Santa Fe Chicken Salad
Founder / Chef / Everyone’s Best Friend
Andy Hay
Welcome to my kitchen. I hope to inspire you to grow as a home cook!
I make a ton of salads, so when I say this dressing is one of my new faves, you’ve got to believe me. This Santa Fe Chicken Salad is full of bursting acidity, rich and smokey flavours and packed with fresh veggies. This is an instant classic in my household, folks; MAKE IT!
Key ingredients for this Santa Fe Chicken Salad
There’s a world of flavours going in this one. From bright lime juice to smokey Adobo, here’s a breakdown of the key ingredients!
Lime juice: Lemon just won’t cut it. Fresh lime juice is such an important flavour. It tames the heat and amplifies all of the other ingredients.
Chipotle in Adobo – I love this stuff. Smokey, spicy and full of depth. The real star of the show.
Jalapeno- While the chipotle gives the salad dressing depth, the raw jalapeno gives it a lovely punch! Make sure to remove the seeds as much as possible.
Green onion and Cilantro- Both of these give the salad a freshness and bite; they work so well with the flavours of the dressing. Don’t skimp out!
Cleaning you greens is important too. Sometimes when you wash a green, it can hold on to a ton of liquid and water your dressings down. Using a salad spinner like this one is a great way to keep the greens clean and dry!
A rotisserie chicken is a beautiful thing!
There’s no shame in the rotisserie game. It’s a great way to help cut down on cooking and have more time to enjoy your meal with your family.
If you did want to cook your chicken or had some leftovers, by all means, add it in! I think a beautifully roasted chicken thigh would be the best cut, but a juicy beast will do the trick!
Nailing the Santa Fe Chicken Salad Dressing
This is a super simple salad dressing; no blender or food processor is needed. There is one trick, however.
The key to a dressing like this is to finely mince your ingredients as small as possible. You want those chillies, garlic and other solids to be as evenly distributed as possible. That’s going to make sure each bit is just as flavourful as the last!
Other recipes to check out!
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Sushi Restaurant Salad Dressing
Ingredients:
For the Chipotle Honey Dressing
- 1 1/2 large Limes Juiced
- 1/3 cup Olive oil
- 2 tsp Chipotle peppers in adobo
- 1/4 cup Cilantro
- 1/4 tsp Oregano
- 1 Garlic clove
- 3 tbs Honey
- 4 tbs Apple cider vinegar
- 1 pinch of salt
For the salad
- 1 1/2 heads Romaine lettuce Chopped
- 1/2 can Black beans
- 1 cup Cherry tomatoes
- 1/2 cup Bell peppers Chopped
- 1/2 large Jalapeno Seeded and sliced
- 1 Avocado Diced
- 1/1 cup Corn
- 1 Green onion stock
- 1 cup Chicken Pulled or diced
Instructions:
- Into a mason jar, add lime, olive oil, chipotle peppers in adobo, cilantro, oregano, salt, garlic, honey and apple cider vinegar. Shake well until fully combined.
- Combine all ingredients and toss well in your dressing.
Andy Hay
Andy is the founder of ECK, Chef, and let’s admit it… the reason you’re here. He taught himself to cook, and it all paid off when he secured his spot in the season 5 Finale of Master Chef Canada. Now, Andy uses his big energy to showcase recipes that actually make people want to cook. His brand was built on butter and East Coast charm, and Andy’s kept that same energy ever since. Off-camera, you’ll find him doing what started it all: cooking for his two daughters, wife and the people he loves.
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Family loved it. Did it with pulled chicken and only addition was some crushed tortilla chips to add a little more crunch. Dressing was excellent. Another great easy recipe, thanks Andy !
So glad it was a hit, Tamara! Pulled chicken and crushed tortilla chips sound like perfect additions—extra texture and flavor. Thanks for the kind words!