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Southwest Chicken Quesadilla Salad is packed with flavor and texture. It’s like an explosion in your mouth. It’s also super easy to throw together,  great for busy weeknights or lunch.  None of the ingredients are really seasonal, making it a salad you can enjoy all year long. 

Southwest Chicken Quesadilla Salad is like an explosion in your mouth. Super easy to throw together.

Life can be crazy and hectic once fall hits and everyone is back to school.  The lazy summer schedules are gone, and nights are filled with activities and homework.  Sometimes it can be hard to squeeze in eating dinner together as a family, much less have time to cook something.  To me, having all of us eat dinner together is more important than serving a fancy gourmet meal. Of course, I try to keep most meals on the healthy side, but as long as it’s quick, and I know everyone will eat it, it’s a winner in my book! 

Their Signature Charbroiled Chicken & Monterey Jack Cheese Quesadillas made a perfect addition to a Southwest Chicken Salad.

Southwest Chicken Quesadilla Salad is like an explosion in your mouth. Super easy to throw together.

Southwest Chicken Quesadilla Salad

These quesadillas are heated up in a skillet, so they turn out crisp and delicious in minutes.  With a fresh salad and seasoned chicken, it looks like I picked this meal up a restaurant, doesn’t it?  You guys, I think this is one of the BEST salads I’ve ever had!  This is definitely going into our regular dinner rotation. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Southwest Chicken Quesadilla Salad is like an explosion in your mouth. Super easy to throw together.

Don’t let the long list of recipe ingredients turn you away. It doesn’t mean it’s time consuming. Southwest Chicken Quesadilla Salad is really easy and comes together rather quickly.

Do take into account that you need to allow time to marinate the chicken at least 3 hours, I left it overnight.  When I was ready to fix dinner, I prepped the salad while the chicken cooked in the skillet.  Then heated the quesadillas in the same skillet and BAM! This gorgeous meal was ready to be plated and devoured!!  30 minutes– top, is all you need!  Take THAT busy schedules!!

Southwest Chicken Quesadilla Salad is like an explosion in your mouth. Super easy to throw together.

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Southwest Chicken Quesadilla Salad is like an explosion in your mouth. Super easy to throw together.
Southwest Chicken Quesadilla Salad is like an explosion in your mouth. Super easy to throw together.

Southwest Chicken Quesadilla Salad

Yield: 2 large salads
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Marinate Time: 3 hours
Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Southwest Chicken Quesadilla Salad is like an explosion in your mouth. Super easy to throw together.

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 package taco seasoning
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • salt & pepper
  • 2 hearts of romaine, chopped
  • 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 avocado, chopped
  • 2/3 cup sweet corn
  • 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
  • 1/2 cup pico de gallo
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • tortilla chips, crushed
  • 3 El Monterey Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas (prepared according to package)
  • Chipotle Ranch Dressing

Instructions

  1. Marinate chicken overnight (or at least 3 hours). Place taco seasoning, lime juice, olive oil, water and salt and pepper in zip-top bag. Seal bag and give it a few good shakes, until marinade is well blended. Add chicken* to bag and place in refrigerator 3-24 hours. (*if chicken breasts are thick, pound the breasts to an even thickness using the bottom of a jar or glass)
  2. When ready to make salads, heat large skillet with a little olive oil over medium high heat. Sear chicken both sides for about 1 minute, then reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until chicken is cooked through about 10-15 minutes depending on the size of your chicken breasts. (chicken should be at least 165°F with instant read thermometer). Allow chicken to cool for a few minutes and then slice into strips.
  3. While chicken is cooling, heat El Monterey Quesadillas according to the package using the same skillet. Once heated, use a sharp knife or pizza cutter and slice each quesadilla into 3 mini wedges.
  4. To prepare the salads, combine lettuce, cilantro, avocado, corn, tomatoes, and pico de gallo in a large bowl. Squeeze 1 lime over salad, and toss with salt and pepper to taste.
  5. To serve, divide salad onto plates. Top with crushed tortilla chips, the chicken, quesadillas and dressing. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1312Total Fat: 80gSaturated Fat: 22gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 50gCholesterol: 276mgSodium: 1715mgCarbohydrates: 64gFiber: 15gSugar: 13gProtein: 90g

Nutrition information is estimated based on the ingredients and cooking instructions as described in each recipe and is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Please note that nutrition details may vary based on methods of preparation, origin, and freshness of ingredients used and are just estimates. We encourage, especially if these numbers are important to you, to calculate these on your own for most accurate results.

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© TidyMom
Cuisine: Mexican / Category: Main Dish

Disclaimer: I have a working relationship with El Monterey as part of their Back to School #momwins campaign. Feeding my family real food is important to me, as always, all views and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the amazing brands who make TidyMom possible!

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