Southwestern Chicken Salad Recipe
A refreshing and zesty Southwestern Chicken Salad featuring shredded chicken breast mixed with black beans, corn, diced vegetables, and a flavorful yogurt-based dressing with lime and spices. Perfect for a healthy lunch or light dinner served on toast, chips, or tortillas.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Boiling, Mixing
- Cuisine: Southwestern American
- Diet: Low Fat
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
- kosher salt & black pepper (to taste)
Dressing
- 1 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt or skyr
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- ¾ tsp ground cumin
- ¾ tsp chili powder
- ¾ tsp smoked paprika
- kosher salt & black pepper (to taste)
- cayenne (optional, to taste)
Salad Mix-ins
- ¾ cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup finely diced red bell pepper
- ½ cup corn (preferably fire-roasted)
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Cook the Chicken: Place the chicken breasts in a medium pot and season with kosher salt and black pepper. Cover with at least 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Shred the Chicken: Transfer the cooked chicken to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Shred the chicken using two forks or the mixer’s paddle attachment for quick shredding.
- Prepare the Dressing: In another large bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and optional cayenne until smooth and combined.
- Combine Ingredients: Add the shredded chicken, black beans, diced red bell pepper, corn, diced red onion, and chopped cilantro to the bowl with the dressing. Stir everything together thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or cayenne as desired.
- Chill and Serve: Refrigerate the chicken salad until chilled and the flavors have melded, at least 30 minutes. Serve on whole wheat toast, tortilla chips, rice cakes, or wrapped in tortillas. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use fire-roasted corn for a smoky flavor, but fresh or frozen corn works fine as well.
- If you prefer, grill or bake the chicken instead of boiling for added flavor.
- This salad keeps well refrigerated for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Adjust the cayenne powder according to your spice tolerance; it’s optional.
- For a lighter version, substitute Greek yogurt with low-fat or non-fat yogurt.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup (about 1/4 of the recipe)
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 320mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 28g
- Fiber: 7g
- Protein: 33g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
Keywords: Southwestern chicken salad, shredded chicken salad, healthy chicken salad, black bean salad, yogurt chicken salad
Find it online: https://freshrecipehub.com/southwestern-chicken-salad-recipe/
