↑

Delicious Little Bites

Loving Life One Bite at a Time

  • About
    • Disclosure Statement
    • Work With Me
    • Contact Me
  • Recipe Index
  • Low Carb
  • Gluten Free
  • Vegetarian
  • Desserts
  • Privacy Policy
You are here: Home / Recipes / Salads / Southwestern Chicken Salad

Southwestern Chicken Salad

Published February 15, 2024 by Lauren Vavala Harris

Thanks for sharing!

Close up of southwestern chicken salad in a white bowl with text overlay.
Overhead southwestern chicken salad in a white bowl with text overlay.
Southwestern chicken salad in a white bowl with text overlay.
Close up of southwestern chicken salad in a white bowl with text overlay.
Southwestern chicken salad in a white bowl with text overlay.
Close up overhead view of southwestern chicken salad in a white bowl with text overlay.
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This Southwestern Chicken Salad is full of healthy ingredients like kale, vegetables, cheese, corn, black beans, and chicken that are chopped and combined. This salad is topped with an incredibly delicious Cilantro Lime Avocado Dressing.

A southwestern chicken salad in a white bowl with a second bowl and avocado in the background.

This post contains affiliate links. See our Disclosure Statement for more information.

Get back to eating better with this Southwestern Chicken Salad.

A complete salad recipe that’s easy to make, filling, and full of flavor is always a great choice for lunch or dinner and this salad meets all those requirements.

The icing on the cake (or rather, the dressing on the salad) is a Cilantro Lime Avocado Dressing that is so good. You will want to eat it straight off the spoon! But, if it isn’t your jam, you can use any salad dressing or vinaigrette that you like. We sometimes use balsamic vinaigrette like the one in this Apple Walnut Salad recipe or ranch dressing.

Why This Recipe Works

This salad is loaded with healthy ingredients like kale, chicken, red peppers, black beans, spicy cheese, and avocado.

You can enjoy this salad for lunch or dinner. For a heartier meal, add a bowl of soup or half of a sandwich.

This salad can be prepared and on the table in just 20 minutes. 

Step-By-Step Instructions

Ingredients

Ingredients needed to make a Southwestern Chicken Salad with text overlay.

Salad

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken (diced into bite size pieces)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper (or to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder (divided)
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup black beans (canned, drained and rinsed)
  • 1 cup corn
  • 1/2 cup roasted red peppers (jarred, diced): you can use raw red peppers if you’d like instead.
  • 4 cups kale (chopped)
  • 1/2 cup pepper jack cheese (diced)

Cilantro Lime Avocado Dressing

  • 2 limes (juiced)
  • 1 avocado (diced)
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (loosely packed)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup: you could also use honey or agave, if preferred.
  • salt (to taste)
  • pepper (to taste)

The entire recipe and instructions can also be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. You can also print the recipe from the card, if needed.

Prep!

 

Dice the chicken into small cubes, chop the kale into bite size pieces, and cut the cheese into small cubes.

Create!

Cooked pieces of chicken in a black skillet.

Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the chili powder.

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and add the chicken. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until no longer pink in the center. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, combine the black beans, corn, roasted red peppers, and remaining teaspoon of the chili powder. Stir to combine.

Cilantro Lime Avocado Dressing in the bottom of a blender cup.

To make the avocado dressing, add the lime juice, avocado, cilantro, olive oil, and maple syrup to a blender cup.  Season with salt and pepper.  Blend until well combined and smooth.

Taste and adjust seasonings, as needed. You can add more lime juice if it’s too sweet or more maple syrup if you’d prefer it to be sweeter.

Present!

Southwestern chicken salad in a white bowl without dressing on it yet.

Divide the kale, beans and corn mixture, cheese, and chicken between 4 bowls.  

Close up overhead view of a southwestern chicken salad topped with cilantro lime avocado dressing.

Top with 1-2 tablespoons of the dressing.

Toss, if desired, and enjoy!

Tips & Techniques

  • If you do not like kale, you can substitute romaine, butter, or iceberg lettuce instead. You could also make this salad with arugula and/or spinach, as well.
  • Store any leftover salad and dressing separately, tightly covered, in the refrigerator. Consume the salad within 2-3 days. The dressing may not keep very long due the fact that the avocado may start browning. The lime juice does help to slow this process down quite a bit.

FAQ’s

Is Southwestern Chicken Salad Gluten Free?

