We’re on the far edge of salad season, and so I’ll leave this one with you to finish off the year in a fresh and hearty bang. This piri piri chicken salad is one of my faves from the whole year, hearty enough to keep you warm as the temps drop outside, fresh enough to keep you feeling so before we all start to carb load for the holidays and beyond. We all know it’s coming!
The piri-piri spice mix you see here is nothing new. I’ve used it more than a few times and with similarly spectacular results each time. It went from a roast, to a chili and now onto a salad. Multi-tasking and multi-tasting along the way.
Like all of the salads that I assemble for my dining pleasure, I needs it to have dimension. I came to this after reflecting on why those $16 salads that I would buy at a restaurant, or even as take away, were better than anything I ever made at home. I got the secret down pat, and have never looked back. Here we have it: some sweet, some spice, some crunch, some protein. Cheese is usually a given, nuts are anything but an afterthought and a homemade dressing to complement the whole thing. This covers the bases.
Roasted tomatoes (which have become lately the primary way in which I eat tomatoes and roasted onions and peppers give fresh veggies a hearty fall-ness about them. White beans for added protein and heft complement the broiled (or grilled!) marinated chicken thighs. Fresh herbs as always for…well, freshness.
Want some extra crunch? Toasted pepitas would do the trick.
The dressing on this one is a semi-homemade concoction, a simple mix of refrigerator ranch dressing mixed with chili powder. Done and done, simple as it gets.
And this salad, as pretty as it gets.
Piri Piri Chicken Salad
October 18, 2019
: 4
: 1 hr 30 min
: Easy
Spicy piri piri chicken salad has marinated chicken thighs layered with beans, roasted tomatoes, charred peppers, fresh parsley with a spicy chili ranch dressing.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
- 2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 TB dried marjoram
- 1 TB dried thyme
- 1 TB coarse sea salt
- 1 TB cumin
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp hot chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 TB olive oil
- 1/2 lemon, juiced (about 2 TB)
- 1 14-oz can white beans
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1 orange peper, sliced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 2 TB olive oil
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 4 cups chopped lettuce (romaine or butter)
- 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup ranch dressing
- 2 TB, heaping, chili powder
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 375F.
- Step 2 In a deep bowl or a ziplock bag, add the spices (fennel to oregano), lemon juice and 2 TB olive oil. Add the chicken thighs, and toss well to coat. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
- Step 3 On one side of a rimmed baking sheet, add the tomatoes. Toss with 1 TB olive oil. On the other side of the baking sheet, add the onions and pepper, and toss with remaining olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, and removing the tomatoes if they start to cook faster than the onions and peppers. You’ll want them charred until they burst, but not burning on the cookie sheet.
- Step 4 Make the dressing by combining the ranch with the chili powder. Set aside.
- Step 5 Once the vegetables are cooked, turn the broiler onto high. Remove the chicken from the bag and lay in a single layer on a cookie sheet or broiling pan. Broil 4 minutes, flip and broil another 3 minutes, or until the chicken has cooked through (depending on the thickness of your chicken). Set aside at least 5 minutes to rest before slicing into strips.
- Step 6 Assemble each salad by diving the ingredients between four salad plates. Serve warm.
