My husband says my superpower is recreating restaurant meals at home. (He’s right.) One of my favorite restaurant meals as a teenager was Applebee’s Fiesta Lime Chicken. I recreated this delicious recipe and made it into a hearty salad!
This recipe has been updated (again) with paleo/Whole30 adaptations! Scroll down to find the adaptations in the recipe notes.
I LOVE Applebee’s Fiesta Lime Chicken
One of my favorite things is a big salad with a lot going on – yummy protein, lots of veg, crunchiness, creaminess, and a little heat. This salad has all of those things!
PSST… you might want to make a big batch of that Mexi-ranch sauce. It’s super tasty as a veggie dip or a drizzle for taco salads later in the week!
What you’ll love about Applebee’s Fiesta Lime Chicken Recipe
You’ll love this copycat recipe of Applebee’s Fiesta Lime Chicken for its irresistible Tex-Mex flavors. With grilled chicken, Mexi-Ranch Sauce, melted cheese, crispy tortilla strips, and fresh pico de gallo, it captures the essence of the restaurant favorite. Enjoy a homemade version bursting with tangy, spicy goodness that’s sure to satisfy your cravings.
Fiesta Lime Chicken Ingredients
For the chicken
- Chicken fillets
- Soy sauce
- Lime juice
- Garlic (about 2 cloves)
- Mesquite smoke
- Salt
- Ginger
Mexi-Ranch Sauce
- Greek yogurt or mayonnaise
- Sour cream
- Buttermilk (or regular milk)
- Minced tomato (optional)
- White vinegar
- Dried minced onion
- Hot sauce
- Salt
- Dried dill weed
- Paprika
- Cayenne
- Cumin
- Garlic powder
- Black pepper
You’ll also need . . .
- Cheddar/monterey jack cheese blend
- Tortilla chips or baked tortilla strips
- Romaine hearts
- Diced tomato
- Pico de gallo
- Avocados
- Cilantro
- Lime wedges
How to make copycat Fiesta Lime Chicken
- Slice the chicken breasts lengthwise, so you have really thin cuts. Combine the chicken with the rest of the ingredients in that ingredient section in a large zip top bag. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or several hours in the refrigerator.
- Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the Mexi-Ranch sauce in a small bowl. Chill until ready to use. (This tastes better if it sits for an hour or so before you use it.)
- Prep the rest of the garnishes while the chicken is marinating. Turn on your oven broiler and preheat your BBQ grill (or stove-top grill pan) to medium-high heat. (Yes, you’ll need both!) Grill chicken, flipping once, until cooked through, 10-12 minutes.
- Transfer chicken to a baking sheet. Spread about a tablespoon of Mexi-Ranch sauce on each breast and top with a few pinches of shredded cheese. Broil chicken for 3-4 minutes, until cheese is melted and begins to brown in spots.
- Let chicken rest for about 5 minutes before slicing it.
- Toss the salad greens with about 1/2 cup of Mexi-Ranch sauce.
- Assemble salads by placing a bed of lettuce on a plate and topping it with sliced chicken, tortilla strips, diced tomato, avocados, cilantro, and lime wedges. Add more dressing if necessary.
Tips for making this Fiesta Lime Chicken Applebee’s Recipe
- Combine the ingredients for the Mexi-Ranch sauce about an hour before eating it for the flavors to develop.
- I like slicing the chicken into really thin strips for maximum flavor and fast cooking time!
How to serve Fiesta Lime ChickenApplebee’s Style
This recipe can really be served as is! It’s healthy and hearty. If you want something more, try serving it with Roasted Cauliflower Rice.
Storing leftover Fiesta Lime Chicken
This salad is best eaten fresh as the lettuce and tortilla strips will get soggy and gross.
If you really can’t finish it in one sitting, I would keep it in a lidded container for a day.
How to freeze Applebee’s Fiesta Lime Chicken
To freeze the chicken, pop into a freezer-safe container when it’s cooled down. Keep it frozen for up to 3 months.
