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🥗 Salads & bowls

Chicken enchilada dense bean salad

Smoky, limey, cheesy meal-prep menace

⏱️ Time estimate: about 40 minutes

Chicken thighs marinate in enchilada sauce and lime, then get tossed with beans, peppers, jalapeño, cheddar, Monterey Jack, cilantro, tomatoes, and avocado.

Chicken enchilada dense bean salad in a bowl

Ingredients

For the marinade

  • 6 ounces red enchilada sauce
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • 1 pound chicken thighs

For the salad

  • 1 can chickpeas
  • 1 can black beans
  • 2 bell peppers
  • 1 jalapeño
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese
  • 8 ounces cheddar cheese
  • 1 bunch cilantro
  • 1 container cherry tomatoes
  • 2 firmer avocados

For the dressing

  • 2 ounces red enchilada sauce
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1/2 cup avocado oil
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon smoked chipotle powder

Instructions

  1. Marinate the chicken. Whisk together the enchilada sauce, lime juice, and salt. Poke the chicken with a fork, coat it in the marinade, and chill for at least 3 hours or up to 24.
  2. Prep the salad. Rinse and drain the beans. Dice the bell peppers, jalapeño, red onion, and cheeses. Mince the cilantro, halve the tomatoes, and cube the avocado. Add it all to a large bowl.
  3. Make the dressing. Whisk together the enchilada sauce, lime juice, avocado oil, vinegar, Dijon, salt, and chipotle powder until creamy and emulsified.
  4. Cook the chicken. Grill or sear the chicken over medium-high heat until browned and fully cooked, about 8 minutes on one side and 7 on the other. Rest 10 minutes, then chop into bite-size pieces.
  5. Finish the salad. Add the chicken to the bowl, pour over the dressing, and toss well.

The import notes say this keeps well for about 3 days, so it is fully certified lunch-goblin material.