Crispy Chicken Salad with Spicy Mango Lime Dressing

A Dressing of Mango, Tomato, & Lime is Made Spicy with Grilled Jalapenos & a Pinch of Chili Powder

"Acting in 'Star Wars' I felt like a raisin in a giant fruit salad, and I didn't even know who the cantaloupes were."

Mark Hamill

I have no idea what that is supposed to mean, but I had such a good laugh I just had to share. Luke was one of the youngest characters in the trilogy, so why a raisin? Because a raisin would be the grossest part of a fresh fruit salad? Because it's wrinkly? Or boring? And what's with that cantaloupe statement? I just don't know. 

There's no cantaloupe or raisins in this recipe, but there is mango and there are limes so that's a start. We had this the other night for dinner and it was the first time I've ever seen B devour a salad this fast that wasn't of the 'potato', 'macaroni', or 'mayonnaise-based' variety. He didn't even request a 'main dish' like he usually does when I serve salad as an entree. The breaded chicken added lots of texture and made it more filling, but if you want a slightly healthier topping you could just as easily grill it plain instead. I guess in theory you could also omit the feta cheese, but I mean come on. That's just crazy. 

You will need...

2 chicken breasts

a BBQ

a hand blender or regular blender

olive or vegetable oil

Dressing:

1 fresh mango, peeled, pitted, and cubed

1 yellow tomato, chopped

1 grilled jalapeno, chopped

1 or 2 large sprigs of cilantro

2 limes, juiced

1 tsp salt\1 tsp black pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp mexican chili powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp onion powder

2 heaping tbs greek yogurt, plain

Breading:

1 cup panko 

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp garlic powder

Salad:

1 head romaine or iceberg lettuce, chopped

1/2 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

1 corn on the cob's worth of kernels - scraped off the cob (see grilling instructions)

1/4 of an english cucumber, chopped

1 avocado, pitted, skinned, and chopped

1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped

1/2 cup feta, cubed or crumbled

1 handful fresh cilantro for garnish

Light the BBQ, and leave to heat up. 

Meanwhile, peel or 'shuck' the corn on the cob. I like to leave the 'stem' in tact as it makes a nice handle for me when it comes time to scrape off the kernels.

Lightly grease the grill and place corn and jalapenos directly on the heat or flame. Turn frequently and cook until corn is seared and toasty, and jalapenos are blackened and 'wrinkly' looking. 

Like so. There are more jalapenos and corn on here than called for because I made a HUGE batch of salad that night. The recipe I'm providing is meant for two.

If you have a hand blender, this is the time to use it. Mine came with a tall plastic cup type thing with a spout, which I believe is meant for smoothies but worked beautifully here. If you don't have one, a regular blender - maybe even food processor? - would work just as well. 

This one. This is the one I have. Except it's red. And that's the cup, see?

Add all dressing ingredients, except for the jalapeno, into the cup. Use the hand blender to pulse it until smooth. 

Check on the BBQ. The corn and jalapeno should be done by now. Allow to cool well, then chop off and discard the stem of the jalapeno and add the rest to the dressing cup. Pulse again until smooth and set aside. 

In a large(ish) bowl, place the chicken breasts whole in the bottom. Pour a small amount of dressing over top - just enough to cover the chicken - then toss to combine, rubbing the dressing into all crevices. Wrap with saran wrap and refrigerate for about half an hour. 

Preheat oven to 400C. Lightly grease a non-stick baking pan and set aside. 

In a bowl, combine dry ingredients for chicken batter and set aside. 

When chicken is ready, remove from fridge and unwrap bowl. Pick up the chicken and dip in the batter mixture until fully coated on all sides. Lay flat on the baking sheet. Repeat. 

Top chicken with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil over top. Bake in oven for about 35 minutes, or until chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Cooking times will vary depending on oven, size of chicken breasts, and whether or not the chicken was frozen at all.

                             

                                                     Super blurry picture, but you get the idea.

Meanwhile, chop all the veggies and prepare in a large bowl. On a flat surface such as a cutting  board, grasp the corn by the 'stem' and gently scrape the kernels off with a sharp knife, always cutting downwards and away from your hand. Sprinkle the kernels over top of the salad mixture and set aside. 

When the chicken is done, allow to rest for about two minutes then slice diagonally and lay across the top of the salad. Drizzle the remaining dressing - I put mine in a squeeze bottle - over top of the salad and top with fresh cilantro if desired. 

And there you are - a fresh, fruity, spicy, and healthy chicken salad for those hot summer nights. Great as a lunch the next day, too!