Southwestern chicken salad is a fantastic salad, if you are looking for a nice salad for Memorial Day. We love the different greens, beans, and veggies that go in the southwestern chicken salad. Also the dressing gives it an amazing taste. Top it off with some chicken and it is divine!!!
I have been working at an amusement park. They have parents work for nine days until the kids get out of school. I have been working at Swig and we sell cookies and different kinds of sodas! I am not a soda drinker, but the other day some kids came and ordered drinks and then after we had them made, they decided that they didn’t have enough money.
We couldn’t let three drinks go to waste and so I drank one. 🙁 It was tasty and I decided that I had better not do that again. The one that I had was Sprite with some peach in it and then some coconut cream too!! So my goal is to get through the next two weeks and not have any more pop? Let me tell you, some of these drinks look really good!!
For lunch, my husband, who is also working, and I, go and get a salad for lunch. He had a southwestern chicken salad and so I decided that I could come home and make one and I did. It turned out amazing, and we all loved it, except one who remains un-named. One of my children will not eat corn, tomatoes or black beans. More for me!!!!
What Ingredients Do I Need For Southwestern Chicken Salad?
Here’s a list of ingredients you’ll need to make this salad (scroll down for the full recipe):
Marinade and Dressing:
- Olive oil
- Lime juice
- Fresh chopped cilantro
- Garlic clove
- Crushed red pepper
- Salt
- Southwestern seasoning
- Plain greek yogurt
- Skinless chicken breasts
Salad:
- Spring mix (greens)
- Romaine lettuce
- Avocado
- Black beans
- Corn
- Cherry tomatoes
How Do I Make Southwestern Chicken Salad?
Here’s the simple steps you’ll follow to make this salad (scroll down for the full recipe):
Marinade and Dressing:
- In a pie plate, or not so deep dish, place olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, red pepper, salt, and the southwestern seasoning.
- Mix it together.
- Place half in a small bowl and add the yogurt for the dressing.
- To the remaining, add the chicken coating both sides.
- Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Salad
- Then cook the chicken in a medium skillet.
- Cook chicken until the middle reaches 160 degrees.
- Cool the chicken.
- Meanwhile chop the Romaine lettuce and place into a medium sized bowl.
- Add the spring mix.
- Add the beans that have been rinsed, corn and tomatoes.
- Right before serving, add the avocado and the dressing.
The next thing that I will have to try to make is some of the cookies. I haven’t had any of them because I am too cheap to buy them, and we all know that if you do not start the better off you are. That way, you do not know what you are missing.
Can Southwestern Chicken Salad be Made Ahead of Time?
- Yes! I love to make this salad ahead of time and meal prep it for the week.
- Make sure that you wait to add the avocado and dressing until right before serving.
What are you all doing for Memorial Day? I just can’t wait to get away for a few days. It is always fun to go back to where I grew up. It does make me miss the good old days and it is so quiet compared to where I live now. Coming back sometimes is hard, as I love the quiet chill time.
We will go to Idaho and spend some time with my husband’s family. We decided that it was a great time to have a reunion. It is not so busy yet as school is still going. However, summer is on its way. The weather is nice, not too hot yet, and we are getting a little rain right now as I am typing this.
Also, I got a few tomatoes planted today and a couple of squash. It seems like every year I plan on having a big garden and then I run out of ambition, so, I tell myself, something is better than nothing. I was going to plant some beans and by the time we got the garden ready, they had turned rotten, so they were nasty and I threw them out. Like I said maybe next year. I hope that your weekend is relaxing and that you get a chance to make this southwestern chicken salad.
Links to More Really Good Salads:
Southwestern Chicken Salad
Southwestern chicken salad is a spicier salad that tastes like it could be from the South. You will enjoy all the wonderful things added to it!
Ingredients
Marinade and dressing:
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2-3 Tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon southwestern seasoning (I used Pampered Chef)
- 1/4 cup plain greek yogurt (for dressing)
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in two
Salad:
- 2-3 cups Spring mix (greens)
- 2 cups Romaine lettuce
- 1 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15 ounce) can corn, drained or 1 cup frozen, thawed
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in two
Instructions
Marinade and dressing:
- In a pie plate or not so deep dish, place olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, garlic, red pepper, salt, and the southwestern seasoning. Mix it together. Place half in a small bowl and add the yogurt for the dressing.
- To the remaining, add the chicken coating both sides. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Salad
- Then cook the chicken in a medium skillet. Add a little more olive oil to the skillet.
- Cook chicken until the middle reaches 160 degrees.
- Cool the chicken.
- Meanwhile chop the Romaine lettuce and place into a medium sized bowl. Add the spring mix.
- Add the beans that have been rinsed, corn and tomatoes.
- Right before serving, add the avocado and the dressing.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 185Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 26mgSodium 362mgCarbohydrates 15gFiber 5gSugar 2gProtein 14g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix
I love a good hearty salad and this has me drooling!! All the yummy add-ins I love!
This is such a good salad. I like it when I can find a hearty salad too.
I can never resist a yummy salad…especially one with chicken!!!
I am with you, and it is getting warmer and time for more salads!! Thank you for stopping by and I hope that your week is wonderful!