Served with Jalapeño-Lime Dressing.
Back in 2003, Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse movie theater drew-up a special menu to promote local movie director Robert Rodriguez’s Once Upon a Time in Mexico. Included was this special chicken salad recipe. Made with Mexican cotija cheese, it’s both quite innovative and tasty. The jalapeño salad dressing is truly delicious. It lasts for two weeks in the fridge.
The Alamo’s special menu items are always worth the price of admission alone.
From the cookbook Austin Chef’s Table: Extraordinary Recipes from the Texas Capital.
Once Upon a Time in Mexico Chicken Salad with Jalapeño-Lime Dressing
- Total Time: 1 hr 30 min
- Yield: 2 1x
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 4 fresh jalapeños
- 1 tablespoon lime zest
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 3/4 cups olive oil
Salad:
- 3 ounces (or 2 1/2 cups) mixed salad greens
- 1/2 julienned jicama
- 3 tablespoons thinly sliced red onion
- 1/4 avoccado, sliced
- 1 (4-ounce) chicken breast, grilled, baked or pan-fried, and sliced
- 1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese
- 3/4 cup crispy tortilla strips
Instructions
- For the dressing, roast the jalapeños on a grill until the skins blacken and peel, about 4 to 8 minutes.
- Place them in a container and cover tightly for about 30 minutes.
- Peel and seed the jalapeños, using gloves.
- Combine the jalapeños, lime zest, mustard, vinegar and salt in a food processor or blender, and blend until it is a smooth puree.
- With the processor running, pour in the oil in a thin, steady stream to emulsify.
- Dressing will keep for two weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- For the salad, place the greens in a large salad bowl.
- Toss evenly with 1 1/2 tablespoons jalapeño-lime dressing. Top with jicama, red onion and avocado slices.
- Place warm chicken slices fanned across the center.
- Sprinkle with cotija cheese and top with a stack of crispy tortilla chips.
Notes
The jalapeño salad dressing is excellent and lasts for two weeks in the fridge.
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