Spicy Kale Caesar with Chicken
tossed with Avocado, Tomato & Tortilla Chips
- Eggs
- Milk
- Sesame
A lot of confusion surrounds the origin of the Caesar salad; but one thing is (probably) certain: It was invented by Caesar Cardini in Tijuana, Mexico. So although we’re messing with a classic, we’re doing it Mexican style! We coat massaged kale in a pickled jalapeño-lemon-Caesar dressing, combined with creamy chunks of avocado and juicy diced tomato. Then we top it with spiced, seared chicken and crisp crumbled tortilla chips, for a hearty-yet-light dinner idea.
Ingredients
1 unit
Avocado
10 ounce
Chopped Chicken Breast
1.5 ounce
Caesar Dressing
(Contains: Eggs, Milk)
1.5 ounce
Blue Corn Tortilla Chips
(Contains: Sesame)
4 ounce
Kale
1 unit
Lemon
1 unit
Jalapeño
2 tablespoon
Mayonnaise
(Contains: Eggs)
1 unit
Tomato
1 tablespoon
Mexican Spice Blend
Not included in your delivery
2 tablespoon (tbsp)
Olive Oil
¼ teaspoon (tsp)
Sugar
1 teaspoon (tsp)
Cooking Oil
teaspoon (tsp)
Salt
teaspoon (tsp)
Black Pepper
Nutrition Values
Utensils
Cooking Steps
• Wash and dry produce. • Halve and pit avocado; using a spoon, scoop out avocado from each half, then dice. Quarter lemon. Halve jalapeño lengthwise, removing ribs and seeds for less heat; thinly slice into half-moons. Remove and discard any large stems from kale; chop into bitesize pieces. Finely dice tomato. Gently crush tortilla chips in the bag into bite-size pieces.
• Place avocado in a medium bowl. Add a squeeze of lemon juice (two squeezes for 4 servings) and a pinch of salt and pepper; toss to combine. • In a small bowl, combine jalapeño, juice from half the lemon, ¼ tsp sugar (½ tsp for 4), and a big pinch of salt. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and microwave for 45 seconds. Set aside to pickle.
• Pat chicken* dry with paper towels and season all over with half the Mexican Spice Blend (you’ll use the rest later) and a big pinch of salt and pepper. • Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a second medium bowl, whisk together dressing, mayonnaise, remaining Mexican Spice Blend, and juice from remaining lemon. Add jalapeño pickling liquid (you’ll use the pickled jalapeño in Step 6) and whisk to combine. Gradually whisk in 2 TBSP olive oil (4 TBSP for 4 servings). Taste and season with salt and pepper. • Transfer 2 TBSP spicy Caesar dressing (4 TBSP for 4) to a second small bowl and reserve.
• Place kale in a large bowl; add a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Using your hands, massage kale until leaves are tender, 1-2 minutes. • Add remaining spicy Caesar dressing and toss to coat. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Roughly chop pickled jalapeño; transfer to bowl with kale. Add avocado, half the chicken, half the tomato, and half the tortilla chips to bowl; toss to combine. • Divide salad between bowls. Top with remaining chicken, remaining tomato, and remaining tortilla chips. Drizzle with reserved spicy Caesar dressing and serve.
Chicken is fully cooked when internal temperature reaches 165°.
Customer reviews
Review summary
Updated on Dec 2025- Flavor: Many loved this twist on Caesar salad, praising the tangy dressing and pickled jalapeños for a zesty kick 🌶️.
- Ease of prep: Some found the multiple steps surprising for a salad, but most agreed the effort was worth the delicious result.
- Suggestions: Consider mixing avocado and dressing separately; add shredded cheese for extra flavor; reduce mayo for a lighter dressing.
- Portions: A few found it light; try adding black beans or extra veggies for a more filling meal.
- Ingredients: Some prefer a mix of greens; consider combining kale with spinach or romaine for varied texture.
Reviews from our home cooks
The Kale had a lot of little icky pieces in it, so it took a while to separate the good from the bad. On the good side: the avocado was in excellent shape ripeness wise and very tasty. Loved the dressing for the salad with the jalapeno juice added! Great idea
Super yummy and filling for a salad. Loved that it came with the chicken strips rather than breasts-they were easier to mix in and more flavorful. "Spicy" element made it fun! Kale wasn't the freshest upon arrival.
Really liked the flavors! Only issue was the kale. I made this 5 days after getting the box, and the kale was totally not useable. Yuck. Luckily I had good lettuce at the house, so I just substituted that instead. Tasty recipe.
Made it without the chicken and cut the oil added to the dressing since oil was used to massage the kale. And it was good.
I think telling people to mix the avocado and dressing on the side and then add it would be helpful. I added the dressing and then avocado as written and it was a little too heavy and rich. Mixing both on the side and then adding the amount desired would be a good instruction
This kale salad was much better than the other in my shipment. I always find I need to cook the meat longer than specified in the instructions per my thermometer.
Very easy for such a good payoff! I usually don't like jalapeños but i love them pickled apparently. The salad is not very spicy all together, more tangy and saucy. The flavors blend well.
Sooo yummy. Perfect for day out. I made it the night before an event and it was so great the next day💕
I was a little skeptical of a kale salad but this was absolutely delicious!!! I would definitely eat this over and over again!
One of the best meals I've had from hello fresh. So so good. I would eat this every week if I could
