What did we get up to while our kids’ time away overlapped for two weeks this summer? Did we go on vacation? Did we party every night? The truth is honestly embarrassing, so middle-aged coded, Deb of the early Smitten Kitchen years would rage and weep. [“You promised you wouldn’t get lame!”] I got… orthotics. And even worse than considering this newsworthy, I love them. I caught up on appointments. I challenged myself to finish books before they were overdue at the library and occasionally pulled it off. Sometimes I drank an entire 8 glasses of water and went to bed by 10:30pm. Sure, we went out. We had uninterrupted conversations. We drank Hugo spritzes. We saw dogs playing in a kiddie pool set up in front of an open fire hydrant and lamented that the kids were missing it, then reloaded their last locations and photos from the camp stream a million more times. We said things to each other like, “I miss the kids, but not parenting.” I watched this clip and it emotionally wrecked me. I’d sleep through my alarm in the morning and nobody was there to tell me I make weird faces in my sleep or that they’d promised they’d bring homemade treats to school that day. Friends, it was wild.
And the party didn’t end there. I’d make big dinner salads and bask, revel in being able to mix it all together, dressing too, not having to leave it on the side or create a whole salad bar of build-your-own bowl ingredients in case an unnamed picky child was going to reject the whole due to some of the parts. And in the most buried lede of all buried ledes, I need to tell you that this specific salad instantly became the star of our whole summer.
This salad could medal in the summer dinner salad Olympics, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s not even close. I’m pretty sure I’m going to be making it for the rest of my life, but I’m hoping you might start sooner, and even pull it off in a vacation house rental kitchen. It started in a more complex place; I’ve been making variations on what I call a Southwestern Cobb salad for years, a kinda taco bowl salad, with cute little rows of everything from tomatoes to black beans and peppers but every time I decide it was time to share it, I’d sigh and have to admit it was a bit of work.
Instead, I’ve distilled it to what I consider the best, most essential parts: chili-rubbed grilled chicken, charred sweet corn, avocado, and the best, most habit-forming, most put-it-on-everything, most I-can’t-stop-thinking-about-it cilantro lime dressing on earth. The whole thing is a symphony of greens and yellows (my favorite colors) and lest you think this feels a bit too wholesome and adult, I highly recommend a bowl of Fritos on the side and occasionally crumbled on top. A glass of something cold condensating on the table, your toes in the sand, and the general feeling that life is actually pretty grand right now isn’t guaranteed, but I want this for you, for us, and I hope this salad helps.
It’s here! The 2025 SK Classroom Wishlist Project, in which we try to get teachers what they need to set their classrooms up for success, has kicked off. If you cannot figure out where to start, let me help! I recommend picking a school in your area, or perhaps where you grew up, or searching the descriptions for classrooms that might focus on something particularly meaningful to you. Help out if you feel you’re able. There is no purchase too small to unquestionably make a teacher’s (and their students’) day. Plus, buying crayons, pencils, and books that help kids learn and succeed feels really good. [Project information. Direct link to spreadsheet.]
Video
Grilled Chicken Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing
- 1 2-ounce bundle cilantro, leaves and stems (trim brown ends)
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and roughly chopped
- Finely grated zest and juice of 2 medium/large limes
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Oil for brushing grill
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ears corn on the cob, shucked
- 1 5-ounce package of leafy green lettuce
- 1 firm-ripe avocado, sliced thin
- A bowl of Fritos (I don’t consider this optional)
Dressing
Salad
Make the salad: Pat chicken dry. Season chicken thighs on both sides with the chili powder and salt. Prepare your grill by heating to a medium-high heat, although I go fully to high on my small, not terribly robust grill. Lightly oil the grates and place thighs and corn on the grill. Grill chicken thighs for 4 to 5 minutes on the first side and 3 to 4 on the second. Grill corn until dark spots appear underneath, then rotate the cobs, continuing to char them in spots all around.
Cut the chicken into thin strips. Using a towel or mitts to hold the corn (it stays hot), cut the kernels off the cob.
