Southwest Chicken Salad
42 Comments
Updated Sep 29, 2020
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Southwest chicken salad is a hearty “main dish” kind of salad with bold flavors. Chicken breasts are marinated in cilantro lime goodness, then seared until golden and added to a bed of romaine lettuce along with sweet corn, black beans, and grape tomatoes. A generous drizzle of creamy avocado dressing ties it all together.
As you can tell, Southwestern flavors have a special place in my heart. Which is probably why I always find myself making chicken fajitas or stuffed peppers. The blend of earthy and bold flavors turns the simplest meals into an exciting one.
And this southwest chicken salad is just that. Crisp greens get topped with juicy spiced chicken, sweet corn, hearty black beans, juicy tomatoes, and creamy avocado dressing. Let’s just say this will have your taste buds craving for more. So don’t forget to make extra chicken!
Southwest Chicken Salad Ingredients
With a few pantry staples and fresh ingredients, this recipe comes together easily. Here’s what’s in it:
- Cilantro Lime Chicken: I typically use bone-in, skin on chicken thighs to make cilantro lime chicken. But since we’re tossing this into a salad, chicken breasts will be much easier and save you a little cooking time.
- Romaine Lettuce: You could use any lettuce in this recipe, but romaine has that lovely crisp texture.
- Sweet Corn: I’m using canned corn that’s been rinsed and drained. But you could use grilled corn on the cob for extra smoky flavor.
- Black Beans: Beans provide that hearty, filling fiber to help make this a dinner salad.
- Grape Tomatoes: I love grape tomatoes as they’re easy to cut in half, but you could use cherry tomatoes or Roma tomatoes as well.
- Red Onion: I think onion is a necessity in a salad, for that punch of savory flavor.
- Avocado Dressing: You’ll want to generously drizzle the avocado dressing all over this salad. See more tips on this dressing below.
The Best Creamy Avocado Dressing
While I love adding avocado slices to my salads, a drizzle of this creamy avocado dressing creates the same flavor – but better. Think of it as my all time favorite guacamole recipe, but in a liquid form that makes it easy to pour onto salads or macro bowls.
When your chicken is almost done marinating, quickly blend together the ingredients in a food processor. Then set aside for later. Here’s what you’ll need.
- Liquids: olive oil, water, lime juice
- Aromatics: garlic + cilantro, basil, or parsley will work
- Seasonings: a pinch of salt and pepper
How To Make A Southwest Chicken Salad
Now that your chicken is ready to go, let’s get cooking and assembling.
- Sear or Grill. Heat up the rest of the oil in a large skillet and cook the chicken fillets for about 4-5 minutes on each side.
- Assemble. This salad starts with a layer of chopped romaine lettuce for that crisp texture. Then complemented with layers of grape tomatoes, black beans, and corn. Classic southwestern ingredients.
- Drizzle. Tie it all together with a drizzle of the avocado dressing.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Customize Your Salad
- Make it vegan. Substitute the chicken with one can of chickpeas and simply toss it together with the rest of the ingredients. Or make a batch of roasted sweet potatoes for a warm and filling option.
- Switch up the dressing. If you want to add avocado slices instead of using the dressing, you can lightly drizzle citrus lime vinaigrette, lime crema, or chipotle sauce instead. It’ll add a fresh and bright punch to this salad.
Meal Prep And Storage Tips
To Meal Prep: Make the cilantro lime chicken and pre-cut into strips. Store the chicken, chopped lettuce, and avocado dressing into their own containers. Then toss together the corn, beans, and red onion together in another container.
To Store: All the ingredients can be stored for up to 5 days in the fridge.
To Reheat: Simply reheat the chicken in the microwave for a 1-2 minutes, then assemble the rest of the salad as is.
More Hearty Dinner Salads
For the days when you’re craving a salad that’s hearty enough for a dinner meal, these recipes won’t disappoint.
- Salmon Avocado Salad
- Taco Salad
- Ultimate Chicken Salad
- Cobb Salad
- Pulled Pork Cabbage And Arugula Salad
- Shrimp Asparagus Avocado Salad
Southwest Chicken Salad
Description
Ingredients
For The Chicken & Marinade
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, approximately 6 ounces each
- 3 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
- 2 limes , juiced and zested
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
For The Salad
- 4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup corn, rinsed and drained
- 1/3 cup red onion , thinly sliced
Avocado Dressing
- 1/2 large avocado
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup water, or more for thinner consistency
- 1/4 cup cilantro, basil or parsley leaves
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together two tablespoons of olive oil, with the lime juice, cilantro, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. You can also pulse in a food processor until it's combined.
- Combine the marinade and chicken fillets in a shallow dish or plastic bag. Marinate the chicken for 2-6 hours in the fridge.
- When the chicken is done marinating, make the avocado dressing. Place all the dressing ingredients to a food processor and blend until creamy. Set aside.
