Southwest Salad (with Cilantro Lime Dressing)

This Southwest salad is recent, hearty, and loaded with daring taste from juicy grilled rooster, candy corn, and a zesty Cajun kick. It’s a straightforward, colourful meal that comes collectively rapidly.

Taste: Daring, recent, and crunchy with smoky rooster, candy corn, avocado, and romaine.
Beneficial Instruments: A meat mallet and an instant-read thermometer are the 2 keys to completely cooked juicy rooster.
Serving Strategies: Prime with tortilla strips, pepitas, jalapeños, purple pepper, or cilantro.

avocado , green onions , oil , chicken , cheese , beans , seasoning , tomatoes , dressing , corn and lettuce to make Southwest Salad

Ingredient Notes

Hen: Pound to a fair thickness so it cooks evenly and stays juicy. Hen thighs work effectively for a richer chew, or use rotisserie rooster for a shortcut.
Seasoning: Cajun seasoning provides smoky warmth and plenty of taste with little or no effort. Regulate salt to style relying in your mix, or swap in taco seasoning for a milder possibility.
Corn: Recent corn provides an excellent char. Thawed frozen corn and canned corn work in a pinch too, particularly in case you’re making this on the stovetop.
Lettuce: Romaine is crisp and durable. A mixture of romaine and iceberg provides further crunch.
Beans: Black beans add further protein and make this salad filling. Pinto beans might be swapped in if that’s what you’ve gotten readily available.
Cheese: Sharp cheddar provides a wealthy, savory chew to the salad. Strive pepper jack or cotija for a flavorful twist.
Tomatoes: Cherry tomatoes keep candy and juicy with out watering down the salad. If utilizing bigger tomatoes, seed and cube them.
Dressing: Shiny and recent, it pairs completely with the smoky rooster. For a richer possibility, strive chipotle ranch or a creamy lime dressing.
Variations: You possibly can simply make this vegetarian by skipping the rooster and including further beans and even some grilled tofu for protein. For extra colour and warmth, add sliced purple bell pepper or jalapeño.

seasoned chicken to make Southwest Salad

How To Make a Southwest Salad

Season and grill the rooster (full recipe under).
Char the corn and slice off the kernels.
Add lettuce, corn, beans, tomatoes, cheese, and avocados to a bowl.
Slice the rooster and place excessive.
Drizzle with dressing and serve.

Pound Hen Evenly: Having the rooster a fair 1/2-inch thick helps it prepare dinner quick and keep juicy.
Let Hen Relaxation: Retains the juices in.
Use Frozen Corn: Sear in a scorching skillet for higher colour and taste.
Rinse Beans Effectively: Retains the salad from getting watery.
Add Avocado Final: Retains it recent and crisp and avoids it browning.

adding dressing over top Southwest Salad

Save It for Later

Refrigerate: Retailer elements individually when doable. Lower avocado recent earlier than serving. Cooked rooster retains for as much as 4 days. Undressed salad retains for as much as 2 days.
Freezing: Cooked rooster will preserve for as much as 3 months within the freezer.
Reheating: Heat rooster within the microwave or a skillet.
Leftovers: Wrap all the things in tortillas for southwest rooster wraps or flip leftovers in rice bowls with further beans and salsa.

Recent Southwest Favorites

Did you take pleasure in this Southwest Salad Recipe? Go away a remark and ranking under.

This publish has been sponsored by McCormick.

image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text

Prep Time 20 minutes

Prepare dinner Time 15 minutes

Whole Time 25 minutes

Preheat the grill to medium-high (400°F).
Utilizing the flat facet of a meat mallet, pound the rooster breasts to ½ inch thickness. Brush with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and the Cajun seasoning.
If utilizing corn cobs, brush evenly with remaining olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and place on the grill. Prepare dinner till evenly charred, rotating often. Cool barely and lower the kernels off the cob.
Prepare dinner the rooster on the grill for six minutes, flip, and prepare dinner for an extra 6 to eight minutes till totally cooked and reaches 165°F. Take away from the grill and put aside to relaxation for five minutes.
Add romaine lettuce to a big salad bowl. Add corn kernels, black beans, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheese, inexperienced onions, and sliced avocado.
Slice the rooster and place it on prime of the salad.
Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.

To arrange on the stovetop: Warmth 1 tablespoon of oil in a big skillet over medium warmth. Add the seasoned rooster and prepare dinner for 5-6 minutes per facet or till the rooster reaches an inner temperature of 165℉.
Use frozen (and thawed) or canned corn kernels when assembling the salad.
This salad would additionally pair effectively with a creamy lime ranch or chipotle ranch-style dressing.
Preserve leftover elements in separate containers within the fridge. Cooked rooster will preserve for as much as 4 days. An undressed salad will preserve for as much as 2 days within the fridge

Diet data supplied is an estimate and can range primarily based on cooking strategies and types of elements used.

Course Principal Course

Delicacies Tex Mex

© SpendWithPennies.com. Content material and images are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is each inspired and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.