Spicy Southwest Salad

Put a twist on your normal chicken salad recipe by making this spicy southwest salad! This delicious salad is made with corn, beans, Greek Yogurt, shredded chicken and Mexican flavored seasonings. No lettuce required!

This spicy southwest chicken salad may quickly become your new favorite meal. It tastes just as good a couple days after making, as it does the first day. There are so many different ways to eat it (dip, sandwich, taco) that it never gets old.

Pair this salad with a side of sweet potato fries or a slice of gluten free banana bread! It also goes well with these delicious morning glory muffins!

If you're looking for delicious chicken recipes, be sure to check out this southwest chicken salad or this hot honey chicken!

Jump to:

• Reasons to Love This
• Ingredients
• Step By Step Instructions
• Serving Suggestions
• Suggested Toppings
• Variations
• Leftovers
• Allergens
• Nutrition Information
• More Healthy Dinner Ideas
• Southwest Chicken Salad

Reasons to Love This

• This salad is versatile! It can be served as a dip with chips, placed in the middle of a tortilla and eaten as a wrap, or it can be consumed plain as the main entree.
• This delicious recipe is healthy! It's loaded with fiber from the beans and nutrients from the peppers.
• The recipe is easy to make! It can be quickly assembled, especially if the chicken is pre-cooked, making it a convenient option for a busy day!

Ingredients

• Shredded Chicken Breast: Use boneless, skinless shredded chicken breast. The crock pot is an easy way to make tender, shredded chicken. Another alternative is to cook the chicken in the oven or Instant Pot, and then shred using two forks.
• Bell Peppers: Choose any color- red, yellow, orange or green. Peppers add nutrition and some extra crunch.
• Black Beans: Use canned, drained black beans. If concerned about sodium, look for beans labeled "No Salt Added".
• Corn: Use canned, drained corn. Another alternative is frozen corn that has been defrosted in the microwave until tender and all water is drained.
• Cilantro: Chop into small pieces. Adds extra flavor!
• Green Onions: Adds excellent flavor to the dish
• Greek Yogurt: Traditional chicken salads call for mayo, however this dish uses Greek yogurt as a healthier alternative that is lower in fat and calories. Look for plain Greek yogurt that is non-fat.
• Spices: taco seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder & chili powder. All spices add excellent flavor to the dish. Adjust to your liking.
• Hot Sauce: Use your favorite hot sauce. This is optional. Increase or decrease the amount used to alter the spice level.

Step By Step Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked shredded chicken, bell peppers, beans, corn, cilantro and green onions. Mix until combined.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine Greek yogurt, taco seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, red pepper flakes and hot sauce. Mix until combined.

Add the Greek yogurt mixture into the chicken. Mix until combined.

Serving Suggestions

There’s a variety of different ways that this dip can be eaten. While typical chicken salad is eaten cold, it can also be heated and eaten warm. The best part about this meal is that you can eat it in a variety of different ways, which helps to keep the leftovers interesting.

• Serve between 2 slices of bread; cold or warm.
• Serve on a corn tortilla topped with salsa.
• Make it a dip: tortilla chips, Fritos, pretzels, crackers or veggies. Tastes great hot or cold.
• Top your salad- Place it atop a bed of romaine lettuce, chopped tomatoes, carrots and avocados.
• Make a bowl: place on top of a bowl of rice or quinoa and serve warm
• Make a low carb wrap: serve on top of an egg white wrap with avocado and ranch dressing.

Suggested Toppings

This dip does not require any additional toppings. But, if you are into toppings and want that extra kick, here’s some ideas:

• Salsa or Pico de Gallo
• Guacamole
• Sour cream or Greek yogurt
• Olives
• Shredded Cheese
• Extra hot sauce

Variations

Make this dish extra spicy by adding extra hot sauce. Also, top it with medium or spicy salsa for additional spice.

Sub the black beans with kidney beans or garbanzo beans for a different flavor.

Grill the peppers, corn and chicken before adding to for a unique flavor twist.

Leftovers

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This dip holds up very well and tastes just as good when eaten a few days later, as it did the first day. It is not recommended to freeze this dish.

Allergens

Southwest chicken salad can easily be made gluten free. While most ingredients are naturally gluten free, always double check the labels. Taco seasoning can sometimes contain wheat, so make sure to check the package!

Serve this in a gluten-free way by making a sandwich with gluten free bread, serving on corn tortillas or by dipping with tortilla chips or pretzels.

Nutrition Information

1 serving of Southwest chicken salad is ~½ cup. There are 110 calories/serving and 10 grams of protein/serving.

Southwest chicken salad is made with Greek yogurt, which makes it lower in fat than your normal chicken salad that’s made with mayo. Also, this salad is packed with protein! The beans, chicken and Greek yogurt all provide great protein.

One more thing to note—this salad has lots of fiber (3.6 grams of fiber). The beans are an excellent source of fiber. (More about fiber here!)

More Healthy Dinner Ideas

• Healthy Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Copycat Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl
• Loaded Mini Pepper Nachos