This Southwest Chicken Salad is nutrient-dense, flavorful, and super easy to make. Inspired by Tex-Mex flavors, it's bold and zesty with a subtle kick. Serve it in tortillas, lettuce wraps, or alongside chips and crackers!

Looking for more high-protein recipes? Try Ground Beef Cottage Cheese Bowl or Protein Pancakes next!

About This Recipe

Happy New Year, everyone! It's that time of year again- when the gym fills up, everyone is beginning their New Year's resolutions, and some people are trying out new diets. For those of you who are looking to up your protein intake, this southwest chicken salad is perfect for you! It's also perfect for anyone who loves delicious food.

This southwest chicken salad is loaded with chicken breasts, fresh vegetables (and some canned vegetables), and a bold and zesty homemade dressing made with fresh lime juice and Tex-Mex spices. And it's super easy to make - just chop and mix your ingredients, then toss with the dressing.

I love serving these in soft tortillas or alongside chips and crackers. You can also turn it into delicious sheet pan nachos, which is exactly what I did after running out of tortillas at home! Simply sprinkle over tortilla chips, add extra cheese on top, and bake in a 450°F oven until the salad is hot and melted. It's actually super tasty and probably my new favorite way to eat it.

Key Ingredients

Shredded cooked chicken: I cooked 3 chicken breasts in my sous vide machine at 150°F, then shredded them in my KitchenAid mixer. You can also use Rotisserie chicken!

Canned black beans: Black beans are a great source of protein and fiber. Make sure to rinse and drain the beans so the salad doesn't get too starchy.

Canned corn: I love adding corn to this salad for the pops of texture.

Other vegetables: Chopped tomatoes (I used Roma), red onion, jalapeno, and cilantro. If you don't like spice, you can skip the jalapeno.

Cheddar cheese: Adds richness and creaminess to the salad.

Dressing: The dressing is made with mayo (or Greek yogurt), fresh lime juice, taco seasoning, honey, and salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions

STEP 1: Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. The dressing might look runny, but that's okay. The chicken will actually absorb a lot of it.

vegetables and chicken arranged in big bowl.

STEP 2: In a large bowl, combine the chicken, black beans, corn, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, red onion, jalapeno, and cilantro.

chicken, vegetables, and dressing tossed together in bowl.

STEP 3: Pour the dressing over the ingredients and toss to combine. Serve cold in sandwiches, lettuce wraps, or with tortilla chips.

High Protein Southwest Chicken Salad

This High-Protein Southwest Chicken Salad is nutrient-dense, flavorful, and incredibly easy to make. Inspired by bold Tex-Mex flavors, it's loaded with chicken, beans, fresh vegetables, and a creamy and zesty homemade dressing. Serve in tortillas, lettuce wraps, or alongside chips and crackers!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 20

Total Time 20

Course Appetizer, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican

Servings people

Ingredients

6 cups shredded cooked chicken (2-3 breasts)
1 (15-ounce) can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 (15-ounce) can corn (drained)
1 ½ cups chopped tomatoes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ small red onion (chopped)
1 small jalapeno (finely chopped)
⅓ cup chopped cilantro

Dressing

¾ cup mayo (or Greek yogurt)
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
1 tablespoon honey
salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, black beans, corn, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, red onion, jalapeno, and cilantro.
Pour the dressing over the ingredients and toss to combine. Serve cold in sandwiches, lettuce wraps, or with tortilla chips.