Assemble and serve: Place salad greens in a large bowl and toss with some of the cilantro-lime dressing. Arrange chicken, corn, and avocado over the lettuce, and drizzle with more dressing. Serve remaining dressing on the side, along with bowls of Fritos.
Do ahead: Please don’t ask me the food science behind this, but this dressing doesn’t discolor (magic, obviously) and keeps fantastically in the fridge for 5 to 6 days. Mine has yet to even separate. Grilled chicken and corn keep for a couple days in the fridge.
Previously
6 months ago: Classic Lemon Curd Tart
1 year ago: Salted Caramel Peach Crisp
2 years ago: Buffalo Chicken Cobb Salad and Raspberry Streusel Muffins.
3 years ago: Buttered Noodles for Frances
4 years ago: Deviled Eggs
5 years ago: Pasta with Pesto Genovese
6 years ago: Frozen Watermelon Mojitos
7 years ago: Corn Fritters and Bourbon Peach Smash
8 years ago: Hummus Heaped with Tomatoes and Cucumbers
9 years ago: Corn, Bacon and Parmesan Pasta
10 years ago: Tomato and Fried Provolone Sandwich
11 years ago: Easiest Fridge Dill Pickles and Grilled Peach Splits
12 years ago: One-Pan Farro with Tomatoes and Hot Fudge Sundae Cake
13 years ago: Bacon Corn Hash
14 years ago: Whole Wheat Raspberry Ricotta Scones
15 years ago: Mango Slaw with Cashews and Mint, Thai-Style Chicken Legs, Peach Blueberry Cobbler, and Scalloped Tomatoes with Croutons
16 years ago: Light Brioche Burger Buns, Blueberry Boy Bait, and Lemony Zucchini Goat Cheese Pizza
17 years ago: Chocolate Sorbet
18 years ago: Double Chocolate Layer Cake
Orthotics changed my life. Have you been to a museum yet wearing them? We spent hours at The Met on Saturday, and I wasn’t weeping from pain at the end. I like wearing them with New Balance sneakers to finish off the whole look.
Papalo, if you can find or grow it. Similar to cilantro, but a great substitute for those of us who think cilantro tastes like soap.
Sorry. This reply was for Ken, below!
I hate to ask (because I love cilantro!), but if making this for someone who has the dreaded gene that makes cilantro taste like soap, what is a good substitute? Basil? Thanks!
I would suggest mint, but basil is lovely, too.
My go-to replacement is flat-leaved parsley.
What would you suggest as a sub for the cilantro (if it’s even possible)? I get violent nausea any time I eat it, so it’s a hard no for me. Would another herb work or do I just need my own dressing?
I make a basil and mustard honey dressing that is lovely so I bet subbing basil would be lovely.
Also here wondering about dressing alternatives bc this sounds so good but I loath cilantro. Not a huge fan of basil that someone else suggested either.
Parsley is a good sub for cilantro if you want the body and the color from the greens but not the cilantro taste. Flat leaf and curly are both options (i don’t like the curly by itself, but in a dressing I bet it would be just fine).
i love it when i read the new recipe and think, “i have everything i need to make this in the house”. thanks for being so great!
This looks amazing and I’m excited to make this salad! I’ve made essentially this same dressing for years, just with a little less olive oil, and it’s incredible on so many things – salads, grilled fish, shrimp, white beans, hummus, daal, tuna tostada, etc. It works so well with Indian, Mexican, and various Mediterranean flavors.
Oooh this looks good and I’m going to make it in time for our next heat wave. Summer is saved! (I’ve already made the cucumber crunch salad with tofu three times this summer so I need another go-to!)
The dressing is reminiscent of something I got from the Homesick Texan cookbook – her Jalapeno Mustard roast chicken. It’s a marinade made of yellow mustard, jalapeno, and cilantro. It is the most neon color ever and is SO freaking good. I highly highly recommend trying it.
My most tippy top chicken recipe is Deb’s recipe for Chicken Gyro Salad – I skip the salad part but do the chicken marinade and grill regularly. I think this recipe looks like a close contender!
