Cajun Chicken Salad with Cajun Ranch Dressing
The easiest, most flavorful salad ever, made with Cajun-seasoned chicken breast, pepper jack cheese, and an incredible Cajun ranch dressing.
Yield: salads
Equipment
- small mixing bowl
- Silicone spatula or mixing spoon
- Airtight container or plastic wrap
- Cutting board
- small skillet
- Tongs
- internal meat thermometer
- sharp kitchen knife
- Serving bowls
Ingredients
For the Cajun Ranch Dressing
- 1 cup ranch dressing store-bought or homemade, see Notes
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper more or less to taste
- 1-2 dashes Louisiana-style hot sauce to taste, see Notes
For the Cajun Chicken
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts sliced into thin cutlets
- 1 ½ tablespoons Cajun seasoning divided
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil avocado oil, olive oil, etc.
For the Salad
- 6 cups coarsely chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
- ½ cup pepper jack cheese chunks or shredded pepper jack cheese
- 1 medium avocado pit removed, peeled, sliced
Instructions
For the Cajun Ranch Dressing
- Add 1 cup ranch dressing, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, and 1-2 dashes Louisiana-style hot sauce to small mixing bowl.
- Mix ingredients together until fully combined. Transfer prepared dressing to airtight container, or cover bowl with plastic wrap. Set aside until ready to use. See Notes.
For the Cajun Chicken
- Place chicken cutlets on cutting board. Sprinkle ¾ tablespoon Cajun seasoning onto cutlets, then flip chicken over and cover with remaining ¾ tablespoon Cajun seasoning. Set cutting board aside.
- Heat small skillet over medium-high heat. When pan is warm, add 1 tablespoon neutral oil and swirl pan to distribute oil across surface. Continue heating skillet until oil is hot and shimmering.
- When oil is hot, place chicken in skillet. Cook chicken 3 to 5 minutes, then flip chicken over. Cook 3 to 5 minutes more or until chicken is firm and internal temperature reaches 160° Fahrenheit. Note: while chicken cooks, clean cutting board to use again.
- Remove chicken from skillet and place on clean cutting board. Let chicken rest 5 minutes.
For the Salad
- While chicken rests, divide 6 cups coarsely chopped romaine lettuce, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion, ½ cup pepper jack cheese chunks, and 1 medium avocado evenly between serving bowls.
- Once chicken is cool enough to handle, chop cutlets into bite-sized pieces and divide pieces evenly between prepared salads.
- Drizzle Cajun ranch dressing over salads and serve immediately.
Notes
- Ranch Dressing: It plays a prominent role in this salad dressing, so use your favorite ranch dressing here!
- Hot Sauce: Louisiana-style hot sauces are mainly a blend of chiles, vinegar, and salt, and the flavor is very vinegar-forward. Tabasco, Crystal, Louisiana, and Frank's Red Hot brands would all work well in this recipe.
- Cajun Ranch Dressing: For more flavor, prepare dressing in advance (at least 30 minutes) and refrigerate dressing until ready to serve. Refrigerate leftover dressing in an airtight container up to 1 week.
- Make it Whole30/Paleo: Use a compliant mayonnaise and compliant hot sauce. Omit the pepper jack entirely.
Nutrition
Serving Size: 1salad | Calories: 583cal | Protein: 31g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 773mg | Potassium: 1051mg | Total Carbs: 14g | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 6g | Net Carbs: 8g | Vitamin A: 7983IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 173mg | Iron: 3mg