This Southwest chicken salad is fresh, bold, and just the thing for those hot-weather days when you’re craving something hearty but not heavy. With juicy chili-lime marinated chicken, creamy avocado dressing, and crisp veggies, this salad brings restaurant-style flavor to your home kitchen. You can prep most of it in advance, making it perfect for busy weeknights or easy entertaining.
Whether you’re serving it as a main course or prepping it for meal prep, this salad never disappoints. It’s naturally gluten-free and packed with protein and fiber, and the avocado-based dressing is rich, creamy, and totally irresistible.
What’s To Love
- Healthy and satisfying – full of protein, fiber, and good fats.
- Meal-prep friendly – easy to prep the components ahead of time.
- Customizable – add tortilla strips, shredded cheese, or spice it up with jalapenos.
Ingredient Notes
Please scroll down for the full recipe! These are just notes on select ingredients.
- Chicken breasts – if yours are thicker than 1/2″ (1 1/4 cm), gently pound them to an even thickness so they cook evenly and stay juicy.
- Lime juice – fresh is best for both the marinade and the dressing. One lime should give you about 2 tablespoons.
- Avocado – use a ripe avocado for a smoother dressing. The lime juice keeps it from turning brown, even if you store it for a couple of days.
- Greek yogurt – plain Greek yogurt gives the dressing body and a nice tang. Use full-fat for the creamiest texture.
- Corn – canned, fresh, or thawed frozen corn all work. I used Green Giant Steam Crisp Niblets for a sweet, fresh bite.
- Jalapeno (optional) – for extra heat, blend a small one into the dressing.
Don’t love these ingredients? This Panera Greek Chicken Salad is another great-looking salad with more traditional ingredients!
How To Make It
Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a bowl and submerge the chicken breasts. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours if you’re planning ahead.
While the chicken is marinating, you can prep the dressing. Just toss everything into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. If it’s a little thick, add a splash of water to loosen it up until it’s pourable.
When you’re ready to cook, let the chicken sit out at room temperature for 20–30 minutes. This step helps it cook more evenly and get a better sear. Heat a bit of olive oil in a skillet and cook the chicken for 5 minutes on the first side without touching it. Flip, then cook 5–7 minutes more, until fully cooked. Let it rest while you build the salad.
To assemble, start with a bed of chopped romaine and layer on your beans, corn, tomatoes, and red onion. Slice the rested chicken and lay it on top, then drizzle with that creamy avocado dressing. Finish with your favorite toppings, if desired — tortilla strips, cheese, cilantro, or jalapenos are all great options.
Tips for Success
- Use evenly cut chicken breasts – if needed, pound them out for even cooking.
- Let the chicken rest after cooking – this keeps it juicy and makes slicing easier.
- Don’t skip room temp chicken – taking the chill off ensures better searing and even cooking.
- Adjust the dressing texture – blend in water 1 tablespoon at a time if it’s too thick.
- Don’t overcrowd the skillet – cook in batches if needed to get a nice golden sear.
How To Make Ahead And Store
This salad is great for making ahead — just keep everything stored separately. You can marinate the chicken up to a day in advance, and even cook it ahead and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
The dressing holds up well thanks to the lime juice, which keeps the avocado from browning.
- Marinate the chicken – up to 24 hours in advance.
- Cooked chicken – store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Avocado dressing – lasts 2–3 days in the fridge, even with the avocado!
- Veggies – chop and store in separate containers to keep things crisp.
When ready to serve, just slice the chicken, toss everything together, and drizzle with dressing.
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Southwest Chicken Salad
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts ~1/2” thick, 8 oz or 225 grams each
- 3 tablespoons (39 grams) olive oil plus 1-2 tablespoons for cooking
- 2 tablespoons lime juice about one medium lime juiced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
For the dressing:
- 1 large avocado
- 1/4 cup (60 grams) plain Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup (52 grams) olive oil
- 1/4 cup (4 grams) cilantro loosely packed
- 2 tablespoons lime juice about one medium lime juiced
- 1 tablespoon (20 grams) honey
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
For the salad:
- 6 cups (282 grams) romaine lettuce chopped
- 1 1/2 cups (224 grams) cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- 1 cup (172 grams) black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup (154 grams) corn rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup (40 grams) red onion thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the ingredients for the chicken marinade. Whisk together until well combined. Add the chicken, ensuring that each piece of chicken is submerged in the liquid. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.3 tablespoons (39 grams) olive oil2 tablespoons lime juice1 teaspoon sea salt1 teaspoon chili powder1 teaspoon granulated garlic4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Just before the chicken is ready to cook, make the dressing. Add all the ingredients for the dressing to a food processor or blender. Blend for 1-2 minutes, until a smooth consistency is reached. If the dressing seems to be too thick, you can add 1 tablespoon at a time of water and continue to blend until desired consistency is reached.1 large avocado1/4 cup (60 grams) plain Greek yogurt1/4 cup (52 grams) olive oil1/4 cup (4 grams) cilantro2 tablespoons lime juice1 tablespoon (20 grams) honey1 teaspoon granulated garlic¼ teaspoon sea salt
- When the chicken is ready to cook, remove the chicken breasts from the marinade and drain any excess liquid. Place the chicken on a plate and allow it to come to room temperature. This should take 20-30 minutes and will help ensure even cooking times and a better sear on the chicken.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to a heavy skillet and heat over medium heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the chicken to the pan. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan and cook in batches, if needed.
- Cook the chicken for 5 minutes, undisturbed. Flip, and cook an additional 5-7 minutes, until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C). Remove the chicken to a plate or cutting board and rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
- While the chicken is resting, assemble the salad. Add the salad ingredients to a large serving dish or divide the ingredients between 4 plates or bowls.6 cups (282 grams) romaine lettuce1 1/2 cups (224 grams) cherry tomatoes1 cup (172 grams) black beans1 cup (154 grams) corn1/4 cup (40 grams) red onion
- Slice the chicken and place on top of the lettuce. Top the salad with a drizzle of the dressing.
- Add any other toppings, like shredded cheese, tortilla strips, chopped cilantro, or sliced jalapenos, if desired.
- Store any leftovers separately in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
- If your chicken is thicker than 1/2" (1 1/4 cm), place it between two pieces of plastic wrap or parchment paper and gently pound it with a meat mallet or rolling pin until it's an even thickness. This helps it cook more evenly and quickly.
- Use canned corn or fresh cooked corn. I used the Green Giant Brand of Steam Crisp Niblets. It’s canned corn that has been vacuum packed and tends to have a crisper, sweeter bite closer to fresh corn.
- For an extra kick, add a small jalapeno in with the dressing ingredients when blending.
Comments & Reviews
helen says
This salad takes a little longer than the most basic salad I usually make but it’s sooooo worth it! I love that I actually feel full after eating it. I bring it to take and it holds up great. Thank you!