Best Mexican Chicken Quinoa Salad Recipes

MEXICAN CHICKEN QUINOA SALAD

Mexican Chicken Quinoa Salad image

A quick and easy way to make a delicious healthy meal!

Provided by Deemcgee

Categories Salad Grains Quinoa Salad Recipes

Time 45m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

1 cup water
½ cup quinoa
1 package taco seasoning mix, divided
2 chicken breasts, cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon butter
1 avocado, peeled and chopped
½ red onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 cup chopped spinach
1 carrot, chopped
½ red bell pepper, chopped
½ yellow bell pepper, chopped
⅓ cucumber, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
½ cup salsa

Steps:

Bring water, quinoa, and 1/2 of the taco seasoning mix to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender and water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Mix chicken and remaining taco seasoning mix together in a bowl; let sit for chicken to season, about 10 minutes.
Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir chicken until no longer pink in the center, 5 to 10 minutes. Place chicken and quinoa in a bowl and place in freezer until cooled, about 5 minutes.
Combine avocado, red onion, celery, spinach, carrot, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, cucumber, and jalapeno peppers in a large bowl; add chicken-quinoa mixture and salsa and mix well.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 299.7 calories, Carbohydrate 32.5 g, Cholesterol 35 mg, Fat 11.3 g, Fiber 7.3 g, Protein 17.6 g, SaturatedFat 2.3 g, Sodium 911.9 mg, Sugar 6 g

MEXICAN QUINOA AND CHICKEN SALAD

Mexican Quinoa and Chicken Salad image

Categories Salad Chicken Side Quinoa Simmer Boil

Yield Serves 4; 1 1/2 cups per serving

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

1/2 cup uncooked prerinsed quinoa
1 cup water and 2 tablespoons water, divided use
1 cup fresh or frozen corn, thawed if frozen
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon honey
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked without salt, all visible fat discarded, cubed
1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 medium green onions, sliced
1 medium fresh jalapeño, seeds and ribs discarded, diced
4 large lettuce leaves

Steps:

In a medium saucepan, combine the quinoa and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, covered, over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, still covered, for 12 minutes.
Stir in the corn. Simmer, covered, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the water is absorbed, the quinoa is translucent and tender, and the corn is crisp-tender. Remove from the heat. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, cilantro, oil, cumin, pepper, honey, and remaining 2 tablespoons water. Set aside.
In a salad bowl, toss together the chicken, bell pepper, tomatoes, green onions, and jalapeño. Add the quinoa mixture, tossing to combine. Drizzle with the lime juice mixture, tossing to combine.
Place the lettuce leaves on plates. Spoon the salad onto the lettuce.
Cook's Tip on Quinoa
Mildly flavored and high in protein, quinoa is nutritious and cooks quickly. Try it in place of rice or couscous in recipes or as a side dish. Often called a supergrain, quinoa is covered with a bitter-tasting coating of saponin, a harmless naturally occurring substance. If the quinoa is not prerinsed, put it in a fine-mesh sieve and rinse it under cold running water to be sure to get rid of the coating.
Nutrition Information
(Per serving)
Calories: 277
Total fat: 4.5g
Saturated: 1.0g
Trans: 0.0g
Polyunsaturated: 1.5g
Monounsaturated: 1.5g
Cholesterol: 66mg
Sodium: 91mg
Carbohydrates: 28g
Fiber: 4g
Sugars: 5g
Protein: 31g
Calcium: 38mg
Potassium: 732mg
Dietary Exchanges
1 1/2 starch
1 vegetable
3 very lean meat