Variety is the spice of life they say, and I’m the first to admit salads can get boring! When I start to feel this way I know it’s time to make this chicken fiesta salad. Crunchy colorful peppers, creamy guacamole, and zesty homemade salsa (if it’s the season!) make this one of my favorite meals.
For simplicity, I plan this salad on the same week we’re having tacos so I don’t have to chop ingredients twice.
Here’s how to make it!
Chicken Fiesta Salad in a Mason Jar
I know I said that salads are one of my favorite lunches (and they are!), but some days are too crazy to have time to make lunch. Usually, I can glance at my calendar ahead of time and know when those days are coming up and plan accordingly. This fiesta salad is great for packing in mason jars in advance for a quick grab-and-go lunch.
The key to any mason jar salad is to make sure the wet ingredients are in the bottom of the jar and the salad greens and shredded cheese are on top. For this one, I build up from the bottom with salsa, avocado/guacamole, sour cream, chicken, veggies, and finally the lettuce and cheese.
I sometimes add black beans, diced tomatoes, and onions, or a squeeze of lime juice for a little tangy brightness. (One of these days I might try making a chipotle dressing like the one in this post combined with my own recipe for chipotle mayo… yum!)
To eat, just shake, grab a fork, and dig in! You can make them child-size too by using a smaller non-glass container.
More Favorite Salad Recipes
- Asian Color Burst Salad – A simple salad of greens, meat, sunflower seeds, and roasted beets, with an Asian coconut ginger vinaigrette
- Avocado BLT Salad – Salad greens topped with crispy bacon, sweet cherry tomatoes, avocado, and a tangy lemon mustard vinaigrette
- Fish Taco Salad – All the delicious ingredients of fish tacos with the extra nutrients of a salad
- Spring Salad With Berries – A very different take from this chicken fiesta salad, but that’s what keeps things interesting! This flavorful and fresh salad combines almond crusted chicken, goat cheese, strawberries, pecans, and dried cranberries on a bed of lettuce
Chicken Fiesta Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 cups salad greens
- 2 chicken breasts (cooked and chopped)
- ¼ cup cilantro (chopped)
- 1 cucumber (chopped)
- 1 bell pepper (chopped)
- 1 avocado (sliced or ½ cup prepared guacamole)
- 1 cup salsa
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ cup shredded cheese
Instructions
- Divide washed salad greens among four plates.
- Top with all remaining ingredients.
- Enjoy. Olé!
Notes
Nutrition
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What is your favorite salad recipe? Do you have your own version of taco salad?
I finally made this salad last night and it was amazing! My daughter (who hates all things yogurt) loved it and my Meat and Potatoes husband had three helpings. Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Hello,
My name is Tom and I am a gym rat. I personally do not diet because clean eating is not a diet it is a commitment to eat clean smart food. I do not consider meats raised on grains and antibiotics clean
eating. By the way, plants are the only thing that produce protein. Cows raised in pastures that eat
grass(not grains) have protein in there systems. I also do not eat dairy products. The salads you posted
sound great for a restaurant but for wellness… not even close. I wish you could include smart healthy
salads. I have tried some of your salad dressing’s and they are great. I find too many people posting
ideas of health and wellness that haven’t a clue.
Thanks for all these salad recipes. I plant to heat/simmer SOME (including leftovers) until veggies etc are tender (and maybe extra-mince the meat), add more cheese or ‘sauce’, and call it a casserole, because we have a family member who cannot chew very well. Just any idea for anyone with the same challenge.
I have been a vegetarian for most of my life (25 years), and I am not going to get into an argument over meat vs. meatless diets. (I actually gave up meat because I don’t like it and am grossed-out by it. Over the years, however, I have found myriad other reasons to be glad that I am meat-free. (Let’s not get into the whole farming industry…plenty of documentaries and books on that…we could be here all week.) I just want to ask how a vegetarian (not vegan, by the way) can follow your diet philosophy. The very smell of meats such as beef and pork makes me nauseous. (Organ meats–pass the barf bag! I am very sensitive to smell.) Do you have vegetarian alternatives for your diet, or is it a meat eaters-only thing?
Hi Katie!
This recipes looks amazing! I’m putting together a post for my lifestyle blog on tasty salads you’ll actually want to eat. I’d love to include your Chicken Fiesta Salad in it. Let me know if you have any problems with this. You can check out my blog at http://www.kelseysays.com.
Enjoy your day!
I’m always happy to have links to my posts, I just don’t allow full reprinting of posts