Southwest Chicken Salad

Here is everything a salad should be—hearty, colorful, and bursting with bold flavor. Romaine lettuce, black beans, avocado, and corn, topped with spicy chicken breast, deliver healthy indulgence.

Course Main

Cuisine American, Tex Mex

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 592kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

The Chicken

1 pound (450g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons (6g) taco seasoning
1 tablespoon (15ml) canola oil

The Salad

1 large head Romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 large tomato, chopped
1½ cups (390-400g) black beans, rinsed and drained
2 ears grilled corn (or 1½ cups (140g) canned or frozen sweet corn)
½ cup (30g) chopped cilantro
2 ripe but still firm avocados, diced
2 green onions, sliced
1½-2 cups (360-480g) ranch dressing (low-fat, regular, or use the recipe below)

Optional Toppings

shredded cheese
salsa
2 cups (120g) broken plantain chips (or tortilla chips)

Instructions

The Chicken

Sprinkle chicken breasts evenly on both sides with salt, pepper, and taco seasoning.
Cook the chicken on a grill pan with about a tablespoon of oil until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. You could do this in a skillet or grill them outside.
Remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Then, cut it into bite-sized pieces.

The Salad

Layer the Romaine lettuce, sliced chicken breasts, bell pepper, tomatoes, black beans, corn, cilantro, avocado, and green onions in a large bowl. Then add the optional toppings such as salsa, plantain or tortilla chips, shredded Jack, and other cheeses.
Serve with the ranch dressing on the side so everyone can customize their salad. Homemade instructions follow in the notes.

Notes

Low-Fat Ranch Salad Dressing

½ cup (120g) low-fat mayonnaise
¼ cup (120g) low-fat sour cream
1 lemon, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
½-¾ cup (115-170g) buttermilk
1 teaspoon (203g) granulated onion
1 teaspoon (5g) minced garlic
¾ teaspoon (3-4g) Worcestershire sauce
1-2 teaspoon (5-10g) sriracha (or other hot sauce)
1 tablespoon (3-4g) chopped parsley
1 tablespoon (4-5g) chopped dill weed
½ teaspoon (3g) salt
½-1 teaspoon (2-3g) freshly ground black pepper

Mix all the ingredients, adjust seasonings to taste, chill, and enjoy.

Feel free to customize ingredients to whatever you have on hand. Add different types of leafy greens, spicier peppers like jalapenos, sauteed zucchini, etc.
Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition