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Quick & Easy High-Protein Southwest Chicken Salad with Creamy Chipotle-Lime Dressing

A mound of creamy southwest chicken salad topped with chunks of avocado, black beans, corn, and cherry tomatoes.
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Make this vibrant Southwest Chicken Salad for a high-protein, satisfying meal. It combines grilled chicken, black beans, corn, and avocado with a zesty, creamy chipotle-lime dressing. This recipe is ready fast and works well for healthy lunch ideas or meal prep.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
  • 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup frozen or canned corn, thawed or drained
  • 1 large ripe avocado, diced
  • 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
  • 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder (for chicken seasoning)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin (for chicken seasoning)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • For the Creamy Chipotle-Lime Dressing:
  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (for high protein)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from canned chipotles (use more for extra heat)
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons water (to thin, if needed)
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  1. If your chicken is not pre-cooked, season the chicken breasts with chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Grill or bake the chicken until fully cooked. Shred or dice the chicken once cooled slightly.
  2. Prepare the Creamy Chipotle-Lime Dressing: Combine Greek yogurt, lime juice, adobo sauce, minced garlic, and cilantro in a small bowl or blender. Whisk or blend until smooth. Add water one tablespoon at a time until you reach your desired consistency. Season with salt.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, black beans, corn, diced avocado, cherry tomatoes, and red onion.
  4. If you are serving immediately, toss the salad ingredients gently with about half of the dressing. Add more dressing as needed.
  5. Place the romaine lettuce on serving plates or bowls. Top with the chicken and vegetable mixture.
  6. Garnish with the remaining chopped cilantro. Serve immediately for a satisfying salad bowl.

Notes

  • For meal prep, store the dressing separately from the salad ingredients to prevent the lettuce from wilting. Combine just before eating.
  • You can substitute chickpeas for black beans to keep this recipe vegetarian or vegan-friendly (omit chicken).
  • Use leftover grilled chicken or rotisserie chicken to make this a quick 15-minute meal.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://juliameal.com/southwest-chicken-salad-recipe-quick-easy/