Okay, haha, you lured me into commenting for the first time with fritos, even though I eat your recipes at least twice a week and own all the cookbooks. I literally clicked over because of the fritos and now I need to know — to me, fritos means the BBQ ones. Do you mean the plan corn ones or the spicy ones?
PS thank you for everything you do, we eat so much better because of you!
I honestly didn’t know know they came in anything besides plain corn!
Oooh, the chili cheese flavor would be fantastic in this!! And would give me an opportunity to eat my fav college late-night snack!
Think this calls for lime and chili fritos : ).
Any suggestions for a sub for scallions? Would red onion work?
Red onion might, but scallions are so light in flavor. If it were me, I would likely just sub in onion powder, starting with 1/4 teaspoon and go from there.
We had this for dinner tonight and it was a hit!
I added cotija cheese and seasoned the chicken with a fajita seasoning instead of chili powder, but everything else was as written. The dressing is fun and interesting, and the burst of salt you get with the Fritos is the surprise inside. Definitely don’t skip the Fritos.
Esquites con pollo!
Yes, of course I’m going to make this. Because it sounds delicious and your recipes are so count-on-ably really good and reliable. But mostly this time because the pre-amble is sooooo good and eminently relatable.
Sounds amazing. How would you cook the chicken in the oven, please?
I’d probably just brown it on the stove or in a grill pan. You can bake it, but it will have the least color and texture.
I remember the days when Deb used to hate coriander (cilantro). I miss those days ;)
I suppose it can be omitted but would it be so far removed from the original as to completely miss the point?
I consider coriander to be the work of Beelzebub.
Ha! I would just make a scallion-japapeno-lime juice vinaigrette. I suppose you could use parsley instead if you wanted it to be green.
Thank you!
Basil also goes really well with lime and jalapenos.
I’ve discovered the best thing for holding hot corn when cutting off the kernels – the type of rubber gloves I use for washing dishes. Not sure if I’m the only person who keeps them around, but if you’ve got them they make this task much easier.
I’m headed to a beautiful mountain swimming pool with my sister, and niece this afternoon.
This looks like the perfect make ahead for dinner tonight! I’m going to double the recipe, and send dinner home with everyone.
I took note of the reader’s suggestion of cotija cheese too!
Deb! I thought you disliked cilantro! Will there be more cilantro recipes to come?
Ha! I’m working on it. I’ve been in the stage of Liking It With Other Things for the last decade or so — garlic, lime, some Thai ingredients. I love it here. I still don’t like it plain.
Made this for dinner tonight. It was fantastic. I did add some cherry tomatoes to the salad because I needed to use them up but otherwise followed it exactly. I forgot the Fritos so I guess I have to make it again!!!
Thank you for the Classroom Project, Deb! What an awesome use of your dedicated audience – love love love. PS: Just brought your Brown Butter RKTs to my local Movies in the Park, to rave reviews as always. Topped half w/ green sprinkles, half w/ pink…three guesses what the movie was. ;-)
I don’t have a grill – any recommendations for cooking the chicken in the oven?
I would try it on a hot heat – at least 400 and cook for somewhere between 20-35 min, depending on size and the actual temp of your oven. I always test until the thighs are at the 180 mark. I would also consider throwing them under the broiler for a little color if they need it. Consider a drop or two of liquid smoke or a smoked paprika/pepper of some sort to get a hint of the smokiness the grill imparts. Usually if I know I’m baking thighs, I’ll use bone in, skin on and they take 35-40 min to get cooked through in my oven at 400. Benefit there is crispy skin!
OK, call me late middle age myself, but I actually kinda wanna hear more about the orthotics.
Not Deb, but I’m nearly Deb’s age and got custom orthotics last year. The folks I worked with were brilliantly talented at diagnosing and addressing my feet’s needs. (It was many moments of “so I’m not just picky AND I KNEW the condition of my feet could be improved!”) Subsequently, I sought out and bought more pairs of the shoes to which my orthotics were fitted, and I wear them every day.
