Taco Salad Recipe with Chicken and Ranch Dressing {GF, Super Simple, High protein)

This Taco Salad Recipe is quick, easy and healthy! It’s loaded with chicken, avocado, cheese, and covered in lighter ranch dressing! 

I hate leftover ingredients.

Leftover full meals? Those are grand. One less meal for me to cook.

But, a bunch of random ingredients from a bunch of different meals that were previous cooked?

UGH. Worst. Ever.

Mostly because there are only 2 of us in the house, so I try to only buy what I need for the recipes I am planning to test that week, or else things just start rotting.

Which means there are never any “filler ingredients” to make a bunch of random items seem cohesive.

But, once a week or so, I make myself a “leftover ingredient” dinner.

I do not look forward to this day. And neither does Mr.FFF.

Especially if I made orange beef stir fry and gluten free brownies that week.

Pineapple chicken chocolate zucchini noodles anyone?

Nattt so good.

HOWEVER, sometime (read: once) my leftovers MADE SENSE you guys.

Like, I had lettuce. And other veggies. And chicken and some cheese. I even had some leftover of my favorite ranch dressing recipe from Wholesome Yum!

THERE WAS EVEN AN AVOCADO (!!!)

These are the things that I find exciting. Feel free to judge me.

And so became the first (and probably last) leftover ingredient dinner that I could actually share with you, and wouldn’t make you run for the hills in horror.

Or, at least just question my taste bud’z cred’.

Unfortunately, I have not had the required ingredients to re-eat this taco salad recipe fo’ realz since that fateful day, how-ev-er, the re-eatage has happened many a time in my brain. And, I sort of tried to re-create it with that Mason Jar healthy taco salad recipe.

Sidenote: This dinner also brought the huberoni happiness in his belly, which is a win because 1. As mentioned above he ain’t no friend to the weekly leftover meal and 2. He also ain’t no friend to a meal that is 90% vegetation.

Sidenote, the sequel: I just made the hubanana sound like the most un-friendly human on Earth but, in fact, he is the FRIENDLIEST human on earth. I always say that he can make friends with a stick.

It’s annoying.

I’m kidding. Sort of.

I’m tempted to tell you that it’s a fiesta in your mouth, but that is so cliché. I can’t say that.

Except I just did. In a total ninja-like sneaky way. SUCCESS.

There’s bacon, cheese, ranch and vegetative deliciousness. Oh, and there is H-E-A-L-T-H

I had me at bacon and cheese.

You too?

I knew there was a reason why I liked you.

Recipe

Ranch Chicken Taco Salad

5 from 5 votes

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Serves: 2

Prep: 10 minutes minutes

Cook: 20 minutes minutes

Total: 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 2 Small Chicken breasts
• 4 Slices Turkey bacon
• 1/2 Tbsp Olive oil
• 1 Cup Red Pepper sliced (about 1/2 a large pepper)
• 1 1/2 Cups Zucchini sliced (about 1 medium zucchini)
• 1 tsp Garlic minced
• Salt to taste.
• 4 Cups Lettuce of choice
• 1/4 Cup Chopped cilantro
• 1/3 Cup Reduced-fat grated Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 A sliced avocado
• Ranch dressing of choice. I like Fat-free Hidden Valley. *

Instructions

• To cook the chicken breasts:
• Spray your grillwith cooking spray and heat it to medium-high. Place the chicken breast on and grill it until it is no longer pink inside. This takes about 4-6 minutes per side (make sure you flip it half way through!)
• While the chicken grills, spray alarge pan with cooking spray and heat on medium-high heat. Cook the turkey bacon until it is nice and crispy, just about 1-2 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and transfer to a paper towel to absorb any excess grease. Tear into small pieces.
• Heat the oil up in the bacon pan, still on medium-high heat, and toss in the red pepper, zucchini, garlic and season with a little bit of salt. Sautee the vegetables until they are a soft and slightly browned, which takes roughly 3-4 minutes.
• Toss the cooked veggies into a bowl and add the bacon pieces, lettuce, cilantro, grated cheddar cheese, avocado slices and as much Ranch dressing as you want. Mix well until all the lettuce is coated with the dressing.
• Transfer the mixed salad to two plates and top with a grilled chicken breast.
• DEVOUR

Tips & Notes:

*I have also mixed half Ranch dressing and half Greek yogurt, if you want an extra protein boost!

Nutrition Disclaimer

Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.

Author: FoodFaithFitness

Course:Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine:American, Mexican

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I also shared this recipe over on my friends Taylor’s (!!!) beautiful blog – Greens & Chocolate! Check it out!

IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, PLEASE REMEMBER TO TAG @FOODFAITHFIT AND #FOODFAITHFITNESS ON INSTRAGRAM! I LOVE SEEING YOUR RECIPE RECREATIONS! 🙂

Want more Salads?

Mediterranean Couscous Salad

Hummus Power Salad

Artichoke PastaSalad

Other yummy salads from around the web that I want to NOM:

Sesame Salad with Edamame – Ruffles & Truffles

Grilled Vegetable Salad with BBQ Ranch Dressing – Cook The Story

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