This low-carb chicken salad is perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal or for entertaining. It’s sure to be a hit with everyone, even the pickiest eaters.
Plus, it’s one of the easiest Mexican dishes since it takes less than 30 minutes to prepare.
Stop your Taco Bell yearnings and make your own chicken taco salad at home with fresh toppings.
If you’re looking for a keto salad that uses traditional ingredients that can serve as a meal, this low-carb chicken taco salad is perfect for you.
It is high in protein and healthy fats, allowing you to stay satisfied and on track.
If you’re a fan of salads, you should also check out our collection of keto salads for more tasty options.
Keto Chicken Taco Salad
Enjoy all the flavors of Mexican salad without worrying about too many carbs.
I’m on a mission to make the ketogenic diet a delicious breeze, and this recipe is getting me closer to that goal.
This low-carb chicken taco salad is a fantastic way to stay low-carb, keto, and gluten-free without compromising taste.
With only 6.4 net carbs per serving, you can have fresh taco flavors without ruining your low-carb diet goals.
Ingredients Needed For A Keto Chicken Taco Salad
The following are the ingredients you’ll need to make this keto chicken taco salad. Note that the full printable recipe card is at the bottom of the page.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
- Chicken tenderloins or chicken breasts cut into cubes
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Chili powder
- Chipotle powder
- Black pepper
- Salt
- For cooking oil, I prefer using avocado oil
- Iceberg lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
- Grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- Shredded cheddar cheese, or Mexican blend shredded
- Hass avocado, diced
- Red onion, sliced
- Green onions, sliced
- Sliced black olives
Creamy Salsa Dressing
- Store-bought Salsa or some homemade leftover salsa
- Mexican crema or sour cream thinned with two tablespoons of heavy cream
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Cumin powder
- Chili powder
- Black pepper
- Chipotle pepper
How To Make A Keto Chicken Taco Salad
Begin by cutting the chicken and seasoning it with onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin powder, chipotle pepper, black pepper, and salt.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the two tablespoons of cooking oil.
Once the oil is ready, add the seasoned chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, flipping occasionally to ensure that all sides are golden brown and crispy.
When fully cooked, the chicken should reach 165 degrees F inside on a meat thermometer. Next, proceed to make the creamy salsa dressing.
Creamy Salsa Dressing Prep
In a small mixing bowl, combine the salsa, Mexican crema, or sour cream thinned with two tablespoons of heavy cream and the dry seasonings. Combine well until thoroughly mixed.
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Assembling The Chicken Taco Salad
This salad can be served individually or in a large bowl.
Place the torn lettuce in a large bowl or serving tray as the bottom layer. Then arrange the halved tomatoes, cheddar cheese, black olives, avocados, green onions, and red onions on top of the lettuce.
Next, add the cooked chicken to the top of the salad. Now, you’ll toss the salad and serve the salsa dressing on the side.
Low-Carb Taco Chicken Salad Recipe Variations
Do you know what else is great about this chicken taco salad? How easy it is to customize. It’s easy to add or remove any of the listed ingredients to make it your own.
One way you can change up this recipe is to add some of your favorite toppings.
The following are some good keto-friendly substitutes to try:. It’s a great way to keep adding this recipe to your keto meal planning rotation with minor tweaks.
- Add raw jalapeño slices for extra spice.
- Replace the iceberg lettuce with romaine or mixed greens, like a spring mix.
- Rather than diced avocado, top each salad serving with a scoop of low-carb guacamole.
- Swap the pieces of chicken with ground chicken or shrimp.
- Use leftover chicken, like a rotisserie chicken, and just season it with the listed spices. Just reduce the salt if you go this route.
- Add keto tortilla chips for extra flavor and crunch. I like using Quest chips, which are gluten-free. Their cilantro-lime chips are my personal favorite. But any in their variety pack would work with this recipe.
- Instead of grape tomatoes, use cherry tomatoes or diced tomatoes.
- Replace the cheddar cheese with pepper jack cheese, queso fresco, or your favorite shredded cheese.
More Keto Taco Flavored Recipes
For more taco-flavored dishes, be sure to also check out these recipes:
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Keto Chicken Taco Salad (Gluten-Free)
This keto chicken taco salad makes a delicious, flavorful, hearty meal. It's loaded with taco seasoned chicken, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, black olives, red onions, green onions, and avocados. It features a creamy salsa dressing that compliments the salad perfectly.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds of chicken tenderloins, cut into cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of chipotle pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
- 1 head of iceberg lettuce, torn into bite sizes
- 1 1/2 cups of grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 medium Hass avocado, diced
- 1/2 a cup of red onions, sliced
- 1/2 cup of green onions, sliced
- 1/4 cup of sliced black olives
Creamy Salsa Dressing
- 1/2 cup salsa
- 1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream thinned with two tablespoons of heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of cumin powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon of chipotle pepper
Instructions
- Start by slicing the chicken and seasoning it with the onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin powder, chipotle pepper, black pepper, and salt.
- Heat the 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the seasoned chicken and cook for about 5 minutes being sure to toss the chicken so that it is golden brown and crispy around the edges. The chicken is ready when it reaches 165 degrees F internally on a meat thermometer. Set it aside.
- Proceed to make the creamy salsa dressing.
Creamy Salsa Dressing
- In a small bowl combine the salsa, Mexican crema, or sour cream that has been thinned with two tablespoons of heavy cream, and dry spices. Mix well until it is well incorporated. Set it aside.
Assembling The Salad
- Note that the salad can be served individually or in a large bowl. Place the torn lettuce in a large bowl or serving tray as the bottom layer. Then arrange the halved tomatoes, cheddar cheese, black olives, avocados, green onions, and red onions, on top of the lettuce.
- Place the cooked chicken on top of the salad.
- Toss the salad and serve the salsa dressing on the side.
Notes
Recipe Variations
The following are some good keto-friendly substitutes to try. It's a great way to keep adding this recipe to your keto meal planning rotation with minor tweaks.
- Add raw jalapeño slices for extra spice.
- Replace the iceberg lettuce with romaine or mixed greens like a spring mix.
- Rather than diced avocado top each salad serving with a scoop of low-carb guacamole.
- Swap the pieces of chicken with ground chicken or shrimp.
- Use leftover chicken like a rotisserie chicken and just season it with the listed spices. Just reduce the salt if you go this route.
- Add keto tortilla chips for extra flavor and crunch. I like using Quest chips, which are gluten-free. Their cilantro-lime chips are my personal favorite. But any in their variety pack would work with this recipe.
- Instead of the grape tomatoes use cherry tomatoes or diced tomatoes.
- Replace the cheddar cheese with pepper jack cheese, queso fresco, or your favorite shredded cheese.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 5 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 378Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 10.1gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 1001mgCarbohydrates: 8.9gNet Carbohydrates: 6.4gFiber: 2.5gSugar: 3.6gProtein: 35.7g