- Heat the remaining one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Then sear the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side, until they're golden brown and have reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees fahrenheit.
- Let the cooked chicken rest for a couple of minutes. Then slice into strips.
- In a large salad bowl, layer the chopped lettuce with beans, corn, tomatoes and chicken strips. Then drizzle the avocado dressing on top.
Lisa's Tips
Nutrition
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Made the Southwest Chicken Salad last night and it was terrific. I already had chicken breast tenderloins and I used them instead of thighs, so the oven time was unnecessary. That marinade is fantastic! Unfortunately I ran out of limes for the dressing so I used apple cider vinegar and the result was probably far below what it would have been with lime juice, so I’ll remember next time to have all necessary ingredients on hand. We had the leftovers for lunch the next day. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Hi there – Oh no! Definitely give this a try next time with limes. It will make all the difference.
Absolutely stunning. Just making this for the second time and we all love it. The avocado dressing is gorgeous. Just ordered your cookbook and can’t wait. Have a folder full of recipes I’ve printed from your website and am loving the food. Wonderful to have such super fresh meals and gluten free as well. Thanks so much.
Hi Fiona – Thrilled to hear you’re loving this salad amongst many other recipes. I can’t wait to see what you make from your new cookbook!
Sounds just wonderful!!!!
Lovely
I made this. My wife loved it. The only thing I changed was scaled back on lime and didn’t use beans. Great recipe
The dressing was not as flavorful as I was expecting. I think the water added tones down the flavor and it is needed because it is so thick! Next time I will use Greek yogurt. And juice of one lime is a tad bit much. I had a juicy lime and used a lemon squeezer for it so I got quite a bit in the dressing. Overall it was okay but for the amount of work I was expecting a more delicious dressing
I just made this and my boyfriend loved it. I stumbled across your website weeks ago and haven’t found a bad recipe yet. I love to cook and I love your nonchalant focus on health.
Also. I made a bad a$$ salad last night I think you might like. I mixed romaine, spinach, and fresh basil leaves. Topped it with rosemary, chives ( because the store was mysteriously out of red onions), Parmesan, and herbed grilled chicken, with a honey balsamic.
Anyways, I just love everything you do.
Ashley
Omg not Rosemary, I meant raspberries.🙀🙀🙀🙀
Happy to hear you’ve been enjoying all Downshiftology recipes so far Ashley :) Also, that salad you made sounds delicious!
This was really good. I made it exactly as you wrote and it is a keeper. I love the avocado dressing. Thanks, Lisa.
Wonderful! Glad you loved this chicken salad Patricia :)
I ve just made it!!! Delicious!!! Thank you!!!
Glad this chicken salad was a hit!
Hi, can I use Avocado Oil instead of Olive oil for the dressing?
That’s fine!
Delicious!!
Love this salad, I did shortcut the dressing and used Marzetti Cilantro avocado dressing and some tortilla salad topping strips
What do you do with the lime zest?
Does the avocado dressing keep for 5 days (meal prep)? I thought avos brown if not consumed immediately
This dressing will last for a few days in the fridge. But do keep an eye on it!
This looks like a great recipe but it should not be tagged and listed under Whole30 because it is not compatible with the program rules, which do not permit legumes (black beans) and grains (corn). If you advised people to exclude those ingredients then this could in fact be labeled as ‘whole 30 with modifications’. Maybe suggesting a compatible alternative such as chopped bell pepper would be a helpful suggestion for some folks who would want to replace those items with something else but still learning program rules. Maybe it was an error to categorize it there. Love your site though! Yummy recipes!
Thanks for noting that Kristine! Looks like the Whole30 box was accidentally ticked.
This was absolutely delicious
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed this recipe :)
Made this today, it was wonderful! I switched up the dressing and blended salsa and paleo ranch since I didn’t have any avocados on hand.
Wonderful! And using salsa is a dressing works just as good :)
A hit for us. Tastes summery! I used a whole can of beans and a whole can of corn for convenience.
Wonderful! Glad this recipe was a success for you :)
I made this salad for lunch today and it was out of this world delicious! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Wonderful! Glad you loved this salad recipe :)
The avocado dressing really puts this salad over the top! Love all the flavor combinations. It’s definitely a salad I’d happily pay for out, so it’s even better that I can make it at home ;)
The dressing really does tie all the flavors together!
I love EVERYTHING about this salad – and the dressing is so delicious. I can’t wait to make this again. It’s a winner in my house!
Happy to hear everyone enjoyed this salad recipe :)
This is the perfect lunch option for a hot summer day like today! It looks delicious.
It sure is summer flavors all in one bowl!
I love southwest chicken salad and your avocado dressing really makes this dish! Delicious!
So glad you enjoyed this avocado dressing!
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Hi Juanita- I am so sorry to hear about your daughter. I can’t even imagine the pain you’ve been going through – but I’m glad my recipes can help in any way possible during these difficult times.