the marinade and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Grill for 5 minutes on each side or until the chicken is cooked through.  Remove from grill and slice into strips.
5.  In a large bowl combine the lettuce, cilantro, red pepper, avocado, black beans, and corn.  Toss to combine.
6.  Place tortilla chips on 2 large dinner plates.  Place lettuce mixture on top of both.  Sprinkle with Pepper Jack cheese.
7.  Top the salads with the chicken and finish with the salsa ranch dressing.

Make a deliciosu Sante Fe Chicken Salad with homemade dressing tonight!

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