This Southwest Chicken Salad is the kind of salad my family actually gets excited to eat. It is fresh, filling and packed with flavor.
If you like juicy flavorful chicken, crisp vegetables and bold flavors, paired with a cool creamy dressing then you'll love this entree salad.
This salad is hearty enough to satisfy everyone and we are using crunchy corn chips in place of croutons as a fun finishing touch!
If you follow me regularly you know I am not interested in boring salads. I prefer a salad that leaves me full and not looking to snack after. Some of my favorites are my Chicken Fajita Salad, Carne Asada Salad and Buffalo Chicken Salad.
The salad itself comes together pretty quickly. The only part of this salad recipe that takes a little time is marinating the chicken. The chicken should be marinated at least an hour but not more than 8 hours.
📋Ingredients
For a full list of ingredients with amounts needed, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of page.
You'll see that this Southwest Chicken Salad has ingredients you'd expect like lettuce, tomato, onion and cheese. The Southwest flair comes from the black beans, corn, taco seasoning and simple, semi-homemade cilantro-lime dressing (recipe in recipe card).
🥗 Instructions to prepare the salad
Detailed instructions are found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this page. This is a quick overview with step-by-step photos for those of you who are visual learners with recipes.
- Marinate chicken for at least an hour (up to 8, but not more than hours).
2. Cook chicken in a skillet, air fryer, oven or grill.
3. Whisk together the simple semi-homemade dressing ingredients.
4. Place lettuce in each bowl as the base.
5. Add all other ingredients on top of lettuce. Top with the corn chips and drizzle with desired amount of dressing.
❓FAQ
A marinade that contains citrus shouldn't be marinated longer than 8 hours because the acid in the citrus will begin to break down the meat and the texture will become undesirable.
No. You can prepare the chicken any way you like. Skillet (cast iron or other skillet) and air fryer are my favorite ways to prepare the chicken. You can also bake it or grill it as you normally would boneless chicken.
Printable Recipe Card
Southwest Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Chicken Ingredients
- 1 ¼ pounds boneless chicken breasts approximately 2 boneless breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon lime juice fresh is best
- 2 tablespoon taco seasoning
Salad Ingredients
- prepared chicken
- 1 cup canned sweet corn drained (and rinsed if desired)
- 1 cup canned black beans drained and rinsed
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes halved
- ¼ cup sliced red onions thin slices
- 4 cup romaine lettuce roughly chopped
- ½ cup shredded colby jack cheddar or any preferred cheddar blend
- 1 cup corn chips such as Fritos
Dressing Ingredients
- ½ cup ranch dressing
- ½ teaspoon taco seasoning possibly extra if needed for personal preference
- 1 tablespoon lime juice fresh is best
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
Prepare Chicken
- Whisk together olive oil, lime juice and taco seasoning in a medium bowl. Add chicken breasts to the marinate, being sure to toss or turn to coat completely. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for at least one hour. (See Note 1)
- Heat a cast iron or heavy bottom skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken 6 to 7 minutes each side or until internal temperature reaches 165℉ (See Note 2). Once fully cooked, let the chicken rest approximately 5 minutes and then chop into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.
Prepare the dressing
- Whisk together ranch dressing, taco seasoning, cilantro and lime juice in a small bowl until well combined and smooth. Adjust for more taco seasoning if desired.
Assemble Salad
- Divide the romaine between two bowls. Top each bowl with the prepared chicken, corn, beans, tomatoes, red onions and cheese.
- Just before serving drizzle with the prepared dressing and top with the corn chips.
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