Mexican Chicken Bean Stir Fry over Crisp Lettuce & Tortillas

Submitted by SarasotaCook

"This is a great stir fry of beans, corn, peppers and chicken of course, Mexican seasoning and then served over a bed a crisp iceberg lettuce and fried corn tortillas. And I really like the fried tortillas for this, but you don't need a deep fryer, just a little oil in a non stick skillet and 30 seconds and they are done. I just make them ahead and then use the same skillet for my chicken - a one dish meal. I love to serve a small bowl of sour cream and salsa on the side so people can garnish the dish themselves. Served warm - this is a actually a very healthy meal. Now, one note ... I normally don't use packaged taco seasoning mixes, but I do for this. And don't ask me why, but it just works. I have used my own blend, but the package works best!"

 

• Ready In: 40mins
• Ingredients: 19
• Yields: 4 Main Salads
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 4 corn tortillas
• 6 cups iceberg lettuce, fine chopped (1 1/2 cups per person)
• 1 lb chicken, cut in thin strips
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (15 ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced fine (I like the ribs and seeds in for heat, but if you want it mild, just remove the ribs and seeds)
• 10 ounces frozen corn (you could also use a can of corn)
• 1 small onion, fine diced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1⁄2 cup red bell pepper, cut in thin strips
• 1⁄4 cup green bell pepper, cut in thin strips
• 1 (1 1/4 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
• 1⁄2 cup chicken broth (water would work fine, but I like the extra flavor from the broth, I use low salt always)
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, fine diced (parsley could be a substitute)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (2 to fry the tortillas, 1 for the chicken and vegetables)

• Garnish

• 1 cup monterey jack cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 scallions, fine chopped (white and green parts)
• sour cream (optional)
• salsa (optional)

directions

1. Tortillas -- Step one. In a medium non-stick pan, add 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil and bring to medium high to high heat. You want the oil bubbling lightly so when you put the tortilla in, it cooks and doesn't just sit soaking up the oil. You can just dip a corner of the tortilla in and if it bubbles -- it is hot enough. Another trick is to dip the end of a wooden spoon in - if it bubbles around the spoon, it is hot enough. It takes literally 10-15 seconds per side. Just lightly golden brown. Remove to a plate lined with a paper towel. Just let them cool. They are done.
2. Chicken -- Don't use the oil from the tortillas, just toss it. In that same pan on medium high to high heat, add 1/2 tablespoon of the oil - season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and add to the hot oil. Let the chicken cook 2-3 minutes on one side until golden brown and then stir and flip. The chicken will take no longer than 7-10 minutes. You want it golden brown, but don't over cook it, you still want it tender. Remove the chicken to a small plate lined with foil. I use foil because I can just wrap up the chicken and keep it warm while I finish the dish, and there are no dishes to clean up.
3. Vegetables -- To that same pan, add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil and again, medium high heat. Add the jalapeno, red and green bell peppers, onion and garlic. Cook 3-4 minutes until the peppers and onion are soft. Add in the beans, corn and mix well to combine. Stir the taco seasoning with the broth or water in a small cup to mix first before adding to the dish, and then add to the vegetable mixture. Add the chicken back in along with the cilantro and bring to medium high heat until everything is well combined and everything is warm.
4. Serve -- To each plate, I add 1 tortilla, top with 1 1/2 cups chopped lettuce, and then the warm chicken and bean stir fry. Finish with 1/4 cup cheese (per plate) and scallions. Personally, I would top each with a dollop of the sour cream and salsa, but I have learned to just put the salsa and sour cream on the side. ENJOY, this somewhat healthy remake Mexican salad.
5. Note: you could easily skip the cheese, and even use low fat sour cream; and bake the corn tortillas if you want, but overall, this is a pretty healthy, very hearty salad. This also can be served without the lettuce and just corn chips on the side, but I love it served as a salad. It is just a very hearty salad.