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Southwest Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dressing

This Southwest Salad is a quick healthy meal made with chicken breasts, mixed greens, corn, black beans and homemade chipotle ranch dressing. Serve it with crunchy tortilla strips or guacamole if you wish!

salad dressing drizzled over southwest salad with lettuce, corn, chicken, tomatoes, black beans, and avocado on a plate
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What is a Southwest Salad

Southwest cuisine is food that includes fusion cooking and recipes from Spanish settlers, Native Americans, and/or Mexicans. Meals usually include tostadas, burritos, cactus fries, salsa, rice, beans, and more.

I have had a few versions of this salad in my life, the most recent was during a trip to the Southwest to Phoenix. I ordered a Southwest Wedge that was loaded with avocado, tomatoes, bacon, corn, and black beans. The dressing was also to die for!

There’s also the McDonald’s Southwest Salad which is made of baby kale, baby spinach, romaine, red leaf lettuce, poblano peppers, tomatoes, corn, black beans, cilantro, lime, tortilla chips, and Jack and cheddar cheese.

raw chicken breasts and spices on a flat surface

Recipe Ingredients

  • Mixed Greens
  • Cooked Chicken
  • Corn
  • Black Beans
  • Tomato
  • Avocado

What Type of Chicken to Use

I like to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cooked rotisserie chicken, or store-bought pre-cooked chicken strips.

I like to cook 10-12 ounces of chicken breasts using 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. You can air fry, pan sear, or bake the chicken. Check out my Air Fryer Chicken Breast recipe for instructions.

cooked chicken breasts on a plate

Dressing Ingredients

You can grab the Creamy Southwest Salad Dressing recipe here.

a spoonful of southwest salad dressing in a glass jar

How to Substitute Chipotles in Adobo Sauce in the Dressing

You can use your favorite hot sauce. You can also use fresh tomatoes and smoked paprika (season to your taste).

How to Make Southwest Salad

  1. Combine mixed greens, corn, cooked chicken, black beans, tomatoes, and avocado on a plate or bowl.
  2. Drizzle with dressing.
southwest salad with lettuce, corn, chicken, tomatoes, black beans, and avocado on a plate

How to Make it Spicy

You can add cayenne pepper to your dressing and even your chicken for an extra kick.

Are Southwest Salads Healthy?

This recipe is made with leafy green vegetables and real food ingredients. The dressings on salads are usually where it can be easy to load up on calories and sugar. Most store-bought brands have a large amount of added sugar. You can avoid that by making your own ranch or using a brand like Primal Kitchen, which has no added sugar.

southwest salad with lettuce, corn, chicken, tomatoes, black beans, and avocado on a plate

Additional Toppings and Substitution Ideas

  • Guacamole
  • Tortilla Strips
  • Jalapenos
  • Refried Beans
  • Bell Peppers
  • Onions
  • Cucumbers
  • Carrots
  • Bacon
  • Shrimp
  • Olives
  • Goat Cheese
  • Croutons
  • Dried Fruit
  • Pecans
  • Peanuts
  • Sunflower Seeds
  • Hemp Seeds
  • Broccoli Sprouts
  • Lime

More Chicken Recipes to Pair

Ninja Foodi Grill Chicken Breast
Jerk Chicken Thighs
Jerk Shrimp
Air Fryer Chicken Breast
Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

Smoked Salsa Recipe

southwest salad with lettuce, corn, chicken, tomatoes, black beans, and avocado on a plate

More Salad Recipes

Healthy Breakfast Salad
Broccoli Salad with Bacon and Cheese
Green Goddess Cobb Salad
Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
Southern Potato Salad
Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

Easy Spaghetti Salad
Creamy Cucumber Salad
Southern Macaroni Salad
Southern Coleslaw

southwest salad with lettuce, corn, chicken, tomatoes, black beans, and avocado on a plate
Print Pin
5 from 14 votes

Southwest Salad with Chipotle Ranch Dressing

This Southwest Salad is a quick healthy meal made with chicken breasts, mixed greens, corn, black beans and homemade chipotle ranch dressing. Serve it with crunchy tortilla strips or guacamole if you wish!
Save this recipe here.
Course dinner, lunch
Cuisine Southwest, TexMex
Keyword southwest chicken salad, southwest salad
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 1 salad
Calories 525kcal

Ingredients

  • 2-3 cups fresh mixed greens
  • 1/4 cup sliced avocado
  • 1/4 cup cooked black beans
  • 1/4 cup cooked whole kernel corn
  • 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 4-5 oz cooked chicken breast Sliced into strips. See notes.

Instructions

  • Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl or on a plate.
  • Drizzle with dressing.

Video

Notes

You can grab the Creamy Southwest Salad Dressing recipe here.
I like to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cooked rotisserie chicken, or store-bought pre-cooked chicken strips.
I like to cook 10-12 ounces of chicken breasts using 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. You can air fry, pan sear, or bake the chicken.
Macros exclude dressing. Refer to the macros in the dressing blog post and the serving size amount you use for your salad.
Recipe Tools Used in this RecipeAs an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition (displayed with net carbs)

Serving: 1salad | Calories: 525kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 57g | Fat: 11g
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Nutrition DataMacros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
5 from 14 votes
Recipe Rating




Jill

Monday 13th of March 2023

I made the chicken in this post/recipe for lunches. The chicken is flavorful and all the spices I already had. Definitely make this chicken.

staysnatched

Tuesday 14th of March 2023

Glad to hear it!

Sydney

Sunday 8th of January 2023

This salad is so good! The dressing was very easy to make and of course complimented the salad well!

staysnatched

Sunday 8th of January 2023

Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Sara

Monday 21st of February 2022

Prepped this salad for lunches this week. I couldnโ€™t wait to test it out, so I had it for supper tonight! Ingredient prep was simple. I tweaked the components to my preferences and what I had on hand. Chipotle Ranch was fantastic and the perfect way to tie it together!

staysnatched

Sunday 27th of February 2022

I'm glad you enjoyed the salad!

Ashley

Sunday 20th of February 2022

Just prepped this salad for the week. Simple and delicious and loaded with flavor. The Southwest Salad Dressing is an amazing compliment to a medley of delicious ingredients! Air fried chicken tenderloins has me ready for the week in a snap.

staysnatched

Sunday 27th of February 2022

Yum! That sounds so good.

Emily

Thursday 17th of February 2022

Such a good salad and the best toppings! And Iโ€™m making my own chipotle ranch every time now. So easy!

staysnatched

Sunday 27th of February 2022

I'm glad to hear you will be making your own!