Description
A flavorful and healthy Southwestern Chicken Salad featuring tender shredded chicken, creamy Greek yogurt, black beans, corn, and vibrant spices. Perfect for a quick lunch or light dinner, this salad can be served on toast, tortilla chips, rice cakes, or wrapped in tortillas.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Chicken
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
Salad Dressing and Mix-Ins
- 1 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt or skyr
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 3/4 tsp ground cumin
- 3/4 tsp chili powder
- 3/4 tsp smoked paprika
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- cayenne pepper, optional, to taste
- 3/4 cup black beans
- 1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup corn (preferably fire-roasted)
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Cook the Chicken: Place the chicken breasts in a medium pot and season with kosher salt and black pepper. Cover the chicken with at least an inch of water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and let the chicken simmer for 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Shred the Chicken: Transfer the cooked chicken to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Shred the chicken using the mixer on low speed or by pulling apart with two forks until finely shredded.
- Prepare the Dressing: In another large bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, kosher salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper if using, until thoroughly combined.
- Combine Salad Ingredients: Add the shredded chicken, black beans, diced red bell pepper, corn, red onion, and cilantro to the bowl with the dressing. Stir everything together until evenly mixed. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or cayenne as desired.
- Chill and Serve: Place the Southwestern Chicken Salad in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and chill. Serve on whole wheat toast, with tortilla chips, on a rice cake, or wrapped in a tortilla. Enjoy your vibrant and healthy meal!
Notes
- To add extra heat, increase the cayenne pepper or serve with a spicy sauce.
- For a lower-fat option, use low-fat Greek yogurt instead of full-fat.
- Fire-roasted corn adds a smoky flavor but regular corn works well too.
- This salad is great for meal prep and keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- For a gluten-free option, serve with rice cakes or corn tortilla chips.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
