Easy Southwest Chicken Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

This southwest chicken salad is perfect for a quick and easy satisfying meal. Plenty of protein from chicken and beans, fresh veggies, and a zesty cilantro lime dressing topped with crunchy tortilla chips – way better than McDonalds southwest chicken salad!

Do you ever find yourself craving healthy Mexican food?

I mean, a big bowl of Tortilla Chips and Restaurant-Style Salsa always sounds good, but sometimes you want something more substantial. (And I’m not talking about the McDonald’s southwest salad.)

If we’ve already had a Rice and Beans Dinner and we’ve had our fill of Slow Cooker Carnitas, then it’s time for a big southwest chicken salad for dinner!

WHY I LOVE SOUTHWEST CHICKEN SALAD

I love making southwest chicken salad for dinner, not only because it’s simple, delicious, and packed with Mexican flavors that we love but also because it is…

• Quick and easy! You can toss this salad together in under 10 minutes!
• Great cold. Perfect for hot weather days when you don’t want to turn on the oven.
• Make-ahead. If you make the dressing separately, you can mix up this salad early in the day and have dinner ready to go!
• Simple ingredients. Nothing fancy here. Just good healthy food you probably already have at home.
• Versatile. It doesn’t matter if you’re out of one ingredient or have extras of others. It’s all delicious in the end! And it can be transformed into a wrap or sandwich!
• So satisfying! It’s hard to say that about some dinner salads, especially if you’re feeding “meat and potatoes” type of people, but this main dish salad will truly fill you up and hold you over!

SOUTHWEST CHICKEN SALAD RECIPE INGREDIENTS

• Lettuce. I highly recommend shredded or chopped romaine lettuce because it’s so hearty, but any other lettuce will work too.
• Chicken. You can’t have a southwest chicken salad without chicken! Rather than using Sheet Pan Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, I like to make All Purpose Slow Cooker Chicken or an Instant Pot Whole Chicken, and then add shredded rotisserie chicken to this salad.
• Corn. Having fresh-cut corn off the cob is SO GOOD, but I’ve also used frozen corn kernels and leftover grilled corn on the cob too.
• Black Beans. A classic Southwest staple. Here’s how you can cook beans in the slow cooker.
• Garbanzo Beans. I cook these from dry beans as well. If you’re using canned beans, make sure to drain and rinse them first.
• Tomatoes. Halved cherry tomatoes make the perfect bite-sized pieces for salad or try grape tomatoes instead.
• Avocado. Totally optional, but it’s a must if you love avocado as much as I do!
• Cheese. Queso fresco or shredded cheddar cheese tastes great in this southwest chicken salad recipe.
• Cilantro Lime Dressing. Hands down THE BEST salad dressing you could ever pair with this salad. All you need is olive oil, fresh squeezed lime juice, and some spices and it comes together quickly in a food processor.
• Tortilla Chips. Optional, but a yummy crunchy topping for your salad. You can also make homemade tortilla strips instead!

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN SOUTHWEST SALAD RECIPE

Follow these easy meal prep instructions:

Step 1. Prepare the cilantro lime salad dressing by combining lime juice, granulated garlic, honey, salt, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh cilantro leaves in a food processor or blender. Set aside.

Step 2. Combine the chicken, corn, black beans, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, avocado, and cheese in a very large bowl (not a small bowl – you need extra room to toss).

Step 3. Just before serving, drizzle the salad dressing over the salad and toss to mix well.

I LOVE serving this chicken southwest salad recipe with homemade bread, and a loaf of No-Knead Artisan Bread or a batch of Easy Dinner Rolls would be SO GOOD!

SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN SALAD TIPS AND VARIATIONS

• Dressing. I highly recommend my Cilantro Lime Dressing, but Homemade Ranch Dressing or 5-Minute Vegan Queso or Restaurant-Style Salsa would be just as good!
• Beans. Save yourself time and money and sanity and make a big batch of these ahead of time. Here are the basics of batch cooking, plus methods for Slow Cooker Beans and Instant Pot Beans.
• Chicken. Make extra chicken early in the week and use two cups of shredded chicken for this southwestern chicken salad.
• Cheese. Did you know you can freeze shredded cheese? Buy a big block (it’s cheaper) and shred it yourself. Then freeze in ½ cup portions and only pull out what you need.
• Tomatoes. When tomatoes are out of season, just skip them. Add some salsa instead!
• Red Bell Pepper. Not an official ingredient, but if you have extra, toss them in! You could also add diced red onion, sliced jalapeños, or sliced black olives.

SOUTHWESTERN SALAD RECIPE CHICKEN FAQS

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