This creamy southwest chicken salad is made with shredded chicken, corn, red bell pepper, cilantro, pepitas, and a creamy green chile lime dressing. It’s perfect for an easy, healthy, protein packed lunch or dinner!
If you love chicken salad, try out my Greek inspired Tzatziki Chicken Salad!
Why You’ll Love This Southwest Chicken Salad
High protein – Between the shredded chicken breasts and the Greek yogurt in the dressing, this is a salad that will keep you feeling full and satisfied.
Creamy, but healthy – Creamy chicken salads are often loaded with mayo. There’s nothing wrong with that. However, if you’re looking for something lighter this dressing uses a combination of Greek yogurt and mayo so you still have the mayo flavor, but it’s much lower in calories and fat.
Meal prep – This is a great salad to make for lunches to take to work or a no-fuss dinner to have on hand when you’re busy or not in the mood to cook. It holds up well for several days and there’s lots of way to serve it (see suggestions below) so it feels like a new meal each time you eat it.
Ingredients Notes
Greek yogurt and mayonnaise – I like to use a combination of both to cut the tang of the Greek yogurt, but also have a creamy dressing that’s lower in fat and calories compared to just using mayo.
Green chiles – A can of diced green chiles gives the dressing for the chicken salad great flavor. I used mild green chiles, but if you want the salad dressing to be spicy use hot.
Chili powder, cumin, garlic powder – This homemade spice blend is similar to taco seasoning.
Lime – Use both the lime zest and juice in the dressing for the best lime flavor.
Honey – A little bit of sweetness from the honey balances the tang and tartness of the yogurt and lime juice.
Chicken – I used shredded chicken breasts, but chicken thighs or rotisserie chicken also work well.
Bell peppers, green onions, celery, and corn – The veggies for the chicken salad. Their crisp, crunchy texture works great in the creamy salad.
Cilantro – Cilantro adds a wonderful fresh flavor and in my opinion is a must in Southwest cooking. If you don’t like cilantro, omit it.
Pepitas – Another crunchy element. Toast the pepitas in a pan on the stove over low heat until they turn golden and get puffy. It only takes a couple minutes and elevates the flavor.
Tips for Making Southwest Chicken Salad
- The dressing can be made 1-2 days in advance to save time.
- Chop the vegetables so that they’re similar in size. It’s easier to eat and you get a little bit of everything in each bite.
- Use a big enough bowl to mix all of the ingredients. I’m guilty of not always doing this and then end up with a mess all of the counter and the dressing not thoroughly coating all of the ingredients.
- If you’re meal prepping the salad, store the pepitas separate so they stay crunchy.
Substitutions and Variations
- Add a can of drained and rinsed black beans for extra fiber.
- If you don’t like mayonnaise omit it and add additional Greek yogurt.
- Dice the chicken instead of shredding it.
- Want more protein? Add in a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese.
- Swap green onions with diced red onion for a bolder onion flavor.
- Use fire roasted corn for a smoky flavor.
- For a spicy kick, use a diced jalapeno or add a few dashes of hot sauce.
Ways to Serve Taco Chicken Salad
There are so many ways to serve this southwest chicken salad. Serve the leftovers in various ways to keep it feeling like a new meal each time you eat it.
- Make a sandwich with bread. You could also make a hot version of this and turn it into a panini or grilled cheese style sandwich. Monterey jack or cheddar would be great cheese options.
- Turn it into a wrap or taco filling. Top with avocado and diced tomatoes.
- For a low carb option, serve it in lettuce cups. Butter lettuce or romaine hearts work well for this.
- Add it as a topping for your salad. Shredded romaine lettuce or even coleslaw mix would be a great base for the salad.
- Scoop it up with tortilla chips
- Turn it into a bowl and serve it on top of rice, quinoa, or your favorite whole grain.
Storage
The leftover chicken salad will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. If you don’t plan to eat the salad the same day you make it, I recommend adding the pepitas in separately so that they stay crunchy.
I don’t recommend freezing this creamy chicken salad as it will be watery once it’s been defrosted.
More Salad Recipes with Chicken
I love adding protein to salads, especially chicken. It’s a great way to bulk up a salad and take it from a side dish to a main dish.
In the summer I love making this Chicken BLT Salad, Grilled Chicken and Peach Salad, and Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad.
If you want a chicken salad that doesn’t use lettuce try this Chicken and Wild Rice Salad or Chicken Avocado Corn Salad.
Did you make this lemon southwest chicken salad? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a glass measuring cup or bowl. Whisk together until smooth and taste for seasoning.
In a mixing bowl add all of the ingredients for the chicken salad. Pour in the dressing and stir together until everything is coated in the dressing. Taste for seasoning and serve.
Calories: 223kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 23gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 298mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gIron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
