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A simple roasted chipotle chicken salad topped with sweet potatoes and the most addicting Jalapeño Vinaigrette, along with an easy guacamole. Serve this salad with a side of chips for scooping and you’ll have the perfect, healthy Mexican salad that’s both delicious and fun!
And plenty of avocado too, because let’s be honest, no salad is really ever complete without avocado.
For the past week or so I’ve been on a huge salad kick. Normally I’m not one for salads, they tend to bore me. Wait, let me rephrase that, salads with iceberg lettuce, a few carrots, and a lame dressing bore me. Like who wants that?
Probably not you, and definitely not me.
Which is why whenever I share a salad it’s big and loaded with not only leafy greens, but a mix of vegetables, fruits, plenty of avocado, cheese, and of course, a delicious sauce/vinaigrette/dressing. I have a few salads that I tend to make on repeat, but this week has been different. I’ve been in salad GO mode and I have what feels like a million new ideas for fun salads. It’s so weird, I seem to go through phases of having fun salad ideas and then zero salad ideas. I don’t know why this is, but on Monday, I made this chipotle chicken salad and it was so good that I knew I had to share it immediately.
This is a salad that I will be making weekly. It’s packed with flavor, loaded with veggies, and sits atop a bed of avocado. Yes, yes, yes, a bed of avocado. YUM.
It’s delicious and pretty, plus so quick and easy, I love it.
Obviously.
Let’s talk about the details.
This salad starts with the chipotle chicken. If you guys didn’t already know, I love Chipotle. Like the spice, not the restaurant. Well I don’t dislike the restaurant. I’ve only ever eaten at Chipotle once, and it was just a side order of rice (and I stole it from Asher, along with her guacamole). Which is kind of crazy, because my brothers are literally obsessed with Chipotle and eat it several times a week.
Fun fact? My younger brother Red has free Chipotle anywhere he goes since winning gold at the Olympics. Not even joking. Free Chipotle. Red mentioned just how much he loves Chipotle in an interview, they heard him, and the next minute Chipotle offers to rain free burritos on Red…87 of them to be exact! Then Red keeps talking about Chipotle…because he really does love them…and they give him a custom Red Gerard Free Chipotle card. Wow, I guess that’s life for an Olympic gold medalist!
And moving right along…
So the chicken, it gets tossed with chipotle peppers, honey, and other seasonings, then roasted up in the oven. I debated back and forth about whether to roast or grill the chicken, but in the end, I decided that since I was already baking the sweet potatoes in the oven it just made sense to cook the chicken in there too. Kind of like killing two birds with one stone, you know?
Also, that’s a really weird saying, killing two birds with one stone? Why would I want to kill two birds? And why would I do it with a stone?
That’s just cruel.
Again, moving right along…
The chicken and sweet potatoes cook for the same amount of time, which makes this a pretty quick cooking salad. Of course, if the weather is nice and you feel like grilling, I’m sure the chicken would be equally delicious on the grill too.
While the chicken and potatoes are cooking, you should prepare the rest of the salad and the vinaigrette. For the salad, I used a good amount of greens, bell peppers, some fresh mango, and feta cheese. I kept things on the simpler side because there is so much flavor and heartiness in the chicken and sweet potatoes. Lastly, I piled my salad on top of some lightly mashed avocado, which almost makes this like a guacamole salad…
Hint, hint. You should add a side of chips for scooping. Just a suggestion.
What I love about this salad is the variety of textures and bold flavors. It’s crunchy and creamy, sweet and spicy, and all things perfect. If you wanted to really make things fun you could even add a side margarita.
Which I think you should totally do, because sometimes Wednesdays need a little bit of a pick me up…
Chipotle Lime Chicken and Sweet Potato Salad with Jalapeño Vinaigrette
Servings: 4 servings
Calories Per Serving: 1001 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, chopped
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 limes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- kosher salt and pepper
- 2 sweet potatoes, cut into matchsticks
- 2 avocados, lightly mashed
- 3 heads romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 mango, diced
- 8 ounces feta, crumbled
Jalapeño Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 1 jalapeño, halved and seeded if desired
- kosher salt and pepper
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.2. On a rimmed baking sheet, combine the chicken, 2 tablespoons olive oil, chipotle, honey, cumin, juice and zest of 1 lime, garlic and a large pinch of both salt and pepper. Toss well to evenly coat the chicken. 3. On a separate baking sheet, toss together the sweet potatoes and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus a pinch of both salt and pepper. Roast both the chicken and potatoes for 25-30 minutes, tossing halfway through cooking until the chicken is cooked throughout and the potatoes tender. 4. In a medium bowl, stir together the avocados, remaining lime juice and a pinch of salt. 5. In a large salad bowl, toss together the lettuce, mango, feta, fries, and chicken. Dollop the avocado over the salad. Drizzle with vinaigrette (recipe follows).