My health insurance covered parts of the process, but if it hadn’t, I would have found ways to pay anyhow. The orthotics are that life-changing.
Deb, the salad sounds awesome. Your writing style and sense of humor have stayed delightfully the same and you’re still the unimpeachable source for home cooks but the photographs have become a bit over saturated in the past year or so. I hope I’m not the only one feeling this way. I miss the old, homey, relatable pics.
I’m not sure what you mean by this. I always feel like Deb’s photos are perfect for the recipe and helping us visualize the steps and end product. Cameras are better these days, but I don’t sense a change in overall tone and presentation.
I searched for other corn recipes just to be sure I wasn’t imagining the oversaturation. I never said Deb’s tone has changed. It might be a personal preference but I liked the pics better a couple of years ago.
Hi! I never bump the saturation on photos. This was just a weird light that day and the colors were glowy. [I actually disliked the way the photos came out and was going to reshoot them, but talked myself out of that insanity, at least for this summer.] I’m not a professional photographer; I just play one on the internet and sometimes in cookbooks. 😉
Hi Deb, then I must have come across a few like that and assumed that something has changed with your saturation settings. Sweet of you to clear that up.
My kitchen scale is kaput. Anyone have a rough idea of how much 2oz of cilantro is? 1/4cup??
Look at https://www.americastestkitchen.com/articles/3362-our-handy-guide-to-herb-yields
Or just eyeball the amount you want/have. Surely it is flexible.
Thanks so much for answering! I ended up realizing that it was most of a typical bunch and used most of mine. This was SO good. My daughter made me promise to make it again before she leaves for college, which is next week!
I’ve just added a video above the recipe — it’s a sizable bundle, much more than 1/4 cup.
I actually weighed my cilantro, and it was the entire bundle from the grocery store. The bunch was probably about an inch or so in diameter when tied together. I would think it was closer to a cup.
Pescatarian here – do you think this would work with salmon, or tofu?
I’d go with either shrimp or a white fish.
Absolutely. I think chili-rubbed grilled tofu would be delicious.
Thank you! Coming from a vegetarian I will try with the chili-rubbed grilled tofu.
So sorry to be this person, but is there any way I could make this without access to a grill? I know it won’t be quite the same but I would love to make this. I was thinking oven/broil for the corn and pan-fry the chicken?
I made the dressing and air fried a couple of ears of corn but used rotisserie chicken I already had. Deb’s was probably better (duh!) but we loved it!
They have char grilled corn in the freezer section at Trader Joe’s. I am sure that they have it other places, but that is where I do much of my shopping.
Of course. And yes, I would do it exactly like that. If you have a gas stove, you can char the corn on the flame, too.
Made it! It’s genuinely excellent, just don’t go into it expecting a super fast, easy dinner, go into it if you have 90 minutes of leisurely time (due to chopping/zesting and the time it takes for the corn/chicken to cook).
I baked the chicken thighs in my small oven on a rack for 38 mins at 425. I also boiled the corn in a pan then charred it afterward for browning, was also super good.
The dressing will make anything incredible, so don’t be afraid to cook the corn/chicken however is easiest for you. The dressing really is THAT good, I’m a cilantro lover to begin with, but still.
We made this today! The salad and dressing were great. I really love SK’s Apple and Cheddar Crisp salad in the fall and winter, and I’m happy to have a second good summery seasonal substitute now. (I also love the gyro salad recipe this time of year!) I would recommend starting with half the jalapeño and adding more to taste if you live with spice-averse folks. I made a spicy batch of dressing as written for me and a less-spicy one with less jalapeño for other folks.
I just finished dinner having made this dressing a few hours earlier. It was wonderful. Thank you!
Oh Deb, thanks for this perfect salad! 10/10 and made exactly to the recipe. I was a wee nervous that the dressing might be too lime-y for my tastes but it was perfection. This will be in the rotation for as long as I can get fresh corn.
Where I live I cannot grill – can you recommend a substitute way to
cook the chicken ( I can figure out the corn)?
