I am super excited to have the opportunity to work with Kettle Brand chips and create a flavor
packed delicious meal to share with ya’ll! The best thing? I don’t
feel guilty since Kettle Brand uses only real, all-natural ingredients and is the first potato chip to be verified by the Non GMO Project! Bring on the chips!

I love that Kettle Brand Chips are the Real Kettle Chips because they are real chips made with real ingredients by real people! Comment below or click here and tell me why real ingredients are important in your recipes for a chance to win $250!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Kettle Brand. The opinions and text are all mine.

The idea for this recipe came to me when I was shopping at my local grocery store (commissary actually since I live by a military base). My husband and I had just discussed how we wanted to cut out some of the “junk” in our diet and eat more salads and healthy foods. So when I spotted the Kettle Brand chips display I knew I wanted to incorporate them into a salad. I originally want to use Kettle Brand’s Spicy Thai (doesn’t that sound amazing?!) but alas they were sold out (they must be THAT good) so my next choice was a no brainer: Jalapeno! My hubby and I like spice and these crispy chips were calling my name.

So naturally my brain started thinking…Jalapeno chips…Salad…Tacos..Taco Salad with Chip Crusted Chicken….oh my gosh that sounds delish! And that ladies and gentlemen is how this dish was dreamed up!

Why is it deconstructed, you ask? Well, as a home cook you have to roll with the punches. Lots of trial and error, of course. So originally I wanted to bake large tortilla bowls and fill them with the salad and then top them with the crusted chicken. Wouldn’t you know it, I get home and all I have are medium tortillas. So I served everything in bowls on the plate and we dipped and mixed and nibbled and had a grand ol’ time eating our deconstructed salad! Oh, and I must point out the chicken was moist and flavorful with a nice crunch and spicy kick…it is now one of my go to recipes! I loved that Kettle Brand chips weren’t greasy or overly salty, perfect for this recipe..and many more in the future!

Print Recipe

Deconstructed Taco Salads with Jalapeno Kettle Chip Crusted Chicken

(4 servings)

Ingredients

For Chicken:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, slice medium thickness
4 oz Kettle Brand Jalapeno flavored chips half a bag, crushed
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 tsp garlic powder

For the Salad:

1/2 a bag of Romaine Salad mix approx 2 cups
2 oz can black olives sliced
1/2 avocado diced
1 jalapeno seeded and diced (can sub pickled jalapenos)
1/2 yellow onion diced
1/4 cup green onion chopped
1/3 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese
4 medium flour tortillas or use large burrito size if you don't want it deconstructed
jarred salsa

For the Beans:

15 oz can black beans
1 oz Fire Roasted Green Chilies diced (1/2 small can)
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 chili powder
toppings leftover green and yellow onions, diced

For the Cilantro Creme:

1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp cilantro chopped
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp green onions diced

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Crush Kettle Jalapeno chips in a large freezer bag. (I just use my hands to crush roughly but you can use a rolling pin or food processor. But only crush until bite size and small not crumbs. You want to keep the chip texture.)
Set up a breading station with 3 bowls: one with beaten egg, one with flour seasoned with garlic powder and the last bowl with the crushed Kettle chips.
Set up a baking sheet and place a grill rack or cooling rack on top. Spray with cooking spray.
Time to bread the chicken! First dip in egg, then flour, shake off excess, then back in egg, then in crushed Kettle chips. Lay on rack on baking sheet.
Repeat with remaining chicken breasts.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
While the chicken is baking mix together sour cream, cilantro, lime juice, and 1 tbsp green onions in a bowl. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Add black beans with liquid and green chiles to a small saucepan over low heat.
Season with cumin and chili powder. Stir and keep warm until ready to serve.
Warm flour tortillas for 20 seconds in the microwave.
Using a jumbo muffin pan or popover pan, flip over and mold warm tortilla around it.
Bake for 5-8 minutes until browned and crispy.
Now it's time to assemble! Slice the chicken and arrange on a plate.
Scoop beans in a small ramekin sized bowl and garnish with onions and place next to chicken.
Take your tortilla bowls and fill with chopped lettuce, olives, onion, green onions, and jalapenos.
Top with cheese and sour cream mixture.
Place the tortilla salad on the plate and lastly add a side of salsa.

Notes

This is a flavor packed fun meal the whole family will enjoy.
Mix things together or eat separately, it's up to you!

Did you make this Recipe?Tag @flchefnicole or hashtag #fortheloveoffoodblog

For The Love of Food Blog

Refried beans may be the go to in Taco Salads but I prefer black beans. I added Fire Roasted Green Chilies for some subtle heat and then seasoned with Cumin (I like Roasted) and Chili Powder (I like Ancho Chile). Both seasonings don’t add a lot of heat but give it a smoky finish.

Put chips in bag, crush chips with your hands, put in bowl and you are ready to coat the chicken. It doesn’t get any easier than that! BONUS: Make yourself a bowl of the leftover chips you didn’t need so you have a snack while you’re cooking away 😉

Make a breading station with a bowl of crushed Kettle Brand chips, beaten egg, and flour seasoned with garlic powder. Dip in egg, then flour, then egg again, then finally roll and press in crushed chips.

Oh and yes I see that Ava’s rubber ducky photo bombed this pic…sneaky guy!

Place chicken on greased tray with a rack and bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.

I used a Popover pan but a Jumbo Muffin pan works well too. Place warm tortillas on the bottom of the muffin molds, press to form a bowl, and bake in the oven on 350 degrees for about 5-8 minutes until golden and crispy.

Let me just show off another one of my kitchen gadgets: a jalapeno corer! Simple as 1, 2, 3. Push in, twist, and pull out the core and seeds. Handy dandy if you use fresh jalapeno often (I like to make stuffed Jalapenos on the grill!). I bought mine at Sur La Table.

Toppings: avocado, black olives, green and yellow onion, and jalapeno. You can also add tomato if you want. I have a secret … I am not a fan of tomatoes so you don’t see them in many of my recipes!

Chicken and tortilla bowls golden and crispy right out of the oven.

This sauce is so easy and is a perfect topping to cool down the heat if you can’t handle the spice.

I could be fancy and call it a Creme but really folks it’s just sour cream, cilantro, lime juice, and green onions.

The Jalapeno Chicken goes perfectly with the smoky black beans and the refreshing salad.

Crispy, golden and delicious! Deconstructed Taco Salads with Jalapeno Kettle Chip Crusted Chicken were a hit in my house! Can’t wait for you to try them for your family tonight!

Deconstructed Taco Salads with Jalapeno Kettle Chip Crusted Chicken