Description
This Quick Southwest Chicken Salad Recipe is a vibrant and flavorful dish perfect for a light lunch or dinner. Packed with protein and fresh ingredients, it’s a satisfying meal that comes together in minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Salad:
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
- 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup corn kernels, fresh, canned, or frozen and thawed
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
- 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream or Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper to make the dressing.
- Prepare the salad: In a large bowl, combine the chicken, black beans, corn, bell pepper, onion, avocado, cilantro, cheese, and lettuce.
- Toss with dressing: Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently until everything is well coated.
- Serve: Serve immediately.
Notes
- For a lighter version, skip the mayonnaise and use all Greek yogurt.
- To make this ahead, prepare the dressing and chop the vegetables in advance, then toss everything together just before serving.
- This salad also works well in wraps or as a topping for tortilla chips.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad, Main Course
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Southwest, Tex-Mex
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 560 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 7 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 65 mg
