Grilled Chicken Fajita Dinner Salad
This grilled chicken fajita dinner salad layers crisp romaine lettuce with sliced fajita-seasoned chicken breast and sautéed bell peppers and onions. It’s a hearty dinner salad that brings the familiar flavor of fajitas to the bowl.
Fajita-style chicken loves salad
There are nights when I want the flavors of a chicken fajita dinner on my table but don’t have time to mix and roll a batch of tortillas from scratch. Turning those same Tex-Mex skillet flavors into a hearty dinner salad is an easy solution.
This grilled chicken fajita dinner salad brings together seasoned chicken, sautéed peppers and onions, and crisp romaine lettuce for a simple dinner that delivers the familiar flavor of a fajita skillet in a bowl.
It’s especially good served with salsa ranch dressing made from scratch, which pairs well with the seasoned chicken and vegetables. If you enjoy dinner salads like this one, my buffalo-style grilled chicken salad and my fresh spinach salad with chicken are other great options that turn juicy chicken breasts into a fresh salad meal.
Recipe ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Chicken breast: Boneless, skinless chicken breast is ideal for this salad because it grills evenly and slices cleanly for topping the greens. Choose pieces that are similar in size so they cook at the same rate and stay tender.
- Fajita seasoning: This seasoning gives both the chicken and vegetables their signature fajita flavor. You can use a prepared mix, or make your own with this from scratch fajita seasoning blend for better control over the salt and spice level.
- Bell peppers: Any color bell pepper can be used, but tri-color peppers are preferred because they provide a sweeter, milder flavor than green peppers. Choose firm peppers with smooth skin and no soft spots for the best texture when sautéed.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Would you like to save this post for later?
We'll email it to you, so you can come back to it whenever you like!
How to make a grilled chicken fajita dinner salad
Step 1: Sprinkle 1½ tablespoons of the fajita seasoning evenly over both sides of the chicken breasts. Set the chicken aside and let it rest for about 15 minutes so the seasoning adheres to the meat.
Step 2: Place the sliced bell peppers and onions in a bowl and toss them with the remaining fajita seasoning until evenly coated. Set aside while the chicken cooks.
Step 3: Heat a cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat and add half of the olive oil. When the oil is hot, place the chicken in the pan and cook until grill marks form and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Remove from the pan and set aside.
Step 4: Add the remaining olive oil to the same pan. Add the seasoned peppers and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly tender while still keeping a slight bite.
Step 5: Divide the romaine lettuce evenly between two serving bowls. Sprinkle the shredded Monterey Jack cheese over the lettuce.
Step 6: Spoon the sautéed peppers and onions over the lettuce and cheese.
Step 7: Cut the cooked chicken into strips about ¼ to ½ inch thick.
Step 8: Arrange the sliced chicken over the salads and serve each bowl with two lime wedges on the side.
Top tips
- Use evenly sized chicken breasts: Chicken breasts that are close in size cook more evenly on the grill pan. If one piece is much thicker than the other, it may need additional cooking time to reach the proper internal temperature.
- Heat the grill pan thoroughly before cooking: Cast iron needs time to heat properly. A well-heated pan helps the chicken develop grill marks and prevents the meat from sticking.
- Cook the peppers and onions over steady heat: The goal is to soften them slightly while keeping their structure. Cook them just until lightly tender so they still have the slight bite that is typical of fajita vegetables.
- Let the chicken rest briefly before slicing: Allowing the chicken to sit for a few minutes after cooking helps the juices settle back into the meat so the strips stay moist when added to the salad.
- Add the vegetables while they are still warm: Warm peppers and onions contrast nicely with the crisp romaine and help the flavors of the salad come together when served.
Other recipes you’ll love
If you loved this dinner salad recipe, give these other great main dish recipes a try too!
Tex-Mex Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
Chicken Nacho Bar
Chicken Taco Bar
Baked Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Recipe
Hot Honey Chicken Thighs
Almond Crusted Chicken Recipe
From-Scratch Chicken Recipe Collection
Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad
Ingredients
- 2 small chicken breasts
- 2 1/2 tablespoons fajita seasoning separated
- 1 orange bell pepper sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper sliced
- 1 small yellow onion sliced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil separated
- 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 cup shredded Monetery jack cheese
- 4 lime wedges
Instructions
- Coat the chicken breasts evenly with 1½ tablespoons of the fajita seasoning and let them rest for 15 minutes.
- Toss the sliced bell peppers and onions with the remaining fajita seasoning until evenly coated.
- Heat half of the olive oil in a cast iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the remaining olive oil to the pan and sauté the peppers and onions until lightly tender while still keeping a slight bite.
- Divide the romaine lettuce between two serving bowls and top with shredded Monterey Jack cheese.
- Spoon the cooked peppers and onions over the lettuce and cheese.
- Cut the cooked chicken into strips about ¼–½ inch thick.
- Arrange the sliced chicken over each salad and serve with lime wedges on the side.
Notes
- Slice the peppers and onions evenly: Similar-sized pieces cook at the same rate and help the vegetables soften evenly in the skillet.
- Cook the vegetables over steady heat: Moderate heat allows the peppers and onions to soften slightly while keeping the slight bite typical of fajita vegetables.
- Use freshly shredded cheese: Shredding Monterey Jack yourself helps it distribute more evenly over the salad and melt slightly from the warm vegetables.
- Choose firm romaine lettuce: Crisp romaine holds up well under the warm chicken and vegetables without wilting too quickly.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
