Southwest Chicken Salad
This southwest chicken salad is easy to make and packed with tons of flavor! It's loaded with black beans, fresh vegetables, avocado and seasoned chicken all tossed in a creamy southwest dressing.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1-1.25 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
- 2 ½ Tablespoons olive oil divided
- Juice from 1 lime
- 2 cloves garlic minced, or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Salad
- 1 large head romaine lettuce washed, rinsed, dried and chopped (about 8 cups)
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 15-oz can corn drained and rinsed (or 1 ½ cup frozen and thawed corn)
- 1 15-oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- ½ cup red onion chopped
- 2 avocados sliced
- ½ cup shredded monterey jack cheese
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- ½ cup tortilla strips
- ¼ cup chopped jarred tamed sliced jalapenos (or hot and sweet jalapenos), optional
Southwest Dressing
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- ⅛ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup fresh salsa
- 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon honey
Instructions
- Make chicken marinade by whisking together 2 Tablespoons oil, lime juice, garlic, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, salt and pepper in a small mixing bowl. Pour marinade over chicken in an airtight container, cover and store in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- When ready to make the salad, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Add oil to a cast iron skillet and turn heat on medium/medium-high heat.
- Add chicken to the skillet and sear for 4-5 minutes on each side.
- Move skillet from the stovetop into the preheated oven and bake for 8-10 minutes or until chicken is cooked throughout and has an internal temp of 165F. Set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes, then cut chicken into chunks or slices.
- While chicken is cooking prep dressing by adding all the ingredients to a blender and blending until smooth.
- Make salads by adding a base of romaine to a bowl and topping it with ¼ of the chicken, tomatoes, corn, black beans, 2 Tablespoons red onion, half an avocado, 1 Tablespoon cilantro, cheese, tortilla strips and sliced jalapenos, if using. Drizzle dressing over each salad. Enjoy!
Notes
- Storage: Store any leftover salad components in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The assembled salad is best enjoyed immediately to maintain the crispness of the ingredients.
Nutrition
Calories: 527kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 964mg | Potassium: 1730mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 15047IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 237mg | Iron: 4mg