This southwest chicken salad is bright, colorful, and full of flavor. A creamy chicken salad made with diced chicken, black beans, corn, peppers, and onions, and smothered in a creamy southwest homemade dressing.
There are endless ways to serve up this easy chicken salad. This Tex-Mex chicken salad is a game changer, especially for spring and summer when you are craving light and simple.
Southwest Chicken Salad
Feel free to check out my classic chicken salad, Waldorf chicken salad, or even this Willow Tree copycat chicken salad recipe. All are delicious and easy to whip up.
Why You’ll Love This Southwest Chicken Salad Recipe
- The perfect way to use up leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken.
- A cold salad that won’t heat your home, which is great for the hotter months of the year.
- Full of flavor, protein, and color.
- Takes just a handful of minutes to whip up, if you have pre-cooked chicken on hand.
- Tons of different ways to whip up this salad and serve it up.
- Family-friendly ingredients.
Ingredients Needed
Chicken: You will use pre-cooked shredded or diced chicken for the base of this salad.
Beans: Black beans that are rinsed and drained compliment the flavors of the chicken and seasonings.
Corn: Fresh corn, roasted corn, or even canned corn works great for this recipe. Just drain the corn if you are using canned.
Pepper: A red bell pepper adds the perfect sweetness to compliment the savory in the dish.
Red Onion: Finely chop a red onion to add a nice kick of spice to this salad.
Cilantro: The cilantro is optional, but will add a nice pop of color and flavor to the salad if you choose.
Sour Cream: Full-fat sour cream is the base for the creamy dressing. It adds a nice tangy component to the sauce.
Lime: Fresh lime juice is best, it is going to really help bring out tons of flavors and a nice tangy kick.
Hot Sauce: If you like a little spice, add a few teaspoons of your favorite hot sauce. I used Frank’s hot sauce.
Spices: Chili powder, cumin, and salt are what I used for flavoring the dressing.
Variations and Substitutes
Here are a handful of ways you can change up the flavor of this chicken salad. Feel free to pick and choose what works for you.
- Swap the diced chicken with leftover diced turkey.
- Pinto beans are a great swap for the black beans in the recipe.
- Do a can of Mexi-corn instead of plain corn for added Tex-Mex flavor.
- Slice up a jalapeno for added spice. If you just want the flavor devein and remove the seeds.
- Mix in quinoa for added protein and nutrients.
- Leave out the hot sauce if you don’t want spice.
- Instead of spices use taco seasoning that is premade to flavor the dressing.
- Swap the sour cream with plain Greek yogurt for added protein to the salad.
- Add in some shredded cheese. Pepper Jack, Monterey Jack, etc.
Storing Salad
Store any of the salad you do not eat in an airtight container in the fridge. The salad will be stored for 3-4 days in the fridge. Give it a good stir before you scoop and eat any of the salad up.
Due to the ingredients, you will find you do not want to freeze any of the salad as it will curdle the dressing a bit when it thaws out and the veggies will soften.
Tips for Making Southwestern Chicken Salad
Fresh Ingredients
Make sure that when you start making the salad you start with fresh ingredients. Crisp veggies, and fresh chicken so you get a quality salad.
Chopping Vegetables
Uniformly chop up the vegetables so that you get a nice even cut on the chicken and veggies. You want smaller bites so each bite is full of a variety of flavors from the ingredients.
Mix Dressing In A Separate Bowl
Grab a bowl to mix up the dressing and then pour over the meat and veggies so that your dressing is evenly mixed before you mix it up.
Chill
Allow the salad time to chill in the fridge before serving. This will help the spices and lime juice to blend with the veggies and chicken. So when you go to serve your flavors had time to meld together properly.
Ways To Serve Up This Salad
- Make a green salad and place some chicken salad on top.
- Serve in lettuce wraps.
- Serve with crackers, chips, etc.
- Grab a tortilla and make a chicken salad wrap.
- Eat it as is, plain, without anything else.
- Serve on bread as a sandwich.
- Etc.
FAQs
Can I use leftover chicken for the Southwestern Chicken Salad?
This is the perfect recipe to use leftover chicken with. The biggest thing is to not use a heavily seasoned chicken so it doesn’t throw off the flavors.
Can I make Southwestern Chicken Salad ahead of time?
Yes, you can make your salad a day ahead of time when you would like. Just whip it up and then store it in the fridge in a sealed container.
How can I adjust the spiciness level of Southwestern Chicken Salad?
Feel free to add less chili powder and cumin. Or if you want it to have more spice add in a diced jalapeno pepper, add a few splashes of hot sauce, or additional chili powder and cumin.
Craving More Easy Chicken Recipes
Southwest Chicken Salad
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 3 cups shredded or diced cooked chicken
- 1 14.5 oz can black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup corn fresh or canned
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- ⅓ cup diced red onion
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
For the dressing:
- ½ cup sour cream
- Juice of 1 large lime
- 1-2 teaspoons hot sauce used Franks
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until well combined.
- Add dressing and remaining salad ingredients to a large mixing or serving bowl and toss well. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Chill covered for at least an hour before serving. When ready to serve, stir and enjoy!
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Comments & Reviews
Jason says
I just added a little celery for crunch