Mexican chicken salad recipe
Mexican chicken salad aka Ensalada de pollo is a delicious and nutritious salad that is packed with flavor. It typically consists of shredded chicken, corn, red bell peppers and a tangy lime dressing.
Equipment
- Two saucepans
Ingredients
- 3 Medium russet potatoes (peeled and cubed)
- 4 cups Shredded chicken (Either from once cooked rotisserie chicken with skin removed or two large chicken breasts cooked grilled or air fried)
- 12 ounce peas and carrots (frozen)
- 1 cup sweet corn (drained)
- 1 Medium red bell pepper (diced)
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup Mexican crema (substitute with use sour cream or plain yogurt)
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 1 garlic clove (minced)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (Juice of 1 lime)
- ¼ cup pickled jalapenos (diced)
- 1 tablespoon Pickle juice (from the pickled jalapeño)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Cilantro for garnish
Instructions
Cook the vegetables
- In a medium saucepan, bring water to boil over high heat. Once boiling, add the peeled and cubed potatoes and cook until fork tender, about 8 minutes. Drain out the water and set aside to cool.
- While potatoes are cooking, warm up the frozen peas and carrots in another sauce pan over low heat.
- Simmer and stir often until thawed and warmed through. Alternatively warm up in a microwave safe bowl. Set aside to cool.
Make the dressing
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the Mexican crema, mayonnaise, minced garlic, yellow mustard, lime juice, pickled jalapenos, pickled juice from the jalapeño and salt. Whisk together. Taste and adjust taste for salt as needed.
Assembling the salad
- In a large mixing bowl, add the shredded rotisserie chicken, diced bell pepper, sweet corn and the cooled potatoes, peas and carrots.
- Add the dressing and toss to combine.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. If you have time, chill it for an hour before serving to allow the flavors to blend together. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can use a rotisserie chicken, remove the skin, and shred it. Or you can boil or bake chicken breast until cooked through and then shred it.
- You can also use a 16 oz bag of frozen mixed veggies. A bag of frozen mixed veggies typically contains peas, carrots, corn, and green beans if using this, you can use half of the sweet corn stated in this recipe or leave it out entirely.
- Pickled jalapenos and the pickle juice from the jalapeño add some tart and a bit of kick to this recipe. If you don’t want it spicy, leave it out completely. If you love heat, start with 1 tablespoon brine and then add more to taste.
- Potatoes such as Yukon Gold, Red potatoes , Russet potatoes etc, will work perfectly for this recipe. Simply ensure to cut into cubes and cook till it’s fork tender. Be careful not to overcook it. You can keep the skin if the potatoes on if you prefer. Make sure to wash and scrub thoroughly before boiling. You should also consider buying organic potatoes.
- This salad is most enjoyable when served at a cool temperature. Refrigerate it for 1-2 hours prior to serving to enhance the flavor. This allows the dressing to thicken and the chicken and vegetables to absorb the flavors.
Nutrition
Calories: 257kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 14gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 576mgPotassium: 579mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 3818IUVitamin C: 26mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!