This Southwestern Chicken Salad is a delicious mix of seasoned chicken, black beans, corn, red peppers, onions and fresh greens, all tossed with a simple creamy southwesrern dressing! This Southwestern Chicken Salad is PERFECT for meal prepping easy lunches when youre busy. It is made with ingredients you likely already have, are easy to find and are really affordable. We’re not breaking the bank here!
This Southwestern Chicken Salad is crunchy, creamy, and has a little bit of a kick for a satisfying lunch that will keep you full all day. Plus it takes less than 30-minutes from start to finish.
If you love my easy gluten free weeknight dinner recipes, you’ll also love my meal prep salad recipe and my Mediterranean chopped salad.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- The southwestern Ranch Dressing can be whisked together in seconds.
- This recipe is allergy friendly. It is naturally gluten free. You can use dairy free cheese and dairy free ranch for an easy dairy free recipe!
- The semi homemade dressing is creamy, smoky, and zesty!
- it is packed with fresh crunchy veggies.
- One of my favorite parts about this recipe is that it is high protein. Each salad portion has a full chicken breast and is packed with black beans to keep you energized.
- This Southwestern Chicken Salad makes for an easy lunch or dinner any night of the week. I love making a big portion for hearty dinner salads when it is warm out!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Chicken: I use chicken breasts but you can also use chicken thighs instead. If you need a time saving hack, use a shredded rotisserie chicken instead!
- Corn: Canned, fresh or frozen is fine!
- Black beans: I use canned black beans and rinse before using.
- Bell pepper: Any color bell pepper works great in this Southwestern Chicken Salad. For more spice use a jalapeño or poblano pepper.
- Cheddar cheese: I used slices of cheddar cheese so I could use 1 per chicken breast. If you have shredded cheddar that works just as well! For a dairy free recipe use dairy free cheddar. For a leaner recipe use fat free cheddar.
- Greens: I love to use a crisp and crunchy lettuce here like green leaf or romaine.
How do I make this Southwestern Chicken Salad?
First, I slice my chicken breasts into thin strips. In a bowl, I toss the chicken with 2 teaspoons of taco seasoning and garlic powder, ensuring each piece is well coated.
Next, I heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. I add the seasoned chicken and cook until browned and cooked through. After, I femove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
In the same skillet, add the chopped bell pepper and onion. Sauté for about 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften. I add back the chicken. I add the corn and black beans.
Next, I top each chicken piece with a slice of cheddar cheese.
After, I place the skillet under a preheated broiler for 1-2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly OR place the skillet into an oven preheated to 350 degrees fahrenheit until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Once the chicken is done and cheese is melted, I remove form oven and let rest for 5 minutes or until chicken is cool enough for a salad.
In a small bowl, I whisk together the ranch dressing, olive oil, the remaining 2 teaspoons of taco seasoning, and the freshly squeezed lime juice.
I divide the lettuce among four bowls. Top each Southwestern Chicken Salad bowl with the cheesy chicken and vegetable mixture. I drizzle generously with the ranch-lime sauce.
Expert Tips & Tricks
I always recommend pounding the chicken breasts before seasoning to make sure they are tender and all the pieces are the same thickness. This will help all the pieces cook at the same rate.
I always let the chicken rest after it is done cooking. This lets the juices redistribute to make sure your chicken is tender and flavrorful. Let the chicken rest for 4-6 minutes. Plus you don’t want the chicken too hot for the Southwestern Chicken Salad. I like it at room temperature the best.
Allergies and Variations
For a gluten free recipe: This Southwestern Chicken Salad is naturally gluten free! No changes needed!
For a dairy free recipe: For the dairy free recipe use dairy free cheese or omit the cheese. Use dairy free ranch.
For a nut free recipe: This is a naturally nut free recipe.
What other protein can I use?
You can use grilled chicken, shredded chicken or diced chicken in this Southwestern Chicken Salad. Feel free to swap in ground chicken, ground turkey or even ground beef!
How do I know when my Southwest chicken is fully cooked?
Overcooked chicken is the worst…and if you’re anything like me, it is easy to overcook. Make sure to have tender chicken for your southwestern chicken salad by only cooking the chicken to an internal temperature of 165°F. I always use an instant meat thermometer to remove the guesswork and ensure I haven’t overcooked it.
How can I make this Southwestern Chicken Salad vegan?
To make this vegan, just simply substitute the chicken with a can of chickpeas instead!
How Do I Serve this Southwestern Chicken Salad?
I like to serve my southwestern chicken over a bed of white rice, or shredded lettuce. I love topping with sour cream, cilantro or parsley, lime wedges, avocado slices or even guacamole!
The topping options are endless! I love adding different toppings to my Southwestern Chicken Salad each time I make it to keep it feeling new and fresh. I add diced avocado, fresh tomatoes, crunchy tortilla chips or even some salsa!
How do I store this?
If you are not expecting there to be Southwestern Chicken Salad leftovers, just add all of the salad ingredients to a large salad bowl and toss with the dressing! But if you are expecting leftovers let everyone dress their own portion so the leftovers don’t get soggy with the dressing. Then, when storing, make sure to store dressing separte.
Can I meal prep this Southwestern Chicken Salad?
Absolutely! This southwestern chicken salad is a great recipe for meal prepping. It makes for easy lunches throughout the week and is perfect for on the go! I love bringing this when I am running errands, in the office or even if I just need a portioned out meal already ready waiting in the fridge for me. You can eat this cold or at room temperature.
To meal prep this Southwestern Chicken Salad, prepare the full recipe then separate the chicken into individual airtight containers. I always store the dressing separately and dress right before I am ready to eat.
Looking for more gluten free recipes?
If you make this recipe and enjoyed it, I would really appreciate a review! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok and Pinterest. Purchase my cookbook Easy Allergy Free Cooking. Join my exclusive weeknight meal plan group for 5 weekly 30-minute dinner recipes. The weeknight meal plan also has an accompanying podcast as well! I would love for you to follow along!
Southwestern Chicken Salad (Gluten free)
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts
- 1 cup corn
- 1 cup black beans
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 slices cheddar cheese
- 3 cups lettuce
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 3 tbsp ranch dressing
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tsp taco seasoning divided
- 1 lime squeezed
- 1/2 cup white rice cooked (optional)
Instructions
- Slice your chicken breasts into thin strips. In a bowl, toss the chicken with 2 teaspoons of taco seasoning and garlic powder, ensuring each piece is well coated.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken and cook until browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the chopped bell pepper and onion. Sauté for about 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften. Add back the chicken. Add the corn and black beans.
- Top each chicken piece with a slice of cheddar cheese.
- Place the skillet under a preheated broiler for 1-2 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbly OR place the skillet into an oven preheated to 350 degrees fahrenheit until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Once the chicken is done and cheese is melted, remove form oven and let rest for 5 minutes or until chicken is cool enough for a salad.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the ranch dressing, olive oil, the remaining 2 teaspoons of taco seasoning, and the freshly squeezed lime juice.
- Divide the lettuce among four bowls. Top each bowl with the cheesy chicken and vegetable mixture. Drizzle generously with the ranch-lime sauce.
- Serve and Enjoy!
Nutrition
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