Rustic Ranch Chicken Upside-Down Taco Salad

Serves 4
Back to recipe

Ingredients

For the Rustic Ranch dressing:

  • 1/2 cup 1% milk
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons ranch seasoning
  • 1/4 cup olive oil mayonnaise or mayonnaise of choice
  • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

For the Texy Taco vinaigrette:

  • 2/3 cup white balsamic vinegar
  • 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tablespoon honey
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons P.S. Flavor!™ Texy Taco seasoning or taco seasoning of choice
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

For the salad:

  • Rustic Ranch dressing
  • 4 (5-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons ranch seasoning, divided
  • 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 whole-grain, burrito-size tortillas
  • 2 teaspoons P.S. Flavor!™ Texy Taco seasoning, or taco seasoning of choice
  • 1/4 cup light sour cream
  • 1/2 cup Texy Taco vinaigrette, divided
  • 1 cup shredded red cabbage
  • 3 cups shredded romaine lettuce
  • 1/2 cup julienne-cut jicama
  • 1 red pepper, julienne cut
  • 1 yellow pepper, julienne cut
  • 1 cup cooked black beans, drained
  • 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese or crumbled Mexican queso fresco
  • 1 Hass avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced
  • 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • Cilantro microgreens or leaves, for garnish

Directions

Make the Rustic Ranch dressing:

  1. Whisk together all ingredients and set aside.

Make the Texy Taco vinaigrette:

  1. Whisk together vinegar, orange juice, lime juice, mustard, honey and taco seasoning together, and then slowly drizzle in olive oil, whisking until emulsified.

Make the salad:

  1. Place two sheet pans in oven and heat to 400 F.
  2. Pour Rustic Ranch dressing into a shallow dish or pie plate.
  3. Butterfly and pound (with meat mallet) or roll (with rolling pin) chicken till very flat, less than 1/4-inch thick.
  4. Season each flattened chicken breast with 1/2 tablespoon ranch seasoning. Heat pan over medium high until hot, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil, and then add the seasoned chicken. Pan sear chicken on each side for 45 seconds, until golden brown. Remove the chicken from pan, dip into the Rustic Ranch dressing and then place directly onto the heated sheet. Repeat for each chicken breast. Bake for 4-5 minutes until cooked through.
  5. Meanwhile, prepare the tortilla strips by rolling burritos one at a time and cutting the roll with Super Shears every 1/2-inch. Take each strip and cut every 1-2 inches to make long, thin tortilla strips. Toss tortilla strips together with the remaining extra-virgin olive oil and taco seasoning. Spread tortilla strips in a single layer on the remaining heated sheet pan. Bake until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  6. Whisk 1/2 tablespoon ranch seasoning into 1/4 cup light sour cream to make a ranch sour cream.
  7. Add 2 tablespoons Texy Taco vinaigrette into shredded red cabbage to marinate; massage to soften.
  8. When ready to plate, toss marinated red cabbage, chopped romaine lettuce, jicama, peppers and black beans with Texy Taco vinaigrette. Place flattened chicken breast on each of 4 plates and top with one-fourth of salad mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and tortilla strips, and top with a dollop of ranch sour cream.
  9. Garnish with avocado, tomato quarters and fresh cilantro.