Southwest Chicken Salad
Published 7/18/2022
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This southwest chicken salad recipe combines shredded chicken, a creamy southwest dressing, black beans, sweet corn, and cilantro for the ultimate healthy lunch.
Our classic Greek yogurt chicken salad recipe is a staple in our house and this chicken salad recipe is a spin-off of that. Keep reading to learn how to make it.
Veggie-Packed Southwest Chicken Salad
Love chicken salad, but wish it had more veggies? You’ve come to the right place! This southwest chicken salad recipe is truly veggie-packed. In addition to shredded chicken, this chicken salad features:
- sweet corn
- red pepper
- black beans
- red onion
- cilantro
how to make shredded chicken
Looking for an easy shredded chicken recipe? Check out our shredded chicken tutorials in a variety of different methods:
All About the Creamy Southwestern Chicken Salad Dressing
Once you’ve got all of your main ingredients together for the southwest chicken salad, it’s time to create your chicken salad sauce.
Classic chicken salad is usually made with mayonnaise, but we decided to up the protein and lower the fat with Greek yogurt. With the addition of lime juice and spices, I promise you won’t miss the mayo! Here’s what you need:
- Plain Greek yogurt
- lime juice
- ground cumin
- chili powder
- Hot sauce
If you don’t love heat, feel free to swap the hot sauce for a little bit of apple cider vinegar. In addition, if you don’t have Greek yogurt, but you do have plain regular yogurt…you can totally use that too.
How to Serve Southwest Chicken Salad
There are so many different ways that you can serve this creamy, delicious salad. Check out some of our favs!
- On toast: drizzle some olive oil on a piece of whole-grain toasted bread and then top it with this salad. Then, add sliced avocado and a drizzle of hot sauce to the top and you’re ready to rock!
- In a Jar: place a handful of romaine on the bottom of a mason jar. Then, top that with this southwestern chicken salad. Place the top on and take this lunch to-go!
- Bento Box: Turn this southwest chicken salad into a wrap and then serve it with your favorite chips and salsa served inside of a bento box!
- Solo: Grab a bowl and a fork and eat it as is. We suggest serving it with a fresh squeeze of lime juice and a half an avocado for #allthehealthyfats.
Storage
To store southwest chicken salad, transfer it into an airtight container and seal. Store in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
Southwest Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb. shredded chicken
- 1 cup sweet corn
- 1 cup can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 medium red pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vinegar-based hot sauce
Instructions
- Place shredded chicken, sweet corn, black beans, red onion, fresh cilantro, and red pepper into a large bowl. Mix and set aside.
- Create the sauce by mixing together Greek yogurt, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, salt, and hot sauce.
- Add sauce to the shredded chicken mixture and mix until combined.
Tips & Notes
- Need to make your shredded chicken? Check out our shredded chicken tutorials for the 1. oven 2. slow cooker and 3. Instant Pot.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This is my 2nd time making it. My husband loves it! I like everything thats mixed in with the chicken. Its a perfect combination. I did have a question about the nutritional value. Is the value listed for the whole meal or per serving. And how many servings is it?
I made this salad yesterday. My whole family was pleased. They said it was delicious!
Great!
I love how to mix salad
I made this twice now, I prefer it with mayo and also smoked chipotle and a pinch of smoked paprika instead of the plain chili pepper. I also used roasted bell pepper instead of fresh the second time around.
Did you replace the yogurt with mayo? I can’t have dairy so I’m wondering if vegan mayo would be good with this.
I was a little skeptical but once I tasted the sauce you were absolutely right about not missing the Mayo. I definitely recommend making this! Everything blends perfectly. Thank you so much. I’m looking forward to making more recipes in the future.
Wahoo! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Allejah 😀
This is the most delicious salad ever!! I am so glad I found it! It makes me think of the Southwest Salad at Chick-fil-A that I love!! And to know that it is healthy for me…… My son even loves it and that is saying a LOT!!! Thank you so much for this recipe!!
Aw, we’re blushing! Thanks so much for this review, Kristi! 😀
A bit too much onion for me but otherwise super yummy! 🙂
Can you calculate WW smart points for this? Looks amazing!
It looks like it would be 0 points!