Salad for Supper? Yes Please
This Baja cobb salad is a Mexican twist to the traditional Cobb salad. Made with spicy grilled chicken, quick pickled onions, black beans, sweet corn, and a light and creamy cilantro dressing the Baja cobb salad is always a favorite.
I love making salads. I mean salads are pretty, they are fresh, they are easy enough to throw together and complex enough to be a full meal. Best of all? They are healthy and a great way to use leftovers + they also make a great take to work lunch. I mean, what else can we ask them to be.
So I’m usually looking for different types of salads to include to my rotation. I already have a grilled chicken Caprese salad that I pretty much make non-stop, but I wanted to spice things up a bit and that’s how this Baja cobb salad came to be.
It has all the delicious things a good salad should have.
- A big bed of greens,
- Delicious and creamy dressing
- Some Protein, to make it a main course
- Surprise bits of flavor,
- A hint of sweetness
- Some carbs to bring everything together.
I started the salad with mixed greens but just feel free to use whatever you have on hand. It’s delicious with lettuce, baby spinach, throw some arugula in there if that’s what you have or mix in some kale if you want to bring up the nutrients. Play with your greens and create your favorite combo, trust me when I say this is pretty fail-proof.
Then come the chicken and beans. The delicious spicy chicken. I made it in the grill with a combination of cumin, paprika and crushed chili flakes and some bbq sauce to balance everything. Oh my gosh the chicken itself it’s amazing. I actually make a big batch and serve some for dinner and then pack the leftovers over the Baja cobb salad. You can do the same if you want to streamline your cooking routine.
I used refried beans so they are also really tasty on their own. I used canned ones but you can make them at home as well. Keeping up with the streamlining thing you can maybe make a double batch and then have tacos for dinner.
After all of that is done is time for the flavor bits to come into play. I used corn and quick pickled onions. The sweetness of the corn really balances all the flavors so I really advise you use it.
And the quick pickled onions, oh my gosh I just want to eat them for the rest of my life. They really are that good. And they are really easy to make as well.
You just need to mix equal parts of water and vinegar (1 Cup each) with 1 Tbsp sugar and 1 Tsp salt. Slice your onions and mix everything together. Then just let it sit for 1 hour. I mean you are only just 1 hours away from pickled onions if that’s not the best thing in the world then I don’t know what else can be.
Finally, the star of the Baja Cobb salad, the cilantro creamy dressing. Just make a triple batch and have it in your fridge always because it’s totally amazing and a total crowd favorite. It goes delicious on tacos, chicken, meat, sandwiches, as a dip. I mean with literally everything.
And remember what I said that all good salads should have a carb to bring everything together? Well, this Baja cobb salad is topped with a warm corn tortilla. Just fill it up with your salad to have a salad taco or tear it up on top and mix everything together.
Baja Cobb Salad
Ingredients
Sweet and spicy chicken
- ½ Pound chicken breast
- ½ Tsp garlic powder
- ½ Tsp paprika
- ¼ Tsp cumin
- ½ Tsp chili flakes
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp bbq sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cilantro lime dressing
- 1 Bunch cilantro
- 2 Garlic cloves
- ¾ Cups Greek yogurt
- 4 Tbsp lime juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Salad
- ½ Cup refried beans
- ½ Cup corn
- ¼ Cup quick pickled onions
- Corn tortilla
- Shaved carrots
- Cotija cheese
- 6 Cups greens
Instructions
- Start by making the chicken. In a bowl combine all the ingredients except for the chicken. Add in the chicken breast and coat well with the marinade. Let it rest for 1 hour. Preheat a skillet over medium heat and cook the chicken 4 minutes per side or until done and golden brown. Set aside and slice.
- In a food processor combine all the cilantro lime dressing ingredients and pulse until creamy and well incorporated. Adjust the seasonings to your taste.
- Start the salad. In a big bowl, place a bed of greens, top with the sweet and spicy chicken, refried beans, corn, onions, carrots and cotija cheese. Top with the cilantro lime dressing and serve with a warm worn tortilla