Yes, this recipe is 100% gluten free without any needed modifications.

Is Southwestern Chicken Salad Healthy?

With the definition of “healthy” meaning different things to different people, I can say that this salad is loaded with good-for-you vegetables and healthy fats like avocado and extra virgin olive oil.

More Salad Recipes

Spinach Blueberry Salad
This Spinach Blueberry Salad has everything a good salad should have. It has blueberries for sweetness, feta for creaminess and pecans for texture. It’s finished with the most amazing, yet incredibly easy, blueberry vinaigrette.
Get The Recipe
Overhead of a spinach blueberry salad with pecan, blueberries, avocado, feta, mint and blueberry dressing on a white plate with extra ingredients around it.
Lyonnaise Salad
This classic French recipe, also known as Salade Lyonnaise, is a simple and delicious salad served with warm bacon dressing. The French city of Lyon is well known for its culinary delights and this Lyonnaise Salad is the perfect example of laidback, traditional French cuisine. Frisée lettuce, fried bacon, and poached eggs, are featured in this dish.
Get The Recipe
Lyonnaise salad with a poached egg cut open over the top on a white plate over a white background
Roasted Apple Arugula Salad
This Roasted Apple Arugula Salad recipe is made with a delicious combination of arugula, roasted apples with herbs, walnuts, and a fresh, lemony dressing. 
Get The Recipe
Roasted Apple Arugula Salad on a Large White Plate

Love this Southwestern Chicken Salad recipe? Follow me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for more!

If you try this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would please leave a comment and star rating. Thanks!

Close up of a southwestern chicken salad in a white bowl with avocado dressing on top.
Print

Southwestern Chicken Salad

This Southwestern Chicken Salad is full of healthy ingredients like kale, vegetables, cheese, corn, black beans, and chicken that are chopped and combined. This salad is topped with an incredibly delicious Cilantro Lime Avocado Dressing.
Course Appetizer, Main Dish, Salad
Cuisine Chicken, Gluten Free
Prep Time 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes minutes
Total Time 25 minutes minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 548kcal
Author Lauren Harris

Ingredients

Salad

  • 1 pound chicken (cut into bite-size pieces)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder (divided)
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup black beans
  • 1 cup corn
  • 1/2 cup roasted red peppers (from a jar, diced small)
  • 4 cups kale (chopped)
  • 1/2 cup pepperjack cheese (diced small)

Cilantro Lime Avocado Dressing

  • 2 limes (juiced)
  • 1 avocado
  • 1/2 cup cilantro
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or honey)
  • salt (to taste)
  • pepper (to taste)

Instructions

Salad

  • Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and 1 teaspoon of the chili powder.
    1 pound chicken, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat and add the chicken. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until no longer pink in the center. Set aside to cool.
    1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • In a small bowl, combine the black beans, corn, roasted red peppers, and remaining teaspoon of the chili powder. Stir to combine.
    1 cup black beans, 1 cup corn, 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, 2 teaspoons chili powder

Cilantro Lime Avocado Dressing

  • To make the avocado dressing, add the lime juice, avocado, cilantro, olive oil, and maple syrup to a blender cup.  Season with salt and pepper.  Blend until well combined and smooth.
    2 limes, 1 avocado, 1/2 cup cilantro, 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, salt, pepper
  • Taste and adjust seasonings, as needed.
  • Divide the kale, beans and corn mixture, cheese, and chicken between 4 bowls. Top with 1-2 tablespoons of the dressing.
    4 cups kale, 1/2 cup pepperjack cheese

Notes

Tips & Techniques

  • If you do not like kale, you can substitute romaine, butter, or iceberg lettuce instead. You could also make this salad with arugula and/or spinach, as well.
  • Store any leftover salad and dressing separately, tightly covered, in the refrigerator. Consume the salad within 2-3 days. The dressing may not keep very long due the fact that the avocado may start browning. The lime juice does help to slow this process down quite a bit.
** Nutritional information is an estimate and may vary.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 548kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 712mg | Potassium: 931mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 7595IU | Vitamin C: 89mg | Calcium: 330mg | Iron: 4mg

This recipe was originally published on July 17, 2017. It was updated with new images, step-by-step instructions, tips, techniques, and FAQ’s in February 2014.

