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Southwest Chicken Salad is in a large bowl being served by a woman
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5 from 3 votes

Southwest Chicken Salad with Creamy Avocado Cilantro Lime Dressing

This delicious and easy-to-make Southwest Chicken Salad is flavored with my homemade Creamy Avocado Dressing. It is topped off with beans, corn, scallions, cherry tomatoes, and cheddar cheese. You can use leftover or rotisserie chicken for a meal-worthy weeknight dinner, or if you have time, cook your own chicken.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Southwestern/Mexican
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

For The Chicken:

  • 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¾ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 bone-in chicken breasts (14-15 oz each), patted dry

For the Salad:

  • 6 cups leafy salad greens or romaine lettuce rinsed and spin-dried
  • 1 15-oz black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15 oz. of corn, drained and rinsed
  • 3 mini peppers rinsed and thinly sliced
  • 1 jalapeno pepper seeded or not – based on your heat preference – sliced thinly
  • 4 scallions sliced thinly – both white and green parts
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes washed and sliced
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves rinsed (optional)
  • ½ cup cheddar cheese shredded
  • 1 cup of Creamy Avocado Cilantro Lime Dressing

Instructions

  • To cook the chicken: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Mix salt, pepper, paprika, ground cumin in a small bowl. Drizzle chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with the spice mixture on both sides. Place it on a sheet pan and roast for 30-35 minutes or until it registers 165 degrees F when a thermometer inserted in the middle of a breast. Remove from the oven and set it aside to cool for 10 minutes.
  • To assemble the salad: Place salad greens, black beans, corn, peppers, jalapeno pepper, scallions, tomatoes, and cilantro in a large salad bowl. 
  • Drizzle it with the creamy avocado dressing. Give it a gentle toss to make sure that everything is thoroughly mixed.
  • Cut the now-cooked and rested chicken in small cubes (or slices) and add it in the salad. 
  • Sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese and serve.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 512kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 1061mg | Potassium: 686mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 7908IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 160mg | Iron: 3mg

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