What happens when you use Cobb Salad as your inspiration for making tacos? You create Ranch Chicken Tacos. This delightful dinner mash-up consists of chicken seasoned with dry ranch mix that is lighted sautéed and served in a tortilla topped with lettuce, sliced tomatoes, bacon, cilantro, and queso fresco and then drizzled with salsa and an avocado ranch crema. It’s a really fun twist on taco Tuesday.
These tacos have a refreshing and tangy ranch flavor. The avocado ranch crema is an alternative to the ranch dressing on cobb salads that more fitting for a taco. While my tacos were not spicy, you could easily up the spice level by adding a hot salsa.
This satisfying meal takes just 20 minutes to prepare, making it a perfect weeknight meal. If you want to try some different taco toppings you could add corn, black beans, or bell pepper. You could serve this as a salad bowl instead of a taco, just add more lettuce and omit the tortilla, and use the avocado ranch crema and salsa as dressing.
Yields 4
10 minPrep Time
15 minCook Time
25 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
- 1 tablespoon, plus 1/2 teaspoon Dry Ranch Dressing
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 4 slices Bacon
- 1/2 cup Light Sour Cream
- 1/2 an Avocado
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- Lettuce
- Tomato
- Cilantro
- Queso Fresco
- Salsa
- Tortillas
Instructions
- Start by crisping up your bacon. Heat your oven to 400 degrees, place the bacon on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil for easy clean up, and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until crisp.
- While the bacon is baking, cut the chicken breasts into pieces about 1/2 inch thick and 2 inches long, and place it in a large ziplock bag. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of dry ranch dressing over the chicken. Seal the bag, and shake the chicken around to evenly distribute the ranch seasoning.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken in the skillet and let cook for 1 minute, until slightly browned, and flip the chicken over. Cook for another minute. Then cover the skillet, reduce heat to low, and let cook for another 10 minutes. Don't lift the lid on the skillet, or do anything to the chicken for 10 minutes, this is the secret to really tender and moist chicken.
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the avocado crema. I used a blender, but you really don't have to. Just combine the avocado, sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon of dry ranch dressing, and the lemon juice. Mashing the avocado with a fork will do if you don't want to dirty your blender.
- Alright, now you have bacon, chicken, and avocado ranch crema. It's time to assemble some tacos. Warm the tortillas by tossing them in the warm oven for a minute, and then fill them with lettuce, chicken, tomato, cilantro, queso fresco, and bacon, and then drizzle the avocado ranch crema and some salsa over.