Description
A vibrant and hearty Grilled Southwest Chicken Salad featuring chili lime marinated grilled chicken, fresh romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, black beans, sweet corn, Mexican cheese, creamy avocado, and crunchy pepitas, all tossed with a smoky chipotle ranch dressing. Perfect for a nutritious lunch or light dinner, this salad combines bold southwestern flavors with crisp, fresh ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 1 recipe Chili Lime Chicken (grilled and sliced)
- 2 heads Romaine lettuce, chopped
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 ½ cups black beans, drained and rinsed
- Corn from 2 ears sweet corn (raw or roasted)
- 1/4 cup minced red onion
- 1/2 cup Mexican cheese blend
- 2 avocados, sliced or chopped
- 1/2 cup roasted, salted pepitas or sunflower seeds
- Tortilla chips, slightly crushed or tortilla strips to taste
Dressing
- 1 recipe Chipotle Ranch Dressing
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Marinate and grill the Chili Lime Chicken according to the recipe directions. Once cooked, slice or chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Make the Dressing: Prepare the Chipotle Ranch Dressing as directed, then refrigerate until ready to use to allow flavors to meld.
- Prep the Vegetables: While the chicken marinates and the dressing chills, chop the romaine lettuce, halve the cherry tomatoes, rinse the black beans, prepare the corn (raw or roasted), mince the red onion, slice or chop the avocados, and measure out the cheese and pepitas.
- Assemble the Salad: For immediate serving without leftovers, combine all the salad ingredients including the avocados and tortilla chips in a large bowl, toss with the chipotle ranch dressing, or serve the dressing on the side so everyone can dress their own.
- For Leftovers: Toss all ingredients except avocados and tortilla chips in a large salad bowl and keep those on the side with the dressing to prevent sogginess. Add them just before serving.
- Salad Bar Option: For entertaining or picky eaters, set up a salad bar with all prepared ingredients allowing guests to customize their own salad piles.
Notes
- To keep leftovers fresh, store avocados, tortilla chips, and dressing separately in airtight containers to prevent sogginess.
- The salad will stay fresh for 2 to 3 days; dressing can be stored for up to one week.
- For meal prep, layer the prepared ingredients from bottom to top in containers: cherry tomatoes, black beans, chili lime chicken, corn, red onion, lettuce, cheese, pepitas, storing tortilla chips, avocados, and dressing separately.
- Use roasted corn for added smoky flavor, or raw for a crisp texture.
- Adjust the amount of chipotle ranch dressing to taste for spice preference.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Grilling, Tossing
- Cuisine: Southwestern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 550 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 32 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
Keywords: Southwest Chicken Salad, Grilled Chicken Salad, Chipotle Ranch, Healthy Salad, Mexican Salad, Black Beans Salad, Summer Salad