Related Posts

Curry chicken salad lettuce wraps on a white plate.
Curry Chicken Salad
Cranberry Walnut chicken salad sandwich cut in half and stacked on top of each other on a white plate with a gray background
Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad
A keto caesar salad with chicken in a bowl with a fork and cup of dressing next to it.
Keto Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken and Caesar Dressing
Mediterranean chickpea salad in a oval bowl.
Mediterranean Chickpea Salad
Broccoli crunch salad on a white serving plate.
Broccoli Crunch Salad

Filed Under: Chicken, Gluten Free, Recipes, Salads

Comments

  1. TAYLER ROSS says

    March 7, 2024 at 12:02 pm

    I made this salad for lunch yesterday and it was incredible! Definitely a new go to salad for me

    Reply
  2. Sonia says

    March 7, 2024 at 11:03 am

    Thank you for this – my friends really enjoyed it!

    Reply
  3. Kathleen says

    March 7, 2024 at 10:27 am

    I Love how this fabulous, homemade, cilantro lime avocado dressing brings all these southwestern flavors together. This is one fantastic salad.

    Reply
  4. Tara says

    March 7, 2024 at 10:23 am

    Oooh, you had me at the homemade Cilantro Lime Avocado Dressing. Such a delicious and vibrant salad.

    Reply
  5. Kelley says

    March 7, 2024 at 10:11 am

    This salad was so good! We made it on Monday for lunches for the week! So delicious!

    Reply
  6. Karyn says

    July 26, 2017 at 1:48 pm

    What a delicious salad this was – so fresh and tasty..a real summer dish now bring on the sun!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      July 27, 2017 at 9:16 pm

      Thank you! It’s been dreary here too and no end in sight 🙁

      Reply
  7. Marisa says

    July 25, 2017 at 2:51 pm

    We eat salad every single evening and many times for lunch so I guess you could call us experts! Your salad was so delicious. I really think the dressing really complimented the ingredients.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      July 26, 2017 at 11:42 am

      I thought we ate a lot of salad! Thanks so much for your kind words 🙂

      Reply
  8. Ashley - Forking Up says

    July 25, 2017 at 11:43 am

    I love chopped salad–it’s so easy to get a little bit of everything in one bite! And that cheese is my favorite.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      July 26, 2017 at 11:45 am

      That’s exactly why I love chopped salad too!

      Reply
  9. Molly says

    July 25, 2017 at 11:31 am

    This was so delicious – I just love a good chicken salad. Loved all the flavor combinations you’ve used and would make this one again.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      July 26, 2017 at 11:45 am

      Thanks so much Molly!

      Reply
  10. Kylie says

    July 25, 2017 at 11:05 am

    I sure do love a good chopped salad. The spicy jack cheese was an awesome addition and the southwestern flavors were the best!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      July 26, 2017 at 11:45 am

      Yes!! I love Southwestern evvvverything!!

      Reply
  11. Christine says

    July 25, 2017 at 10:42 am

    Made this salad recipe for a reunion with friends – was perfect!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      July 26, 2017 at 11:46 am

      Perfect! I hope everyone enjoys it!

      Reply
  12. Vee says

    July 25, 2017 at 7:39 am

    Enjoyed this salad. Made as is – no need for any changes!

    Reply
  13. Adriana says

    July 25, 2017 at 3:42 am

    This is good!

    Reply
  14. val says

    July 25, 2017 at 12:04 am

    My hubby and I loved this salad.

    Reply
  15. Pam says

    July 24, 2017 at 3:52 pm

    Wow, that looks awesome. I love salads like this, especially during the summer months when I am craving fresh foods.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      July 24, 2017 at 8:58 pm

      Thanks Pam!

      Reply
  16. Megan | Strawberry Blondie Kitchen says

    July 24, 2017 at 3:32 pm

    I’m so sad that Heluva Good cheese isn’t in my area. I’m hoping they go Nationwide soon! This chickpea salad looks awesome! I am always looking at ways to get more chickpeas into my diet and this is the perfect idea!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      July 24, 2017 at 8:58 pm

      Ahh! That’s actually chicken but diced small that I think you are mistaking for chickpeas – but you could easily swap the two 🙂

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Welcome, I'm Lauren!

Delicious Little Bites is where I share all types of recipes from appetizers to desserts. You will also find plenty of keto, gluten free, and vegetarian recipes here to help you put a delicious meal on the table every night that the whole family will love! Read More...

as seen on


Copyright ©2025, Delicious Little Bites. All Rights Reserved.

1.3K shares