An awesome and delicious spicy Southwest Chicken Salad! With smoky, spicy chicken, crunchy greens, avocado, black beans, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, pepper jack cheese, and a cool, creamy and zesty cilantro lime dressing, you will be making this entrée salad over and over again.
Who's feeling like they need a healthy salad right about now? I do! And this Southwest Chicken Salad is so delicious! It has crunchiness, spiciness, creaminess and just all around goodness. Let's jump right in and get cooking!
An entrée salad is such an easy and great lunch or dinner. The ingredients and dressing or vinaigrette can be prepped in advance. Then just assemble and enjoy. Along with this spicy chicken salad, my Balsamic Steak Salad is a favorite of my family and my personal chef clients.
Jump to:
what is a spicy southwest chicken salad?
A Southwest Salad has a base of salad greens. It's a nice combination is crisp romaine and tender baby spinach. The remaining salad toppers add crunch (bell peppers), creaminess (avocado), heartiness (black beans and pepper jack cheese), and a bright sweetness (cherry tomatoes). The different textures and flavors of the ingredients make the salad amazing!
the ingredients
It may seem like there are a lot of ingredients for this spicy southwest salad. But, it's really just a little cooking, assembling and plating that is needed. And all of the work can be prepped in advance.
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- chipotle powder
- cumin
- smoked paprika
- dried oregano
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- kosher salt
- extra virgin olive oil
- romaine lettuce and baby spinach
- cherry tomatoes
- bell peppers
- pepper jack cheese
- avocado
- black beans
- Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing
The chicken gives the southwest salad its spicy kick. Bite sized pieces of boneless skinless chicken breasts are tossed with an easy to make spice mixture highlighted with the Tex-Mex spices of chipotle powder, cumin and smoked paprika. I sauté the chicken but, grilling and baking are options too.
cooking video
The Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing is super creamy and cool. It tempers the spicy chipotle chicken. The zest of the lime adds a nice zing to the dressing.
expert tips
- The spice mixture for seasoning the chicken includes many spices in a well stocked pantry. Use a taco seasoning packet in place of the spices if desired.
- Sautéing the seasoned chicken in a cast iron skillet is my first choice. But a large sauté pan, grilling on a grill or baking in the oven are options too.
- Use any variety of salad greens in the recipe.
- Feel free to add, leave out, or substitute for any of the salad toppers. Change the kind of bean, use cheddar or colby cheese, even add some crushed tortilla chips if you would like.
meal prep instructions
The Southwest Salad can be assembled up to 4 hours in advance. Just make sure the chicken is cool before adding it on top of the salad. Also wait to drizzle the salad with the Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing until right before serving.
more salad recipes to try
- When I craving a good old-fashioned chicken salad, I make this Cranberry Chicken Salad with pecans.
- Perfect for a summer lunch is my Shrimp Salad with Old Bay.
- A Big Mac Salad has all the great taste of the famous double cheeseburger minus the bun.
- You gotta try the maple tahini dressing in these Mediterranean Quinoa Bowls ~ delicious!
- A fun twist on a classic cole slaw is my Chicken Cole Slaw with toasted pine nuts and pomegranate.
just one more thing
If you make this fresh and fabulous spicy southwest salad, I'd love hearing from you. Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ~ I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram.
I'll add the photos to my Insta stories as I love seeing all your creations. Check out my Facebook and Pinterest pages for lots of fabulous foodie stories and videos, cooking tips, and recipes.
Recipe
Spicy Southwest Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts cut in 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce and baby spinach
- 1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1 large bell pepper cut in thin strips
- 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- 2 avocados cut in chunks
- 1 cup black beans
- Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a large bowl. In a small bowl combine the chipotle powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and kosher salt. Sprinkle the spice mix over the chicken and toss to coat. Set aside.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the seasoned chicken. Sauté the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes per side, stirring occasionally. Remove the chicken from the skillet to a plate.
- On a large platter, assemble the salad. Add the romaine lettuce and baby spinach and scatter the cherry tomatoes, bell peppers and cheese on top. Place the chicken on two sections of the salad. Divide the avocado and beans evenly next to the chicken.
- At this point, the salad can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 4 hours.
- Before serving, drizzle the salad with the Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing.
Video
Notes
- The spice mixture for seasoning the chicken includes many spices in a well stocked pantry. Use a taco seasoning packet in place of the spices if desired.
- Sautéing the seasoned chicken in a cast iron skillet is my first choice. But sautéing in a large sauté pan, grilling on a grill or baking in the oven are options too.
- Use any variety of salad greens in the recipe.
- Feel free to add, leave out, or substitute for any of the salad toppers. Change the kind of bean, use cheddar or colby cheese, even add some crushed tortilla chips if you would like.
- The Southwest Salad can be assembled up to 4 hours in advance. Just make sure the chicken is cool before adding it. Also drizzle with the Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing right before serving.
