Mexican Chicken Salad with Orzo
This Mexican chicken salad with orzo recipe is fresh, filling, and bursting with delicious Tex-Mex flavors! It's quick and easy and ready in only 30 minutes.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked orzo
- 2 large chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 (14 fluid ounce) can black beans drained & rinsed
- 1 (12 fluid ounce) can corn drained
- 2 tablespoons red onion chopped
- 1 cup little tomatoes (grape, cherry, etc.)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 avocado chopped
- 1/2 cup Mexican shredded cheese blend (optional)
- 1 small jalapeno pepper sliced (optional)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Dressing:
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Cook orzo al dente according to package directions. Once it's done cooking, drain it and rinse it under cool water. Drain thoroughly and add it to a large bowl. I like to stir in a tiny bit of olive oil to stop it from sticking together. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, prep your chicken and add it to a skillet along with 1 tbsp of olive oil, the cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, and garlic powder. Give it a stir to coat and cook it over medium-high heat for about 7 minutes (or until it's cooked), stirring often. You may need to add more olive oil if the pan gets too dry.
- Meanwhile, prep the other ingredients and add them to the bowl with the orzo.
- Once the chicken is done cooking, add it to the salad and then add the dressing ingredients. I suggest starting with 1 tbsp olive oil and adding more if needed. Play with the dressing until you like the taste. Toss. Add salt & pepper if needed.
Notes
- This recipe makes great leftovers or meal prep for work lunches, for example. It can be made ahead, but I suggest waiting to add the avocado until you're close to serving it so it doesn't brown.
- This can easily serve more than 4 depending on how much people eat.
Nutrition
Calories: 673kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 386mg | Potassium: 1336mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 956IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 4mg
