Southwest Chicken Salad

If you’re craving a hearty salad that’s more than just a side dish, look no further than our Southwest chicken salad recipe—a vibrant medley of bold flavors and flavorful ingredients that will make it the star of any meal. With tender rotisserie chicken, smoky roasted red peppers, crisp corn and crunchy onions, it’s a chicken salad worthy of regular rotation in your recipe repertoire.

Tossed in a well-seasoned dressing, this salad has a wonderful mix of textures and tastes that will leave your crew asking for seconds. Whether you’re serving it as a salad on a bed of greens, stuffed into a pita pocket sammie or wrapped up in tortillas pinwheels, this crowd-pleasing dish is easy, nutritious and tasty.

Ingredients for Southwest Chicken Salad

• Chicken: This salad is a great way to use leftover rotisserie chicken. Cube or shred the meat with a fork so you have about 4 cups worth.
• Corn: A bit of corn for sweetness is so delicious here. We opted for frozen corn but you could also use fresh corn, boiled and shaved off the cob.
• Roasted sweet red peppers: Roasted red peppers add a firey, smoky flavor to this salad.
• Onion: Chopped onions add a nice crunch to the salad. If you want a spicy kick, go with a red onion, otherwise, a sweet white onion will do for a milder taste.
• Cilantro: Fresh herbaceous cilantro adds a peppery finish to the salad.
• Mixed greens and sliced almonds: A bed of fresh greens like arugula, a spring mix or spinach is the perfect base for this salad and sneaks in extra nutrients. We like to finish it with a sprinkle of slivered almonds, which go so well with chicken salad.
• Pita pockets or tortilla wraps: Whole wheat pita pocket halves and lettuce leaves turn this salad into an easy-to-eat sandwich. You could also wrap up the salad with greens in a tortilla and add sliced ripe avocado.
• Dressing ingredients: For a quick vinaigrette, you’ll need fresh lime juice, olive oil, honey, ground cumin and salt.

Directions

Step 1: Make the chicken salad

Kayla Blydenburgh for Taste of Home

In a large bowl, combine the first five ingredients.

Step 2: Make the dressing

Kayla Blydenburgh for Taste of Home

In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour the vinaigrette over the chicken mixture. Give it a few good tosses to coat, until everything is well combined. Then place in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.

Step 3: Make the salad

Kayla Blydenburgh for Taste of Home

If you’re serving the chicken salad with greens, place a few handfuls in a bowl and top with the chicken mixture. Sprinkle with almonds and serve.

Step 4: Make the pitas

Kayla Blydenburgh for Taste of Home

To serve this salad as a pita pocket sandwich, line the pita halves with lettuce leaves, fill the pockets with chicken salad, top with any additional garnishes and dig in.

Step 5: Make the wraps

Kayla Blydenburgh for Taste of Home

If you’re going the wrap route, place the chicken salad off-center on tortillas, top with avocado, then roll up, slice and enjoy!

Kayla Blydenburgh for Taste of Home

Southwest Chicken Salad Variations

• Add black beans: Black beans would be so good in this Tex-Mex salad and would also give it a protein boost.
• Top with tortilla strips: Instead of wrapping the chicken salad in tortillas, slice the tortillas super thin and give them a quick fry in a pan of oil for crispy, crunchy fried tortilla strips to top your salad.
• Switch up the dressing: A creamy avocado-based dressing or a herby green goddess dressing would also go well with southwest chicken salad.

How to Store Southwest Chicken Salad

Prepping the chicken salad in advance allows it to hang out in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. If it’s going to be there longer for a few hours—or up to a day—use a sealed airtight container to keep it from drying out. Store the pita, tortillas and lettuce separately though, on the counter for the bread and the greens in the fridge so you don’t have soggy sandwiches when it comes time to eat.

How long does southwest chicken salad last?

Since this chicken salad doesn’t contain dairy, it will last up to five days in the refrigerator. If it starts to get a little dry towards the end, you can always whip up extra dressing and give it another toss to liven it up.

Can you freeze southwest chicken salad?

Although you could, you don’t want to. The texture and taste won’t be the same when you defrost it.

Southwest Chicken Salad Tips

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How do I make southwest chicken salad better?

Be sure to let it chill before serving. It needs at least a couple of hours for the ingredients to develop and absorb all the seasonings from the dressing. Also, if you like your chicken salad on the spicy side, add a few dashes of hot sauce to the dressing or chopped jalapenos to the salad.

What’s in a traditional southwest salad dressing?

Many southwest-style dressings are mayo, yogurt or sour cream-based. If you want a creamier salad, add one of these (or a mix!) to the dressing.

What to serve with southwest chicken salad?

Given the bold, Tex-Mex flavors in this dish, it pairs well with other Mexican favorites such as rice and beans, queso dip, nachos, guacamole, frozen margaritas and cold beer.