Chicken Fajita Salad

Get your grill fix with this delicious and healthy Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad with Honey Lime Salad Dressing! Super healthy, easy to make and full of amazing Mexican-inspired flavors, this Chicken Fajita Salad is also Paleo, gluten-free, and FODMAP-aware (high in fructose but low in other FODMAPs - see note below) with an easy low carb and Whole30 option.

FODMAP-Aware: since its initial posting, some of the ingredients in this recipe have been tested or retested by Monash University for FODMAPs. Per their most recent findings, the quantities of red and yellow bell pepper exceed the tolerable amount per serving for fructose. The amount of fructose is also elevated with the addition of honey lime dressing. If you are able to tolerate fructose or have no problems with bell peppers, this may not be an issue for you. Consult your doctor or dietician to determine whether or not this recipe is appropriate for your dietary needs as well as Monash University's Low FODMAP Diet App for the latest updated FODMAP information.

Love chicken salads with spicy flavors? Check out my Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad or Buffalo Chicken Salad next! Or browse my entire collection of dinner salad recipes!

Chicken Fajita Salad: Another 'Feel Lighter Recipe'

Sometimes, things don't go as planned, and you end up posting a summer recipe at the beginning of October, one week before Canadian Thanksgiving. I had originally planned on posting this recipe the last week of August, but due to taking on too much while grieving the loss of my dad, I started suffering from burnout and had to take a few weeks off to recover.

Now that things have slowed down regarding settling my dad's estate, I can slowly start to return to working and blogging. What I had considered a very well planned blogging calendar at the beginning of summer is now a hot mess, but life happens. What can you do? You stand back up, dust yourself off, and do the best with what you have to work with. For me, that also means making recipes that make me feel lighter, like this Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad with Honey Lime Dressing.

Why Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad?

Fajitas are commonly made on a stove top, but I'm telling you: the flavor the grill brings to fajitas is unparalleled. The char flavor you get from the grill combined with the spices and lime from the marinade give you this perfect, tangy, flavor-filled bite. Add the homemade Honey Lime Salad Dressing (or some homemade Ranch Dressing if you're doing a Whole30) and each bite of this Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad is just divine.

Paleo Salad with Whole30 Option

The Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad on its own without the Honey Lime Dressing is Paleo. Add the Honey Lime Dressing, and it's no longer Whole30 compliant due to the honey; however, you can substitute my homemade Ranch Dressing and have an equally delicious salad that is also Whole30 compliant as well as low carb.

Necessary Equipment

The equipment I use to make this Grilled Chicken Fajita Salad includes:

• Measuring cup or small bowl
• Small whisk or fork
• Citrus juicer
• Measuring spoons
• Small zip-top bag
• Cutting board
• Chopping knife
• Outdoor grill (I use a natural gas grill) or a grill pan
• Grill tongs
• Veggie grilling pan (for the bell peppers, optional)
• Instant read thermometer or iGrill thermometer

Ingredients & Success Tips

Chicken Thighs

For this recipe, I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs as they have the best flavor when grilled. I first add the thighs to a small Ziplock bag to prepare them for the marinade.

Chicken Marinade

To make the chicken marinade, at least two hours prior to grilling, I add the following ingredients to a measuring cup or small bowl:

• Garlic-infused olive oil - adds the optimal amount of garlicy flavor
• Extra virgin olive oil - adds more moisture to the chicken while not making them too garlicy
• Taco seasoning mix - I use my homemade taco seasoning mixture, which is so much easier than adding individual spices!
• Lime zest
• Lime juice, freshly-squeezed - to make this taste like fajitas and not tacos, I add a fair amount of lime juice to the marinade.

Using a small whisk or fork, I whisk the marinade ingredients together. Then, I pour all but 3 tablespoons of the marinade to the small zip-top bag containing the chicken thighs and seal the bag, saving the remaining marinade for later. I put the bag in the refrigerator and allow to marinade for at least 2 hours.

Produce

Meanwhile, while the chicken is marinating, I prep two bell peppers - one red and one yellow - for grilling. First, I chop them into quarters (more or less) and remove the ribs and seeds. Then, I place them on my veggie grilling pan and, using a basting brush, lightly coat them in the reserved marinade. I put the veggie grilling pan on top of a rectangular plate to catch the drips and set them aside. If you don't have a veggie grilling pan, you can place the peppers directly on the grill. Set the peppers aside until you're ready to grill.

Then, I chop the green leaf lettuce and scallions, a.k.a. green onions, green tops only, and mix them together in a large bowl. I also prepare cilantro leaves for garnishing purposes.

Salad Dressing

The ideal dressing to use on this salad is my Honey Lime Dressing, so I prepare a full batch of it while the chicken marinates. However, if you're doing a Whole30, the Honey Lime Dressing is not Whole30 compliant, so I recommend making a half batch of my homemade Ranch Dressing, (or a full batch if you plan to use it on other things, like my Buffalo Chicken Salad recipe, Taco Salad, Summer Detox Salad, Air Fryer Buffalo Chicken Wings, or Air Fryer French Fries).

Grilling

Once the chicken has marinated for at least two hours and your bell peppers and everything else is ready to go, preheat your grill or grill pan to medium heat and allow the temperature to rise to 400°F (about 204°C). I typically use 3 burners on my large gas grill, but it may be different for you depending on your grill.

While the grill is preheating, I remove the chicken from the zip-top bag, shaking the excess marinade from each thigh into the bag. This is important to prevent the marinade from causing flare ups.

I first add the bell peppers to the grill and then the chicken thighs, cooking each for the following amount of time:

• Bell peppers - 5 minutes per side until soft and lightly charred
• Chicken thighs - 5-6 minutes per side until their internal temperature reaches 165°F (about 75°C) per an instant read thermometer

Once grilled, remove the peppers and chicken thighs from heat. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes prior to slicing. Once the bell peppers are cool enough, thinly slice into ¼ inch slices, and do the same to the chicken after they've had a chance to rest.

Serve the chicken and peppers on top of the lettuce mixture, topped with homemade Honey Lime or Ranch Dressing and garnished with fresh cilantro leaves.

More Chicken Salads and Bowls

If you like this grilled chicken fajita salad, you might also like these other chicken salads and bowls:

• Balsamic Chicken Salad
• Grilled Chicken Shawarma Quinoa Bowls
• Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad (with chicken)
• Homemade Chicken Salad - 3 Ways
• Chicken Tender Salad (Air Fryer)