Thanks
Thank you for helping with the 2025 SK Classroom Wishlist Project. Would you also consider helping the kids and babies in Gaza? They don’t have a classroom, thanks to Israel’s genocide, starvation, and bombing. Thank you in advance.
I’ll take the bait. These are very separate issues. Teachers in the USA are expected to provide more and more materials for their students every year, and both State and Federal funds for education continue to diminish, so supporting teachers in America doesn’t mean we don’t care about the war(s) in the Middle East.
This salad is absolutely fantastic! The dressing alone is worth its weight in gold—or limes!
On cooking the chicken thighs without a grill: so far, it works for me to use the oven. I put a well-oiled sheet pan in the oven while it preheats to 400-425 degrees, then give it a couple minutes more at full heat. I oil and season the chicken well, slap it on the hot pan, and let it rip. It’s done when the edges are very dark and crisp and all the flesh is deep brown.
Can line the pan with foil to aid in cleanup.
This was excellent! I’ve already “warned” my family that they’ll be eating it again this week (it’s too hot to make anything else). A winner! So refreshing.
Long time fan, first time commenter.
I’m making this tonight!
But in the meantime, what do I do with my leftover mashed potatoes that isn’t Shepherd’s Pie and goes well with oppressive August heat?
Someday, pleeeease compile a recipe collection of what to with leftovers. Thank you, Deb.
You might think it’s bonkers to turn on the oven, but: potato scones is a way to use up leftover mash.
You can make fritter/pancakes like this: potato scallion and kale cakes
Fish cakes with leftover mashed potatoes. There are lots of recipes on line depending on how much fish and how much potato you have.
Make mashed potato waffles as a base for poached eggs for breakfast! No oven required.
The dressing sounds delicious!
This was such a hit that my dad, a known salad skeptic, went back for seconds!
Deb, this is peak summer dinner-salad energy. The chili-rub on thighs (and your 4–5/3–4 min grill timing) gave me juicy slices, and the charred corn + avocado combo is such a good textural contrast. That blender cilantro–lime dressing—cilantro stems! scallions, jalapeño, zest + juice—hits all the notes and I love that it actually stays bright for days. I tossed a spoonful with the warm corn before assembling and it made the whole bowl pop. For cilantro-averse friends, parsley + a few mint leaves works surprisingly well, and a handful of pickled red onions plays nicely with the dressing. Also, “Fritos on top” is the chaotic-good crunch I didn’t know I needed. Saving this as a weekly repeater.
Between this and the tofu cucumber crunch salad I don’t need to eat anything else for lunch ever again!
Made this for dinner tonight, so delicious and came together quickly! I didn’t have any avocados but crumbled some feta on top with a sprinkling of Tajin, also added a heaping tablespoon of sour cream to the dressing because my household is partial to creamy dressing.
So good! We don’t have a grill or space for one in *our* NYC apartment, so I singed the kernels over the gas flame and then also ran them under the broiler for good measure, and I cooked the chicken in a hot cast iron on the stove. The dressing is delicious and comes together quite easily, I found. Next time I might use romaine or another slightly sturdier lettuce, as my green leaf was slightly softer than I would’ve liked, but that may have just been the heat–and the salad was still a total win. Don’t skip the Fritos!
This dressing was a a huge success – despite not adding the garlic or jalapeno. Sometimes you have to power through even if you have missing ingredients and picky teens. In fact, it was so good we made it our topping sauce for salmon bowls the next night.
Truly delicious. Loved the way the chili rub works alongside the dressing. Added some black beans for some more bulk and nutrition and loved them in the mix. Had the Fritos but forgot them! Agony. Will just have to enjoy this again :) (and enjoy some Fritos ;))
As others have already commented this salad is fantastic! The dressing really sets it off. I added black beans and feta to bulk it up since Fritos weren’t in the cards. I’ll definitely come back to this recipe.
