The Cheesecake Factory Santa Fe Salad

Name: The Cheesecake Factory Santa Fe Salad
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Tex-Mex, American, Mexican
Ingredients: 15 oz Black Beans; 1 tsp Black Pepper; 1 tbsp Brown Sugar; 4 whole Chicken Breast; 0.25 cup Fresh Cilantro; 1 tsp Lime; 1 tbsp Lime Juice; 3 whole Minced Garlic; 0.5 cup Olive Oil; 2 tbsp Peanut Butter; 1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar; 1 whole Romaine Lettuce; 16 oz Seasoned Corn; 1 tsp Sesame Oil; 1.5 cups Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese; 0.5 cup Teriyaki Sauce; 3 whole Tortilla Strips

Dinner 🍽️Lunch 🥪Salad 🥗 Tex-Mex 🇺🇸🇲🇽American Mexican High-Protein 💪Comfort-Food

The Cheesecake Factory Santa Fe Salad layers teriyaki-marinated chicken over crisp romaine with sweet corn, black beans, and shatter-crisp tortilla strips. A bright cilantro–lime–peanut vinaigrette adds nutty depth, tang, and a touch of sweetness that ties everything together. It’s a hearty, restaurant-style salad perfect for a weeknight dinner or a crowd-pleasing main.

Prep30 mins
Cook20 mins
Serves4
DifficultyEasy

1

Place the chicken breasts and teriyaki marinade in a large resealable plastic bag, then refrigerate to marinate for at least 1 hour.
2

In a food processor, combine the cilantro, peanut butter, red wine vinegar, lime juice, brown sugar, garlic, sesame oil, and lime zest; blend until well mixed. Slowly pour in 1/2 cup olive oil and blend until the dressing is smooth. Add pepper and blend again.
3

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Arrange the corn tortilla strips on a baking sheet and drizzle 2 teaspoons olive oil over them.
4

Bake in the preheated oven until crispy, 5 to 10 minutes.
5

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook until browned, 7 to 10 minutes per side. Let cool until easy to handle, about 5 minutes, then slice into thin strips.
6

In a large bowl, toss the corn, black beans, and romaine lettuce together. Top with Monterey Jack cheese, the chicken, and the tortilla strips, then pour the dressing over the salad.