Grilled Chicken Southwest Salad
This Southwest salad is a bold, fresh, and hearty meal salad packed with protein, veggies, and zesty flavor. This is not your old-school salad; it’s a fresh and modern take. While it still maintains the Southwest vibes, they come in a slightly unexpected way – we swap some of the expected ingredients (hi corn and black beans) for some modern ones like taco-spiced garbanzo beans.
No boring salads here!
There are a few things that take salads from blah to OMG! And in my opinion, it’s a variety of textures, a homemade dressing, and no shortage of ingredients. Annoying? Maybe, but it’s worth it to enjoy cravable salads.
One of my other criteria when it comes to main meal salads is that they’ve got to be filling enough to not leave me scrounging for snacks an hour later. The combination and quantity of protein, fiber, and carbs (energy) keeps us nice and satisfied until our next meal. Leave one of them out? You may find yourself hungry.
This Southwest chicken salad is inspired by an old menu item from Lake Park Diner in Naples, Florida and I always loved that it was a bit different in a really fresh way. Since I could only get it one week a year, I recreated it at home and you’re going to love it! It’s…
🌽 Big flavor: Between the homemade dressing, the taco-spiced beans, creamy avocado, cheese, and grilled chicken, there is tangy, creamy, crunchy, and zesty in every bite!
🍗 Filling and protein-packed: This salad is enough for a main meal, thanks to the chicken, beans, avocado, and cheese.
🥗 Perfect dinner salad: We love this meal in the spring and summer months – no cooking inside needed, so long as you have a grill!
💪 Nutritious and satisfying: We have protein, fats, fiber, veggies, and flavor – all play a role in making a salad satisfying.
🕒 Quick to make: Ready in about 35 minutes or prep the chicken, beans, and dressing ahead and you can have a meal in minutes.
🎉 Easy to customize: Make it vegetarian, spicy, or extra cheesy!
You’ll also want to try my taco salad, Big Mac salad, chicken caesar pasta salad, or grilled steak salad next time.
This one surprised me. I’m trying to eat healthier and really enjoyed all the flavors. So happy to try something new and delicious too! –Gayle
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need some fresh ingredients and pantry staples to bring this salad to life: mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, taco seasoning, chicken, garbanzo beans, cherry tomatoes, avocado, lime, cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, and mixed greens.
- While I’m normally all about a shortcut, this salad really shines with freshly grated sharp cheddar. It has so much more flavor than pre-shredded salad, and it’s definitely worth the extra few minutes if you can swing it!
Emily’s Tips & Tricks
- Shortcut: This taco ranch salad dressing comes together quickly, but you could also buy it if you have a brand that you love and prefer to take the shortcut.
- Feeding Kids: I would recommend serving the salad components in this serving tray and letting everyone build their own salads. I do recommend putting the components on a plate for toddlers and young eaters!) Serve the meal with a few items you know your kids will eat, like fruit, milk, and/or bread and butter if they don’t do chips. You can also use a milder green like iceberg or romaine (I call them gateway greens!).
- Variations: Swap out the chicken and add tempeh or tofu for a vegetarian salad.
Southwest Salad Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: Tex Mex
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Are you ready for a fresh and modern Southwest salad recipe? The Southwest vibes are there, but in an unexpected way. You’re going to love it!
Ingredients
Taco Ranch:
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 Tbsp. taco seasoning
Southwest Salad:
- 1 lb. chicken breast
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1/8 tsp. black pepper
- 15 oz. can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning
- 1 cup sliced cherry tomatoes
- 1 medium avocado, skin and pit removed, lightly smashed
- 1 lime, cut into wedges
- 4 oz. sharp cheddar, freshly shredded
- 2 cups blue corn tortilla chips, lightly crushed
- 8 oz. mixed greens
Instructions
- Mix dressing. In a small bowl or 2 cup glass measuring cup, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, and taco seasoning. Whisk until smooth and set aside in the refrigerator.
- Prep ingredients:
Wash and cut tomatoes in half lengthwise.
Smash avocado and season with a squeeze (about 1 tablespoon) of lime juice and a pinch (about ¼ teaspoon) sea salt.
Shred cheese.
Rinse and drain garbanzo beans. - Grill chicken. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Season chicken with a drizzle of olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper. Grill over direct flames about 4-6 minutes per side, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Let rest for about 5 minutes, then slice thinly against the grain.
- Make spiced garbanzo beans. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add beans and sprinkle with taco seasoning, stirring to coat. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Assemble salad. Layer greens onto salad plates. Top with sliced chicken cheese and drizzle with dressing. Add spiced garbanzo beans, tomatoes, smashed avocado, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips. Drizzle with more dressing if desired and serve with lime wedges.
Notes
- Storage: Store any leftover salad components in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. If you want to reheat the chicken for the salad, lightly heat in a skillet until just warmed for best results. I also think it’s delicious served cold or at room temperature.
- Ingredient notes: I recommend shredding your own cheddar cheese for this salad as it really completes the salad and has so much more flavor than preshredded cheese.
- Prep ahead: Mix dressing a day or two in advance, make spiced garbanzo beans and grilled chicken a day or two in advance.
- Special tools: I do not grill without a digital meat thermometer! This $5 tray is not fancy, but it’s perfect for meal salads and letting everyone make their own perfect salad (the key to serving salad to kids!).
FAQs
There are so many different varieties of Southwest salad dressing! For this particular recipe, I went with a taco-seasoned ranch-style dressing that adds great flavor and creamy texture to the salad. There are also avocado-based dressings (I made one for these breakfast tostadas), some use a vinaigrette-based dressing and salsa-based dressings.
I love looking at this question in a bit of a different way – using my background in Nutrition and Intuitive Eating. Instead of jumping to negative conclusions, I tend to look at the food in a bigger view, so here’s what I see in this meal.
I see protein, fiber, fresh produce, satisfying fats, a variety of textures, and SO much flavor. Anything that makes eating more veggies appealing is generally a win in my book!
About the Author
Emily Dingmann is a recipe developer, nutrition expert, and founder of My Everyday Table. She specializes in creating easy, healthy recipes that help busy parents feed their families well every single day, without the stress. With a degree in Nutrition and over 20 years of experience, Emily shares family-friendly meals that are practical, nourishing, and full of flavor. Learn more about Emily’s approach to everyday cooking and nutrition here.
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
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this looks delicious, emily!! i’m making taco salad tonight for dinner because i’ve been craving salad too! will have to try this version soon.
I LOOOOOOVE taco salad too! Good choice. 🙂
If my salads looked like this, I would definitely be eating it more!
Thanks Karly! Pretty food does taste better. 😉
No onion?
You can certainly add them if you want! Pickled red onions would be delish.
This one surprised me. I’m trying to eat healthier and really enjoyed all the flavors. So happy to try something new and delicious too!
Oh I’m so happy to hear! Love that you’re trying some new foods and flavors (and finding them delicious!).