Crunchy Chicken Taco Salad

By Addie

I adore panko breadcrumbs. If you haven’t tried them yet, you should! Panko is the secret to making these chicken tenders crunchy like fried chicken strips without any of the guilt (and mess). Mixing taco seasoning into the breading to make these the perfect topping for a taco salad.

I also whipped up a quick taco ranch dressing to go over the top. The coolness of the ranch helps cut some of the spiciness of the taco seasoning.

Thanks to bountiful garden, we’ve been eating a lot of salads for dinner this summer. This is, hands down, one of our favorite creations.

Ingredients

• DRESSING:
• 1 lb. boneless, skinnless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 package taco seasoning, divided
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Green pepper
• Green onions
• Red onion
• Corn
• Black olives
• Cheddar cheese
• .................................
• 2 Tbsp. sour cream
• 2 Tbsp. ranch dressing
• 2 tsp. taco seasoning

Preparation

Step 1

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice chicken breasts into strips.

In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and flour. Stir in 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning. In another bowl, stir together panko and 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning.

Dip chicken strips into egg mixture and then roll in the panko. Place on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, or until crunchy and cooked through.

While the chicken is cooking, prepare the salads. Chop lettuce, tomatoes, pepper, green onions and red onions and divide between plates. Top with corn, black olives and cheddar cheese.

In a small bowl, whisk together sour cream, ranch dressing and 2 tsp. taco seasoning to make the dressing.

Top salads with cooked chicken and dressing. Serve immediately.