I can’t wait to make this! Can I ask an annoying question? (Sorry.) Do you mind sharing where you got that green cutting board? I loooove the color. Or do you have a cutting board recommendation in general? Thank you Deb! I love your recipes ❤️
I made this salad last night and it was so delicious that I think my husband and I might have to arm wrestle for the leftovers.
This is so delicious, a huge hit with the family! The (leftover) cilantro-lime dressing is amazing and takes grilled halibut to a new level!
Any suggestions for the cilantro-tastes-like-soap camp? I love everything about this, but unfortunately, I have the dumb gene. Parsley to go more of a chimichurri route?
I was planning taco night and my son asked for a salad. I happened to see this and it was a perfect fit for everything I had on hand (though we had tortillas instead of Fritos, but that worked just fine). At first the dressing was really sour, but some additional salt and olive oil fixed that up (my limes were larger than usual). I had Serrano peppers and used about half of one, was plenty spicy enough for us. I put all the ingredients on a large platter and let the kids pick and choose how they fixed it up. One did a full salad and the other made tacos but they both raved about that dressing – it was excellent. Thanks for sharing!!
Made as written and it was the perfect summer dinner!! Thanks, Deb!
I made a vegetarian version of this and it was delicious! I used sliced Impossible chicken patties (sprinkled with chili powder after cooking) and added in some black beans. It made for a very satisfying dinner salad.
This was delicious, but I’m curious as to why we simply rub the spices on the dry chicken in this one, as opposed to going with the wet brine first, as in the chicken Caesar recipe? Since it seems to be a foolproof method to avoid drying out your chicken, I brined first, then patted dry and added the spices. Worked great.
I don’t find that chicken thighs need the brine — they’re plenty moist grilled without a brine.
As in previous years, thank you for putting this list together, Deb! I want to point out that the teacher on line 207 (from Boston, MA) didn’t put an address in their amazon wishlist so I’m unable to send my purchases. Please tell them to update this info.
Is this meant to be served while the chicken and corn are hot, or would room temp be fine? I’d like to serve for dinner but prepare in the afternoon and then assemble/serve a few hours later.
Room temperature is also fine, so is warm corn and chicken.
This salad is SO good. My husband and I loved the dressing– my daughter said it was too lime-y but she loved the avocado and the fritos haha.
I didn’t feel like grilling the chicken so I poached it and then I tossed the chicken in a yummy aioli type sauce that borrowed the extra ingredients from the dressing plus some extras: pistacios, cilantro, parm cheese, olive oil, garlic, scallions and mayo blended with an immersion blender. I tossed the poached chicken with this to make a cilantro chicken salad and I scooped that on top of the green salad. I am obsessed.
This was amazing! We gobbled it right up. Just two of us so it was over two days and my kitchen smelled delicious the entire time. This recipe will be a keeper for us. Thank you!
What a delight this was! It took me longer than an hour but it was well worth the effort! The dressing is a keeper!
Another home run, Deb! I don’t have a grill, so had to punt. It was delicious anyway. I mean, that dressing is THE BOMB.
I used shredded rotisserie chicken and warmed it up in a saute pan (with the seasoning above). Charred the corn kernels in another pan. It all came together quickly. I also added sliced cherry tomatoes. Almost skipped the Fritos but thought what the hell. I understand now why they are not optional!
Thanks for another winning recipe.
Love this dressing!!!
For anyone wondering, I made this without the fritos (we don’t have fritos in Canada) and it was still amazing. I probably could have used regular tortilla chips but it was great without the junk food!
This was delish. Did it with grilled shrimp and you’re right, the Fritos are absolutely not optional.
Okay this is my second comment to let you know that the vinaigrette freezes beautifully! Just thawed the excess out today (~4 weeks later) and it was as good as the day I made it.
This was good! I love it when something lands in your inbox — which this did — and turns out to be perfect for that night. We’re in the thick of CSA season, so I did use what I had: no lettuce, but I substituted lacinato kale. I also threw in a few green beans that were crying to be used up, and I substituted red onion for the scallions and an unidentified red chile for the jalapeno. I added half a can of black beans. The dressing was delicious. Will add to the rotation.