Skip to Content

Chipotle Chicken Caesar Salad Tacos with Avocado Salsa Verde

Filled with grilled chicken and Caesar salad and then topped with avocado salsa verde, these chicken Caesar salad tacos with a Mexican twist are a delightfully fresh and delicious choice for lunch or dinner.

Tray of Caesar tacos with a lemon.

Jessica Halverstadt is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

It’s been awhile since I posted a taco recipe and that’s just wrong.

So here I am with these fusion tacos inspired by one of my (and the world’s) favorite salads, chicken Caesar.

They are loaded with all sorts of yumminess, starting with perfectly grilled chicken. It is tender, juicy, and smoky with a nice little kick from the chipotle powder it is coated in.

Topping the chicken is the Caesar salad itself. The homemade dressing is super easy to whip up and so delicious, as well as creamy and tangy.

As we all know chicken and Caesar salad are perfect companions. What you may not know, however, is how well avocado salsa verdé goes with the pair.

With only a handful of ingredients and a couple of kitchen gadgets, you can prepare this fresh salsa with ease. The only thing easier than making it is eating it. For real!! This tangy creamy herbaceous salsa is downright delightful and oh so deserving of its position atop these tacos.

Great for lunch or dinner, fresh, and flavorful; they will surely be a hit for anyone who loves both tacos and Caesar salad. That’s everyone, right?!?

Tray of tacos with a fork and a small bowl of salsa.

Ingredients (+ notes & substitutions)


Ingredients for Chipotle Chicken Caesar Tacos w/ Avocado Salsa Verdé (see recipe card).
  • Tomatillos:  Tomatillos are a husked fruit. They may look like tomatoes, but they actually are not. They do belong to the nightshade family, however. Choose tomatillos that have filled out their husk and are firm rather than mushy and shriveled. After removing the husks it is important to rinse them as they are often dirty and sticky.
  • Mayonnaise: The base of the Caesar dressing.
  • Shredded Parmesan cheese
  • Lemon juice: For the dressing and the avocado salsa verde. If you opt to use a fresh lemon, one should be more than enough.
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • Dijon mustard
  • Anchovy paste: Psst…..if you didn’t already know this, Caesar dressing typically contains anchovies. You can leave them out if you absolutely cannot stand the thought of anchovies.
  • Fresh garlic
  • Ground black pepper: Freshly ground if you can!
  • Chipotlé powder: I realize that this is a spice that most people do not keep on hand, so it’s definitely not a must. BUT I highly recommend it. I use it all the time and encourage you to give it a try. It has a nice smoky flavor and a bit of spice. Included below in the products recommendations section is an Amazon link if you wish to purchase some.
  • Romaine lettuce: Typically used for Caesar salad, but feel free to switch it up to another variety of greens if you prefer.
  • Red onion: Personally, I can’t stand eating tacos without onions, so they are a must. They add the perfect crunch and zing. Feel free to swap the red for white or leave them out altogether if you so choose.
  • Avocado: A small to medium-sized avocado will suffice.
  • Jalapeno: Just a small one. Or a serrano if you want to kick things up a notch.
  • Cilantro
  • Chicken tenderloins: They are the perfect size to cook up quickly.
  • Olive oil
  • Flour tortillas: I use flour, but you could easily substitute for soft corn tortillas or even crunchy taco shells. The choice is yours.

How to make chipotle chicken Caesar salad tacos with avocado salsa verde (+ tips)


Begin by setting your broiler to high heat ten minutes prior to use.

Place the tomatillos on a small baking sheet and broil for 10 minutes until the tops are browned. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Roasted tomatillos on baking sheet.

Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the caesar dressing in a large bowl.

Caesar salad dressing in bowl.

Add the lettuce and red onion and toss to combine.

Caesar salad in bowl.

Heat a cast-iron skillet or grill pan coated with olive oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with chipotle powder, black pepper, and salt. Place the chicken in the skillet and grill for four minutes then flip and grill another four minutes until it is no longer pink in the middle.

Grilled chicken in pan.

Remove the chicken from the skillet and let it rest for five minutes before cutting into it. This allows the juices to be retained resulting in more tender flavorful meat.

Meanwhile, prepare the avocado salsa verdé by placing the tomatillos, avocado, jalapeno, cilantro, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor or blender and pulsing until smooth. Set aside.

