Southwest-Inspired Chicken Salad with a Luscious Avocado Dressing

The ULTIMATE Southwest Chicken Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing! Featuring vibrant veggies, marinated grilled chicken, black beans, corn, and crumbled cotija cheese. All mixed together with the most scrumptious avocado cilantro dressing!

This recipe for Southwest Chicken Salad includes everything you adore and is sure to become your new go-to salad! With creamy dressing, flavorful succulent chicken, crisp veggies, black beans, and sweet corn all combined in the FINEST avocado dressing. It’s my favorite recipe when I need to serve a salad to a crowd. I enjoy preparing this salad in advance for weekly lunches, and the marinade is so packed with flavor! This nutritious recipe is a fantastic approach to satisfy your protein goals and include healthy fats while feeling full and content.

Why You’ll Adore this Salad

• This salad is filling, nutritious, and brimming with your favorite southwest flavors. Your palate will be grateful!
• Loaded with protein and healthy fats for an ideal wholesome salad.
• A great option for meal prep since all the components can be prepared in advance for quick assembly.
• The creamy avocado dressing is an incredibly simple recipe and a transformative addition to this salad!
• Ideal sized salad for serving a gathering!

What You’ll Require

Ingredients for the Salad

• romaine lettuce – finely chopped romaine, or any leafy green such as arugula, kale, or spinach will suffice.
• veggies – a vibrant mix of grape tomatoes, fresh corn (or fire-roasted corn), crunchy red onion, and one ripe avocado. You might also add green onions for enhanced flavor.
• black beans – canned black beans, a great protein source in this salad. Just remember to drain and rinse them.
• cilantro – an excellent addition to this salad, contributing fresh flavor and a splash of color. If cilantro isn’t to your taste, substitute with other fresh herbs like parsley.
• cotija cheese – brings creaminess and flavor.

Chicken Ingredients

• chicken – you’ll need 2 or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You could also opt for boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken tenderloin.
• olive oil – essential for infusing flavor into the chicken and preventing sticking on the grill or pan. A good-quality olive oil is best; it needn’t be expensive, just ensure it’s cold-pressed and organic for the best flavor.
• lime juice – fresh lime juice contributes zesty flavor; you’ll need the juice of about half a lime for the marinade. You can add a bit of lime zest for extra zing!
• taco seasoning – I prefer my homemade taco seasoning which has way more flavor than store-bought packets filled with sodium. Made with chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano.
• salt + pepper – necessary for seasoning the chicken.

For the Avocado Dressing

• avocado – the star of this dressing! Make sure to use ripe avocados for a wonderfully creamy texture.
• garlic – fresh garlic provides the best flavor, though one teaspoon of garlic powder can substitute if needed.
• greek yogurt – I love the tang of greek yogurt in this dressing, but you can also use regular yogurt or sour cream if that’s what you have.
• avocado oil – I adore the subtle taste of avocado oil in this dressing, which allows the other flavors to shine. Olive oil is a good substitute for a richer taste.
• lime juice – adds a fresh zing and helps prevent the avocado from browning.
• cilantro – fresh cilantro contributes flavor and vibrant green color. Don’t worry about the stems; they add flavor and will blend right in.
• seasonings – a mix of cumin, salt, and black pepper.

Instructions for Making Southwest Salad

1. Marinate chicken. In a small bowl, combine lime juice, olive oil, taco seasoning, salt/pepper, and coat the chicken. Set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes to up to 12 hours.
2. Chop veggies. While chicken marinates, prep the salad. Wash and chop the romaine lettuce, slice the tomatoes and red onion, and chop the cilantro. If you’re baking the chicken, now is a good time to preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. I suggest waiting to chop the avocado until just before serving to keep it fresh!
3. Cook the chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F per digital thermometer. Alternatively, grill for 4 to 5 minutes on each side until juices run clear.
4. Prepare the dressing. While the chicken cooks, blend all dressing ingredients in a food processor or powerful blender until smooth. Scrape down sides as required. Add a few tablespoons of water to achieve your desired consistency. Store in the fridge in an airtight container until use.
5. Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, mix together the lettuce, tomatoes, black beans, corn, avocado, red onion, cilantro, cheese, and diced chicken. Drizzle with avocado dressing and toss until evenly combined. Serve as a main dish salad or see the side dish options below.

Variations and Alternatives

• Extra veggies – Despite the ample veggies in this salad, feel free to incorporate even more such as red bell pepper strips, green pepper, chopped celery, carrots, and beyond.
• Add a crunch – This salad is already packed with texture and flavor, but consider adding crushed tortilla chips, tortilla strips, pepitas, nuts, or crunchy veggies.
• Incorporate fresh fruit – Introduce some sweetness by adding fresh berries or sliced grapes.
• Change the cheese – Swap crumbled cotija cheese for shredded cheddar, feta, or blue cheese crumbles.
• Add some spice – To enhance the heat of this salad, incorporate red pepper flakes, sriracha, or adobo sauce into the dressing or chicken marinade. Green chilis can also be added.
• Serve over rice – This southwest chicken salad makes for delightful rice bowls! Serve over brown rice or fluffy Mexican rice prepared in an instant pot.
• Wrap it up – Place this salad into a large tortilla to create a satisfying southwest chicken wrap or sandwich.
• Utilize the dressing on other salads, as a dip for vegetables, drizzled over tacos and fajitas, or as a spread for wraps and sandwiches.

Serving Suggestions

This southwest chicken salad stands perfectly on its own as a meal; however, it can also be served as a side dish along with these other meals:

Making this Salad Ahead

The wonderful aspect of this salad is that all components can be easily prepared ahead at the week’s start and stored separately until ready to combine.

• The chicken can be cooked up to 3 or 4 days in advance and tastes wonderful both warm and cold in the salad. You can also utilize any leftover chicken, shredded crock pot chicken, or rotisserie chicken.
• The avocado dressing can be kept in the fridge for about 2 to 3 days in a sealed container. When ready to use, give it a good shake to mix well.
• The romaine lettuce can be washed and kept in a container in the fridge until you’re ready to make the salad.
• The tomatoes and red onion can be sliced beforehand and stored separately until it’s time to assemble the salad.

More Chicken Salad Ideas

I hope you all love this simple Southwest Chicken Salad. If you enjoy it as much as we do, please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and be sure to tag me on Instagram using the hashtag #eatyourselfskinny! I love to see all your delicious recreations!