How to reheat this Fiesta Lime Chicken Recipe
The best way to reheat the chicken is in an oven or airfryer if you have one. Place them in a preheated oven for 3-4 minutes at 400°F (200°C).
If you make one of my recipes, be sure to post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!
Fiesta Lime Chicken Salad
I took the classic Fiesta Lime Chicken from Applebee's and reworked it into a big ass salad. I also made it paleo and Whole30 friendly!
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken fillets
- 1 cup water
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic (about 2 cloves)
- 1 teaspoon liquid mesquite smoke
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Mexi-Ranch Sauce
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 3 Tablespoons buttermilk (or 2 Tablespoons regular milk)
- 2 Tablespoons minced tomato (optional)
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon dried minced onion
- 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- Dash ground black pepper
You'll also need . . .
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar/monterey jack cheese blend
- 3 cups crumbled tortilla chips or baked tortilla strips
- 2 Romaine hearts, trimmed and chopped
- Diced tomato or pico de gallo, sliced avocados, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges, for garnish
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts lengthwise, so you have really thin cuts. Combine the chicken with the rest of the ingredients in that ingredient section in a large zip top bag. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or several hours in the refrigerator.
- Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the Mexi-Ranch sauce in a small bowl. Chill until ready to use. (This tastes better if it sits for an hour or so before you use it.)
- Prep the rest of the garnishes while the chicken is marinating. Turn on your oven broiler and preheat your BBQ grill (or stove-top grill pan) to medium-high heat. (Yes, you'll need both!) Grill chicken, flipping once, until cooked through, 10-12 minutes.
- Transfer chicken to a baking sheet. Spread about a tablespoon of Mexi-Ranch sauce on each breast and top with a few pinches of shredded cheese. Broil chicken for 3-4 minutes, until cheese is melted and begins to brown in spots.
- Let chicken rest for about 5 minutes before slicing it.
- Toss the salad greens with about 1/2 cup of Mexi-Ranch sauce.
- Assemble salads by placing a bed of lettuce on a plate and topping it with sliced chicken, tortilla strips, diced tomato, avocados, cilantro, and lime wedges. Add more dressing if necessary.
Notes
Paleo/Whole30 adaptation:
- For the marinade: half the amount of water and use coconut aminos in place of soy sauce.
- For the dressing: use 1 cup of paleo mayonnaise for the Greek yogurt and sour cream, almond milk or coconut milk for the buttermilk.
- Omit the tortilla chips and use a couple of Tablespoons of nutritional yeast in place of the cheese.
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Darian
Thursday 26th of August 2021
Your new pictures are fabulous! That avocado flower is impressive, I can't wait to try this recipe out😍
Natalie Perry
Wednesday 13th of October 2021
Thanks so much!
Mindy O
Monday 15th of April 2013
Had this tonight for dinner! YUM! Fantastic!
Lindsey
Monday 12th of November 2012
WE love this. Like love, love. We actually made it a few weeks ago and have been dying to make it again. SO smart to adapt it into a salad. That's the way we'll make this next.
Erin @ Texanerin Baking
Sunday 21st of October 2012
Copycat recipes are so fun! This month I've done Chick-fil-a chicken sandwiches, Chili's chicken crispers, and Panera mac and cheese. It feels so good to make something you can't even get otherwise. :)
And this looks lovely! Really fun dish. And nice that your kids love salad. I hope my kids don't inherit my evil vegetable hating genes...
Julia {The Roasted Root}
Tuesday 16th of October 2012
I have been re-photographing recipes I posted a while back and it does give me a goo crack up to see how poor some of the photographs were...I have to admit, I don't think your old ones of this salad are bad at all! I still have a ton to learn about photography, so one day hopefully my shots will be as beautiful as yours :) Your salad looks FAN-tastic...and the melty cheese...mmmm mmmm girl!