Looking for a kid-friendly meal that adults will enjoy too? Try this Layered Chicken Taco Salad! It’s an easy lunch or dinner with lots of color and even more flavor.
Salads don’t have to be boring! Your family will love this Mexican Street Corn Salad and this healthy Watermelon Salad too.
Why this Recipe Works
I never thought I’d see the day when my kids would be requesting salad for dinner!
But this Chicken Taco Salad is FAR from your ordinary bowl of greens. It layers juicy shredded chicken with veggies, shredded cheese and tortilla strips.
The dressing is super simple too.
Mix equal amounts of French dressing with your favorite salsa for a dressing that’s creamy, spicy and just the right amount of tangy!
Ingredient Notes
Salsa. I like to use a HOT salsa to pair with the sweet French dressing. My family loves the spiciness but you can certainly opt for a mild or medium salsa too.
Cooked chicken. Either shredded or diced chicken can be used. Substitute shredded turkey breast if you have some holiday leftovers to use up!
Southwest tortilla strips. Regular salted tortilla chips work perfectly as a substitute.
Mexicorn. Canned Mexicorn also contains red and green peppers, making it ideal for a taco salad like this one. Thawed frozen roasted corn or simple fresh sweet corn kernels can be substituted.
Colby Jack Cheese. Swap it out for shredded cheddar or another preferred Mexican cheese blend if you like.
How to Layer
- Start by placing half the lettuce and spinach on the bottom of your bowl.
- Add the corn, tomatoes and chicken on top.
- Top the chicken layer with the rest of the lettuce and spinach. Add the cheese on top.
- Pour the dressing over the cheese layer. Finally, add tortilla strips, fresh cilantro and green onions to the top of the salad.
Serve immediately.
Tips and Tricks
- Make layered salads in a large glass mixing bowl. That way you can see all the colorful layers before you divide up individual portions.
- Assemble just before serving for best freshness and flavor.
- To prep this ahead of time, chop all the vegetables and cook the chicken. Store separately in airtight containers in the fridge until ready to serve.
- No time to cook your chicken? Grab a ready made rotisserie chicken from the grocery store!
Recipe FAQs
Any way you like! We often use whatever leftover chicken we have in the fridge.
I also love this method for Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas that I use in one of my fajita recipes.
Tortilla strips are like tortilla chips that are shaped into smaller strip form (rather than triangles). I find them in the same area of the grocery store as the croutons and other crunchy salad garnishes.
If you can’t find them, go ahead and use regular tortilla chips or corn chips here.
This salad is delicious with any protein you can imagine! Try it with cooked turkey, ground beef, or even shredded pork.
For a vegetarian version, swap the chicken for black beans or refried beans. Delicious.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
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Layered Chicken Taco Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups chopped Romaine lettuce
- 3 cups fresh spinach
- 2 cups cooked chicken shredded or diced
- 2 cans Mexicorn, whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained 11 ounce each
- 3 large Roma tomatoes diced
- 1 ½ cups shredded Colby-Jack cheese
- 2 green onions chopped (tops too)
- 1 ½ cups southwest tortilla strips or chips
- 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped
- ¾ cup salsa
- ¾ cup French dressing
Instructions
- In a large glass bowl, layer half of the lettuce and spinach. Top with tomatoes, corn, chicken and remaining lettuce and spinach. Top with cheese.
- In a small bowl, mix together with salsa with French dressing. Pour over top of cheese. Garnish with cilantro, green onions and tortilla strips.
Notes
Nutrition
The best taco salad is a Layered Chicken Taco Salad! All the Tex-Mex flavor you love in one satisfying, fresh salad recipe.
This salad is full of flavours , and enjoyed at family meals and parties , easy to put together
Catalina and French salad dressing are not the same at all. Just to let you know.
They are actually quite similar, and can be used interchangably in today’s taco salad!
It can be so hard to stick to healthy salads … that is, when they aren’t fun and delicious like this one! I love how this recipe is super healthy, but doesn’t sacrifice flavor or fun!
Yum! This is my husband’s favorite recipe! I can’t wait to make this again soon! So delicious and tasty!
This looks wonderful, but where can I find tortillas strips?
I find mine in the same area of the grocery store as croutons!
Hello!
When you say french dressing, is it the one that is orange color?
I don’t live in the US…
Thanks! 🙂
Yes. Catalina (maybe you would call it that?).
If you don’t mind me asking, where did you find your bowl? I have been looking for one that is deep with straight sides for a seven layer salad and I cannot find one.
This is the Pampered Chef Trifle Bowl. I love it. It actually comes with a base (if you want to use it as a trifle) and a lid!!
I have never been good at making a taco salad but I am excited about trying this one. Thanks for sharing.
Yum! I need to take a salad to a picnic next weekend and this will be perfect! Thank you!!!