Baja Chicken Salad It is April, the weather is getting warm and that means it is traditionally time for salads! I however, am not traditional--I don't know about you, but for me, salads are year around food. For that reason, you will always find fresh and delicious salad recipes on this blog. Today, we are featuring a Baja Chicken Salad with options to cook the chicken on the grill, in the Instant Pot, or in the oven.
It is true, although maybe you can't fire up the grill during the winter or cold months, you can still have a flavorful Baja Chicken Salad by cooking your chicken in the Instant Pot. I can't say it enough--I love the Instant Pot, and the way that it cooks and marinates food to enhance the flavor. This recipe is gluten free and dairy free, and you can make your Baja Salad vegetarian or vegan by omitting the chicken and substituting jackfruit or tofu.
Ingredients For Salad
Here is the shopping list for this Salad
Marinade:
lemon/lime juice
olive oil
white wine vinegar
hot sauce
green onions
granulated garlic
sea salt
black sesame seeds
Salad:
chicken breasts (or tofu or jackfruit for vegan)
arugula lettuce
black beans
ears corn
cherry tomatoes
avocado
green onions
fresh cilantro
Instructions For Salad
- Ingredients for salad
- Add all marinade ingredients to jar and shake well.
- Place chicken breasts in bowl, add ½ of marinade (approximately 4 oz) and top with chopped green onions
- Add 1 cup of water to bottom on Instant Pot. Add trivet and place bowl of chicken in Instant Pot
- When pressure is released, remove chicken and slice
- Slice corn off cob
- Add tomatoes and agugula to salad bowl
- Add corn, green onions to salad
- Toss salad to serve
Tips For Alternative Preparation Methods
Grill: If weather permits, this salad is yummy when the chicken is cooked on the grill as well. Prepare marinade, and place chicken in ½ marinade (use remaining marinade for salad dressing) for 30 minutes. Cook on grill for 10-12 minutes each side. My absolute favorite grill is the George Foreman Electric Grill, which makes whipping up grilled food easy and quick.
Oven Bake: If not using an Instant Pot, add ½ marinade (use remaining marinade for salad dressing) and chicken to a baking dish, and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, turning chicken at 20 minutes.
Vegan: If you want a vegan salad, replace the chicken with 16 oz of firm tofu. Slice tofu, and add ½ marinade and tofu to a dish, and marinade for 30 minutes. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes and turn at 15 minutes. Jackfruit option: Drain 14 oz can of organic jackfruit, and add ½ marinade and jackfruit to dish and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Jackfruit can also be grilled, but pieces are small, so it only works on an electric grill like the George Foreman Grill.
Baja Chicken Salad
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
Baja Marinade
- ¼ cup lemon/lime juice
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
- 2 green onions, chopped
Chicken
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salad
- 4 cups arugula lettuce
- ½ cup black beans
- 4 ears of corn
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 large or 2 small avocados, sliced
- ½ cup green onions, chopped
- 3 tablespoon fresh cilantro
Instructions
Baja Marinade
- Mix all ingredients except green onions in jar and shake well. Add half of marinade to small bowl with 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Top with chopped green onions. Let marinade for 30 minutes.
Chicken
- Instant Pot: Add 1 cup of water to inner pot of Instant Pot. Place bowl with chicken and marinade on Instant Pot trivet and place into inner pot of Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes; let steam NR, release naturally. After pressure is released, remove chicken and slice.Oven: Bake chicken at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, turning at 20 minutes.Grill: Grill chicken on medium heat for 10-12 minutes each side until cooked.
Salad
- Cook corn for 2 minutes in microwave, and cut corn off of cob. Add arugula lettuce, corn, cherry tomatoes, green onions and black beans to large salad bowl or salad tray. Slice avocado and add to salad. Add sliced chicken.
- Top with cilantro and add additional dressing from marinade as desired. Toss salad and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More photos at Instagram
Other recipes like this salad that you might enjoy:
Roslia santamaria
This looks super tasty!! I can’t wait to give it a try! It’s all delicious ingredients 🙂
greenschemetv
Yes, so healthy! I hope that you enjoy it...