Grilled Chicken Taco Salad

Oh holy goodness... {it was almost too pretty to eat}

After the 3 glorious weeks I spent in California, 

basically eating Mexican food everyday, and then 

coming home to no authentic insanely good Mexican 

food joints, I quickly became Mexican food deprived.

So the other night I decided to try out some

sort of Mexican dish-and this taco salad

hit the spot.

What's awesome about this recipe is that most of the ingredients are common foods that are probably already In your fridge or pantry! If you are missing an ingredient or two, pull a Natalie, and substitute {or leave it out}! 

Ingredients:

1. 1 can of black beans rinsed and drained {I didn't have any In my pantry, so I instead used Green Giant Steam Fresh Southwestern Style Corn}

2. 3/4 cup of salsa {any kind}
3. 1/2 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
4. 1 tbs. lime juice
5. 2 tbs. chili powder
6. 1 tsp. ground cumin
7. 1 tsp. ground coriander
8. 1 tsp. brown sugar
9. 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
10. 1 tbs. olive oil
11. 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
12. 4 {7 inch} corn tortillas
13. 4 cups shredded lettuce
14. {another} 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
15. 1 avocado peeled, pitted, and sliced {optional}
16. 1 lime cut into wedges {optional}
17. 1 cup of sour cream {optional}
18. 1 cup Crushed tortilla chips {optional}
19. 1 cup shredded cheese {optional}

Other things you could add...

• Sautéed onions
• green peppers
• tomatoes
• crushed red pepper {if you like things hot hot hot}

FYI all the optionals make the salad soooo much better, so just go for all of them!!

Directions:

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. {or do what I did and sauté it until cooked}

2. Mix black beans, salsa, 1/2 cup cilantro, and lime juice in a bowl; SET ASIDE. {I admit, I messed this part up and mixed the wrong things together, so don't pull a Natalie here!}
3. Stir chili powder, cumin, coriander, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, and olive oil in a bowl until smooth; rub mixture over chicken breasts {or just throw it in the sauté pan and swish the chicken around in it, then cook for another minute or two}

4. Cook chicken breasts on preheated grill until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 10 to 12 minutes per side. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). While the chicken is cooking, place tortillas on grill and grill until lightly brown on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes. {if you're going the sauté route then all I did was place a tortilla in the middle of each plate, or you could throw it in the oven and toast it until slightly brown}

5. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and slice into long thin strips. Divide chicken strips over lettuce and top with bean mixture, and remaining 1/2 cup cilantro. Serve with avocado, lime wedges, and a dollop of sour cream.

Enjoy!!