Avocado salsa verdé in bowl with spoon.

You may now slice the chicken into strips or cut it into cubes.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and warm both sides of the tortillas.

To assemble: Fill tortilla with grilled chicken, layer with Caesar salad, then top with avocado salsa verdé. Server warm.


Storage


Refrigerate the elements of this dish separately in airtight containers. The chicken will keep for four days and the salsa for up to five days. The salad, however, will not keep long, so I recommended leaving part of it undressed if you don’t plan on eating all the tacos right away.



Close up of chipotle chicken Caesar tacos.
Close up of a taco w/ a lemon wedge.

More taco recipes you may like:


  • Blackened Chicken Tacos: Simple to prepare in less than 30-minutes, these blackened chicken tacos are topped off with queso fresco and a refreshing Mexican-style slaw with tomato and avocado.
  • Fish Tacos with Serrano Lime Slaw & Avocado Salsa Verde: These fish tacos with Serrano lime slaw and avocado salsa verdé are bursting with flavor. They are citrusy and a little bit spicy with delightfully crispy fish. Can be prepped and plated in under 30 minutes making them perfect for your next Taco Tuesday.
  • Beef Birria Tacos with Consomé: These birria tacos are EVERYTHING!! They start with two corn tortillas dipped in consomé, then stuffed with cheese, and fried (Quesadilla!!). Next comes succulent, flavorful beef topped with onions, cilantro, and fresh lime juice. Served with a side of consomé for dipping.

If you make this chipotle chicken Caesar salad tacos with avocado salsa verdé I’d love your feedback. Please leave a comment and/or a rating below as I greatly value your opinion. Or snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @taoofspiceblog. Love, light, and happy cooking ya’ll ♥

Close up of chipotle chicken Caesar tacos.

Chipotle Chicken Caesar Tacos w/ Avocado Salsa Verdé

Yield: 8 tacos
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 38 minutes

Filled with grilled chicken and Caesar salad then topped with avocado salsa verdé; these chicken Caesar tacos with a Mexican twist are a delightfully fresh and delicious choice for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients

Avocado Salsa Verdé

  • 4 medium tomatillos, husked and rinsed
  • 1 small-medium avocado
  • 1 small jalapeno, roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2-3 tablespoons cilantro 

Caeser Salad

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise 
  • 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce  
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste 
  • 1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced, grated, or crushed
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 large head Romaine lettuce, rinsed and shredded 
  • 1/2 cup diced red onion 

For the tacos

  • 1 pound chicken tenderloins
  •  1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8 soft taco sized flour tortillas

Instructions

  1. Turn on broiler to high heat ten minutes prior to use.
  2. Place the tomatillos on a small baking sheet and broil for 10 minutes until the tops are browned. Remove from oven and set aside.
  3. Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the caesar dressing in a large bowl. Add the lettuce and onion and toss to combine. Set aside.
  4. Heat a cast-iron skillet or grill pan coated with olive oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with the chipotle powder, black pepper, and salt. Place it in the skillet and grill for four minutes then flip and grill another four minutes until it is no longer pink in the middle.
  5. Remove the chicken from the skillet and let rest for five minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, prepare the avocado salsa verdé by placing the tomatillos, avocado, jalapeno, cilantro, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor or blender and pulsing until smooth. Set aside.
  7. Slice the chicken into strips or cubes.
  8. Heat a skillet over medium heat and warm both sides of the tortillas.
  9. To assemble: Divide the chicken and Caesar salad between the tortillas then top with avocado salsa verdé and serve warm.

Storage: Refrigerate the elements of this dish separately in airtight containers. The chicken will keep for four days and the salsa for up to five days. The salad, however, will not keep long, so I recommended leaving part of it undressed if you don't plan on eating all the tacos right away.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1015Total Fat: 59gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 39gCholesterol: 163mgSodium: 2171mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 14gSugar: 8gProtein: 61g

The nutritional information provided is computer generated. It is only an estimate and intended for informational purposes only. Nutrition details may vary depending on various factors such as origin, freshness of ingredients, etc

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Facebook

Karina

Saturday 30th of January 2021

Delicsious

Jessica Halverstadt

Sunday 31st of January 2021

Yay, so glad you thought so! Thanks so much for trying the recipe!!

Skip to Recipe
Verified by MonsterInsights