- 1. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until combined. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. The vinaigrette can be made a few days in advance and kept in the fridge.
Never another boring desk salad. No. Never. Not around here.
Made this last night! I added more cumin and three chipotle peppers. Next time I would cube the potato and cook both chicken and potato on grill for more color and crisp!
Very yummy combo!
Hey Fran,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try and sharing your feedback! I love to hear that it was a hit! xTieghan
So delicious!
Hey Tristin,
Thanks a bunch for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a wonderful week:) xTieghan
Tested 2 days ago, and it was amazing!!! You’re always making incredible recipes!!! Can’t wait for the next one to try this weekend!
Thank you Fleur! xTieghan
This recipe was AMAZING!! Will definitely be making this again next week. Thank you so much!!
Thank you Marlena! xTieghan
This was a big hit at dinner! Great flavors–the only thing I might do is grill the chicken next time instead of the oven for more caramelization. Loved it:)
Thank you so much Jill!
This is probably the best salad I’ve ever had, and a new staple meal in my life.
Wow thank you Annie!
One of the best salads I’ve had this year. I retired at the end of March and have made it a mission to try new salads and new dressings. I don’t care for sweet potatoes and used a russet potato (and didn’t think of butternut squash – duh!.Will use it next time). I grilled both both the chicken and the potato sticks on the gas grill as it is summer in Phoenix and the oven is avoided at all costs. The vinaigrette was excellent and the combo with the mango was perfect. Thank-you so much!
I am so glad you loved this Nancy! Thank you!!
WOW! This was amazing! I made it for dinner last night, was sort of dreading the prep but it was well worth it. The textures, flavors and colours are striking! I would make this for friends as a summer dinner sitting outside.
My only comment would be… the amount of chicken for four servings. I would probably add another 1/2# to 1# more next time. I baked chicken and sweet potatoes for the 25 minutes. I thought the dressing was very liquid-y but it was perfect when tossed on everything. I also added some whole cilantro leaves to salad.
Thanks, Tieghan- this is a winner!
I am so glad you loved this Melissa! Thank you!
Made this salad this weekend for lunches this week, and just finished my first portion. This is TOO GOOD!! I can’t recommend it enough. Great textures and flavors playing off each other, and it feels like such a treat. We took a shortcut and skipped the guac in favor of avocado chunks, which are easier for us to do the night before as we assemble food for the next day. No loss in flavor or deliciousness. 🙂
Hi Sarah! I am so glad you loved this recipe!! Thank you so much!
Great recipe! I didn’t have oranges in the house and was too lazy to go out so I threw in some frozen mango and some water to the dressing instead and it was delicious!!
Love that! I am so glad it turned out amazing for you Anja! Thank you!
This was amazing…although I didn’t have enough time to make the vinaigrette (I used Whole Foods Avocado vinaigrette), my husband has been raving about it since yesterday!
Woo! Happy to hear that! Thank you so much Kerrin!
Hi Tieghan,
I made the chipotle lime chicken and sweet potato salad with jalapeño vinaigrette tonight and wow! This has to be one of my absolute go-to’s now. You are amazing with spices and flavors. This had just the right amounts of spice, textures and flavors. I know when I try a recipe from you, I will love it. Really. Thanks so much!
That is so sweet! I am so glad you loved this Mary Anne! Thank you!
Um….YUM! This salad turned out so good. It’s a lot of different ingredients but I wouldn’t change or omit a thing, it all works so good together. Definitely making this one at my next family dinner, it’s sure to impress!
Thank you so much Lynn! I am so glad you loved this salad!
I like your professionality in cooking delicious foods and respect your tastes
Thank you Corian! I really appreciate that ?
Yummo!!! Made tonight and it was A-MA-ZING!
Thank you Robin!