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–+ servings
Top down view of an oval platter filled with cajun chicken salad - lettuce, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and ranch.

Cajun Chicken Salad with Cajun Ranch Dressing

mylifeinbalancegroup.com/cajun-chicken-salad/
The easiest, most flavorful salad ever, made with Cajun-seasoned chicken breast, pepper jack cheese, and an incredible Cajun ranch dressing.
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 10 minutes
Total 25 minutes
Recipe Makes (Approximate): 4 salads

Equipment

  • small mixing bowl
  • Silicone spatula or mixing spoon
  • Airtight container or plastic wrap
  • Cutting board
  • small skillet
  • Tongs
  • internal meat thermometer
  • sharp kitchen knife
  • Serving bowls

Ingredients

For the Cajun Ranch Dressing

For the Cajun Chicken

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (sliced into thin cutlets)
  • 1 ½ tablespoons Cajun seasoning (divided)
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil (avocado oil, olive oil, etc.)

For the Salad

  • 6 cups coarsely chopped romaine lettuce
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
  • ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion
  • ½ cup pepper jack cheese chunks (or shredded pepper jack cheese)
  • 1 medium avocado (pit removed, peeled, sliced)

Instructions

For the Cajun Ranch Dressing

  • Add 1 cup ranch dressing, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, and 1-2 dashes Louisiana-style hot sauce to small mixing bowl.
  • Mix ingredients together until fully combined. Transfer prepared dressing to airtight container, or cover bowl with plastic wrap. Set aside until ready to use. See Notes.

For the Cajun Chicken

  • Place chicken cutlets on cutting board. Sprinkle ¾ tablespoon Cajun seasoning onto cutlets, then flip chicken over and cover with remaining ¾ tablespoon Cajun seasoning. Set cutting board aside.
  • Heat small skillet over medium-high heat. When pan is warm, add 1 tablespoon neutral oil and swirl pan to distribute oil across surface. Continue heating skillet until oil is hot and shimmering.
  • When oil is hot, place chicken in skillet. Cook chicken 3 to 5 minutes, then flip chicken over. Cook 3 to 5 minutes more or until chicken is firm and internal temperature reaches 160° Fahrenheit. Note: while chicken cooks, clean cutting board to use again.
  • Remove chicken from skillet and place on clean cutting board. Let chicken rest 5 minutes.

For the Salad

  • While chicken rests, divide 6 cups coarsely chopped romaine lettuce, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion, ½ cup pepper jack cheese chunks, and 1 medium avocado evenly between serving bowls.
  • Once chicken is cool enough to handle, chop cutlets into bite-sized pieces and divide pieces evenly between prepared salads.
  • Drizzle Cajun ranch dressing over salads and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

  • Ranch Dressing: It plays a prominent role in this salad dressing, so use your favorite ranch dressing here!
  • Hot Sauce: Louisiana-style hot sauces are mainly a blend of chiles, vinegar, and salt, and the flavor is very vinegar-forward. Tabasco, Crystal, Louisiana, and Frank's Red Hot brands would all work well in this recipe.
  • Cajun Ranch Dressing: For more flavor, prepare dressing in advance (at least 30 minutes) and refrigerate dressing until ready to serve. Refrigerate leftover dressing in an airtight container up to 1 week.
  • Make it Whole30/Paleo: Use a compliant mayonnaise and compliant hot sauce. Omit the pepper jack entirely.

Nutrition Information (Approximate)

Serving Size: 1saladCalories: 583calProtein: 31gFat: 45gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 101mgSodium: 773mgPotassium: 1051mgTotal Carbs: 14gFiber: 6gSugar: 6gNet Carbs: 8gVitamin A: 7983IUVitamin C: 19mgCalcium: 173mgIron: 3mg
Recipe By: Cheryl Malik
https://mylifeinbalancegroup.com/cajun-chicken-salad/