Chipotle-Dressed Chopped Salad with Chicken, Avocado, and Tortilla Strips
Rick Bayless created this composed chopped salad at Topolobampo — the upscale counterpart to his more casual Frontera Grill — as a main-course salad that could anchor a lunch menu without feeling heavy. It is built on the logic of a Mexican taco bowl but plated as a restaurant salad: each component is prepared separately and combined at service, so nothing wilts or steams in its own heat. The Creamy-Chipotle-Lime-Dressing — smoky, tangy, and just rich enough from the chipotle adobo — ties all the separate components together. It is one of the most copied formats in Mexican-American restaurant cooking.
Ingredients (serves 4)
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs | 500 g |
| Romaine lettuce hearts, chopped into 2 cm pieces | 2 heads |
| Cherry tomatoes, halved | 200 g |
| Ripe avocado, diced | 2 |
| Tinned black beans, drained and rinsed | 200 g |
| Corn kernels (fresh grilled or frozen, thawed) | 150 g |
| Red onion, finely diced (soaked in cold water) | ½ medium |
| Cotija or sharp cheddar, crumbled or grated | 60 g |
| Fresh cilantro, roughly chopped | 3 tbsp |
| Corn tortillas (for strips) | 3 |
| Neutral oil for frying | 200 ml |
| Ground cumin | ½ tsp (for chicken) |
| Smoked paprika | ½ tsp (for chicken) |
| Salt and black pepper | to taste |
| Lime, cut into wedges | 2 |
For the dressing: → Creamy-Chipotle-Lime-Dressing
Method
- Season the chicken with cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Grill over medium-high heat or cook in a hot cast-iron pan with a small amount of oil for 5–6 minutes per side until cooked through (internal temperature 74 °C). Set aside to rest for 5 minutes, then slice against the grain or shred into large pieces.
- Make the tortilla strips: cut the corn tortillas into thin strips, 5 mm wide. Heat 200 ml of neutral oil in a small pan to 175 °C. Fry the strips in batches for 2–3 minutes until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels; season with salt immediately.
- Prepare the Creamy-Chipotle-Lime-Dressing.
- In a large bowl, toss the chopped romaine with half the dressing. Season with salt.
- To assemble: divide the dressed romaine among four large plates or bowls. Arrange the chicken, black beans, corn, cherry tomatoes, and avocado in distinct sections over the lettuce — the “chopped salad” presentation keeps each component identifiable.
- Scatter the diced red onion, cotija, and cilantro over everything.
- Stack a small bundle of tortilla strips on top of each plate — or pile them in the centre as a shared crunchy element.
- Drizzle additional dressing over the assembled plates. Serve with lime wedges.
Notes
- Bayless’s approach at Topolobampo is to dress the greens separately and then layer components, so every forkful includes dressing. At Frontera, it is often tossed together — either approach works.
- The tortilla strips are the critical texture element. Do not substitute with store-bought tortilla chips, which are thicker and don’t have the same delicacy.
- Avocado should be diced just before serving and dressed with a small squeeze of lime to prevent oxidation.
- The Creamy-Chipotle-Lime-Dressing is rich — a little goes a long way. Start with less and add more at the table.
- This salad scales well: make a large platter version for four to six people and let guests serve themselves.
- Grilled shrimp or seared salmon are excellent protein substitutions if chicken is not desired.
Dressing: Creamy-Chipotle-Lime-Dressing