This Southwest Chicken Salad is a delicious salad made with seasoned chicken breast and bold flavors of the southwest. It’s paired with a cilantro lime dressing and tortilla strips for added crunch!
If I am going to eat a salad for a meal, it needs to be very filling and super flavorful. This Southwest Chicken Salad checks both those boxes.
Serve creamy sliced avocado, flavorful seared chicken, bean and corn salad, and crisp tortilla strips on a bed of shredded romaine lettuce. I paired this hearty southwest salad with a simple and creamy cilantro lime dressing.
Making Juicy Chicken on the Stovetop
To make the seared seasoned chicken for this salad I first pound it thin with a meat tenderizer. The thinner chicken breasts are easy to sear quickly in the pan without drying them out.
Just season the chicken breasts on both sides with a seasoning mixture. Then sear them in a cast iron skillet for a few minutes on each side.
When the chicken breasts reach 165°F, take them out of the pan and let them rest on the cutting board. They should be cooked through and juicy when sliced into strips for the salad.
Making your own is super simple, but you can also pick up a packet of fajita or taco seasoning and call it a day. The same seasoning also works on steak, pork or even shrimp or salmon. Make it vegetarian, if you want!
Southwest Chicken Salad Ingredients
These ingredients are very verstile and can be omitted or increased as needed.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – I used 2 breasts for this recipe that together weighed about 1 pound.
- Salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika and chili powder – to make a dry seasoning blend for the chicken.
- Red onion, sweet corn and black beans – mix these three together with a squeeze of lime juice and a pinch of salt. I use canned corn and beans, but frozen or fresh is fine too. Just make sure they are cooked!
- Romaine lettuce – the perfect hearty base for any salad, I like to chop mine for easier eating.
- Oil for searing the chicken- any neutral oil will do.
- Sliced avocado – creamy avocado pairs perfectly with the seasoned chicken.
- Tortilla strips – for an extra crunch – just mash up some tortilla chips.
- Cilantro Lime Dressing- made super quick in a blender with cilantro, lime, olive oil, honey, rice vinegar and plain Greek yogurt, it comes together in a snap.
How to Make a Southwest Chicken Salad
- Season and sear the chicken. Mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and chili powder in a small mixing bowl. Take chicken breast and place under a sheet of plastic wrap or in a plastic bag and pound with a meat tenderizer until the chicken is half its original thickness.
Season the chicken on both sides with the seasoning blend. Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet or heavy bottom pan over medium heat.
When the oil is warm add the chicken to the pan. Cook chicken on each side for 6 minutes each side.
Ensure that the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165F then remove from the pan.
- Prepare other southwest chicken salad ingredients. While the chicken cooks combine beans, corn, diced red onion, lime juice and a pinch of salt in a small bowl.
Finely chop the romaine lettuce and slice the avocados. Prepare the dressing by blending all ingredients together in a blender until smooth.
- Slice Chicken and assemble salad. Slice the slightly cooled chicken breast into strips. Assemble the salads by placing the lettuce on a serving plate.
Top with the bean and corn salad, chicken, avocado, and tortilla strips. Drizzle the dressing on top and serve.
Making Ahead of Time
If you would like to make this Southwest Chicken Salad ahead of time, I recommend cooking the components head of time and assembling the salad just before eating. Chicken will be good in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Prep the chicken breast, bean and corn salad, and dressing store separately in the fridge. Chop all other ingredients just before serving and assemble the salad.
More delicious salad recipes:
Southwest Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Southwest Chicken Salad
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 hearts of romaine lettuce
- 1 cup corn
- 1 cup black beans , drained and rinsed
- ¼ red onion , diced
- 2 teaspoon lime juice
- 1 avocado
- Optional: tortilla strips
Cilantro Lime Dressing
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup cilantro leaves , packed
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoon yogurt
Instructions
- Mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and chili powder in a small mixing bowl. Take chicken breast and place under a sheet of plastic wrap or in a plastic bag and pound with a meat tenderizer until the chicken is half its original thickness. Season the chicken on both sides with the seasoning blend.
- Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet or heavy bottom pan over medium heat. When the oil is warm add the chicken to the pan. Cook chicken on each side for 6 minutes each side. Ensure that the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F then remove from the pan.
- Combine lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, honey, rice vinegar and yogurt in a small food processor or blender. Pulse until fully combined.
- While the chicken cooks combine beans, corn, diced red onion, lime juice and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Finely chop the romaine lettuce and slice the avocados.
- Slice the slightly cooled chicken breast into strips. Assemble the salads by placing the lettuce on a serving plate. Top with the bean and corn salad, chicken, avocado, and tortilla strips. Drizzle the dressing on top and serve.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or ratings.
Nutrition
This recipe is perfect to meal prep as lunches for the week!
Such a delicious salad! I love those slices of chicken and avocado on top. Perfect for pairing with that vibrant cilantro lime dressing.
Love all the flavors in this salad, and they go so well with the creamy avocado!
This was everything a gourmet meal should be, and then some! Perfectly light and flavorful; easily, my new favorite salad recipe!
What a delicious salad that’s a meal on its own! Love the dressing with its many layers of flavors! YUM!