Crispy Rice Southwest Chicken Salad

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 15 minutes
• total time: 55 minutes

Ingredients

2 Cups Cooked Rice (cooled - I use jasmine rice, but any rice should work well)

2 Teaspoons Sesame Oil

1/2 Teaspoon Cumin

1/2 Teaspoon Chipotle Powder

1 Pound Ground Chicken

3 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning

5 Persian Cucumbers (sliced thin - or substitute 1 English cucumber)

1 Cup Baby Tomatoes (halved)

1 15 Ounce Can Black Beans

3/4 Cup Corn

1 Small Red Onion (thinly sliced)

1 Red Bell Pepper (thinly sliced)

1/2 Cup Pepitas

1 Avocado

1 Lime (juiced)

1/3 Cup Olive Oil

2 Cloves Garlic

1/2 Cup Greek Yogurt

1/4 Cup Cilantro

1 Teaspoon Cumin

1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Directions

Preheat Oven

To make this salad, start by preparing the crispy rice. Preheat your oven to 400 F.

Line Baking Sheet

Next, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

Cook Rice

Cook the rice according to your preferred method and allow it to cool fully. Then, add it to the baking sheet.

Season Rice

Toss the cooled rice with the sesame oil and seasonings (the cumin and chipotle powder).

Bake Crispy Rice

Then, transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake the rice for 30-40 minutes, or until it's nice and crispy. Toss it halfway through, to ensure that it cooks evenly.

Prepare the Salad

Next, prepare the chicken. Heat a large skillet, on the stove, over medium-high heat.

Cook the Chicken

Add a little bit of olive oil to the pan. Then, once the oil is hot, add in the ground chicken and taco seasoning and cook until the chicken is browned and cooked through.

Prepare the Salad

Once the chicken is done, prepare the rest of the salad. Wash and chop the cucumbers and add them to a large bowl, followed by the baby tomatoes, red onion, and red bell pepper.

Add Beans and Corn

Then, drain and rinse the corn and black beans and add them to the salad alongside the pepitas.

Add Crispy Rice

Once the crispy rice is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool before tossing it into the salad.

Prepare the Dressing

Finally, prepare the dressing by adding all of the dressing ingredients (the avocado, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, greek yogurt, cilantro, cumin, sea salt, and ground black pepper) to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

Toss Salad

Then, pour the dressing on top of the salad and toss to fully combine.

Serve, Store, and Enjoy

Once it's done, serve and enjoy! Store any leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to three days.

Nutrition

• Calories: 715 kcal
• Total Fat: 42 g
• Saturated Fat: 7 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 33 g
• Trans Fat: 0.1 g
• Cholesterol: 99 mg
• Sodium: 538 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 58 g
• Dietary Fiber: 9 g
• Total Sugars: 7 g
• Protein: 32 g