Southwestern Chicken Quinoa Lettuce Wraps

1/9/2024

Southwestern Chicken Quinoa Lettuce Wraps 

Fun fact, this was the first recipe to ever grace this blog over 11 years ago! Because I'm too nostalgic to delete the old videos and photos of my early blogging days (and also love seeing the progress we've made over the years!), I'm  leaving the original post for you to enjoy below. But I figured it was at least time for an updated photo to showcase this super flavorful and delicious meal! To make this recipe come together in a snap, I love using a rotisserie chicken and making the quinoa in advance, so all you have to do is warm it up on the stove and toss all the ingredients together with dressing. It takes less than 15 minutes and requires minimal cleanup, a total win win for a weeknight meal. I loved this one enough 11 years ago to make it the first WNB recipe and still love it as much today!  I hope you do, too! To watch the updated reel, click here. 

December 4, 2012

My very first post - yay! I'm so excited to share one of my favorite concoctions. This is a well-balanced, colorful, flavorful meal that is easy to eat as an entree or an appetizer. The great thing about this recipe is you can customize it to your liking - add some salsa or pico de gallo, throw in some cheese, jalapenos, lime juice... get creative! In my video, I show you the basics.

Ingredients
2 cups cooked quinoa
2 cooked chicken breasts (or thighs if you prefer), shredded
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup fresh or frozen organic corn
2 scallions, chopped
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 small shallot, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, cubed
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Iceberg or butter lettuce, to wrap

Dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, zest and juice
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp honey
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Warm 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté for 2 minutes until fragrant.
2. Add corn, black beans, cooked chicken, cooked quinoa, and give it a stir. Sauté until warmed through.
3. Remove from heat and transfer into a large bowl. Add tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, and avocado. Pour dressing over and give everything a good mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Dig in as is or scoop into iceberg lettuce or butter lettuce leaves for lettuce wraps. Enjoy!