What's on the Grill #270: Mexican Chicken Salad

I love variety.  Textures, tastes, colors…you name it.  Variety, after all, is the spice of life.  Of course, so is a full beer fridge, but I digress...

To "grill" a meal doesn't always mean to grill everything.  In fact, sometimes the best meals are where only a small part of the feast hits flame.  This salad is no exception.

It's a substitution/sped up version from Weber's Way to Grill.  Fast, easy, and satisfying.  More of the variety I like.

Mexican Chicken Salad
Adapted from Weber's Way to Grill

 3 Boneless chicken breasts    <Yeah, I know…but we are going to pound the hell out of them>

Dressing

1 large poblano chile pepper
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro
1 T fresh lime juice
1 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove
1/2 t ground cumin
1/2 t kosher salt
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper

Salad

4 cups thinly sliced romaine lettuce
1 cup medium-diced ripe tomato
2 avocados, diced
1 can pinto or black beans, rinsed

Grill the poblano over direct medium heat, turning so the skin blackens all over.  Once done, place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Allow the pepper to steam for about ten minutes.  Then, remove the blackened skin and de-seed.  For pictures of the process, check out this post.

Place the pepper in a blender with the remaining dressing ingredients and blend until smooth.

I'm using boneless skinless chicken breasts, so the only acceptable way of cooking them is to ensure they are pounded to death.  The only thing worse than a boneless skinless chicken breast is one that has not met Mr. Mallet.

Grill the chicken over direct medium heat until cooked through.

Arrange the romaine on a plate.  Top with the tomato, avocados, beans and sliced chicken.

The dressing is so good, I recommend making a double batch otherwise there will be a fight for the last dregs.  Trust me on this.