This Southwest chicken salad has all the classic ingredients of a Southwest salad with the addition of shredded chicken tossed in a smoky, tangy, subtly sweet, and perfectly creamy dressing!
You’ll love this fun twist that comes together so quickly with rotisserie chicken, plus all the classic toppings like black beans and corn. This chicken salad is perfect for lunch, meal prep, and it also makes a great dip!
Quick Look: Southwest Chicken Salad
- Prep Time: 20 minutes, Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Method: No-cook assembly, with a quick stovetop char for the corn
- Main Ingredients: Shredded chicken, corn, black beans, bell peppers, avocado, mayonnaise, sour cream
- Flavor Profile: Creamy, smoky, tangy, fresh
- Ideal For: Lunch, meal prep, make ahead
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Southwest Chicken Salad
- The Best Creamy Shredded Chicken Salad
- Ingredient Notes
- How to Make Southwest Chicken Salad
- Tips for Success
- How To Shred Chicken
- What If I Don’t Have Rotisserie Chicken?
- Recipe FAQs
- Make Ahead and Storage
- How To Serve This Southwest Chicken Salad
- More Salads with Rotisserie Chicken
- Southwest Chicken Salad
Ingredient Notes
- Rotisserie chicken: The shortcut that makes life easier! I use an entire chicken to make about 3-4 cups of shredded chicken.
- Corn: Fresh, canned, or frozen (thawed). Make sure it’s patted dry.
- Canned black beans, red bell pepper, and cherry tomatoes: For the black beans, drained and rinsed. The peppers and tomatoes provide a pop of crunch and freshness.
- Scallions and cilantro: Both are key for that fresh, herby addition. Finely chopped.
- Shredded pepper jack cheese: I love the extra kick from this cheese. I’d recommend freshly shredded, as pre-shredded cheese can taste a little gritty.
- Avocado: Find a good, ripe avocado.
- For the Southwest salad dressing: Mayo, sour cream, lime zest, fresh lime juice, honey, smoked paprika, cumin, and chili powder. Salt and pepper to taste.
- For serving: Colorful tortilla chips or crisp lettuce cups. Butter lettuce or little gem lettuce work great!
Substitutions and Variations
- Chicken: You can also poach your own chicken over simmering broth.
- For a lighter dressing, use Greek yogurt instead. You may need to season it more generously.
- Cheese: Any melty, mild cheese works. Something like Monterey jack, cheddar, or Colby jack.
- Cilantro: If you’re not a cilantro fan, use Italian parsley instead.
- Add heat with diced jalapeños or a pinch of cayenne to the dressing.
How to Make Southwest Chicken Salad
- Char corn. Pat the corn dry (this is important to prevent steaming), then add it to a very hot skillet with a light drizzle of oil. Let it sit undisturbed for about 5 minutes until it chars, stirring about halfway. Remove and let cool slightly.
- Make the dressing. Whisk together the mayo, sour cream, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, honey, lime juice, salt, and pepper.
- Assemble. In a large serving bowl, add the chicken, corn, black beans, bell pepper, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, and cheese to a large bowl. Tip: Wait until you’re ready to serve before adding the avocado so they’re not brown by the time they hit the table.
- Toss with the dressing. Pour the dressing over and toss until everything is coated and creamy. If you’d like, squeeze in a little extra lime juice to taste.
- Serve! Top with sliced avocado and serve with tortilla chips or over lettuce. Or stuff them in a wrap or sandwich, serve mini bites of salad over cucumber slices. So many fun ways to serve this shredded Southwest chicken salad!
Tips for Success
- Use smoked paprika (not regular sweet paprika) for that smoky taste and depth.
- Don’t mix the avocado into the salad. Add it on top at serving time. That way, your chicken salad stays fresh longer without the avocado browning.
- Taste and adjust the dressing. It should be creamy with a bright, smoky finish. Add salt, lime, or a touch more honey to get it just right.
- I like to shred the chicken by hand for chunkier texture, which I prefer. You can also use a mixer for a finer texture over low speed.
How To Shred Chicken
By hand: Pull the chicken into pieces using two forks or your hands. This gives you a larger, more rustic-style texture, which is great if you want the chicken to really stand out. It’s quick to do.
Using a mixer: Either a stand mixer or electric hand mixer will work. Mix on low speed for 20 seconds. This gives you a finer, more uniform shred that becomes a scoopable, dip-like consistency. Just be careful not to overmix or it can turn mushy.
What If I Don’t Have Rotisserie Chicken?
- Leftover chicken works perfectly here. Check out my Dutch Oven Roast Chicken or diced seared chicken breasts.
- Poached chicken breasts: Use 2 large or 3 smaller chicken breasts. Place them in a pot, cover with water or chicken broth, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook on low heat for about 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Recipe FAQs
Does this chicken salad store well in the fridge?
Yes, in fact, the flavors deepen as it sits in the fridge. Store it in an airtight container and add the avocado just before serving to prevent browning.
Can I use canned chicken instead of rotisserie?
I wouldn’t recommend it. The texture and flavor won’t be quite the same.
My dressing seems thick. Can I thin it out?
You can thin it out by adding a little extra lime juice or even a teaspoon of water at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
Make Ahead and Storage
Make ahead: This Southwest chicken salad is great made 1 day in advance. The dressing flavors deepen overnight.
Storage: Store the chicken salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days. It stays fresh and doesn’t turn brown or watery as long as you keep the avocado separate.
Freezing: It’s not ideal for freezing due to the mayo-based dressing and fresh veggies, which will become mushy once thawed.
How To Serve This Southwest Chicken Salad
- Make a Southwest chicken salad dip! Served with colorful tortilla chips as a party appetizer or game day snack.
- Appetizer bites: Serve over butter crackers, apple slices, or cucumber slices.
- Over lettuce: Butter lettuce or little gem lettuce cups make for a fresh snack or light meal.
- As a sandwich or wrap: Pile it onto a toasted brioche bun or roll it into a flour tortilla for a quick and satisfying lunch.
- Make stuffed avocados! This is one of my favorites. Cut an avocado in half, remove the pit, and fill each half with the salad for a fun presentation!
More Salads with Rotisserie Chicken
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Southwest Chicken Salad
This creamy shredded Southwest chicken salad is made with rotisserie chicken for ease, plus black beans, bell peppers, charred corn, and more…all tossed in a smoky, tangy dressing. It's perfect for a quick lunch or a party dip!
Servings 6 people
Calories 540kcal
Ingredients
- 1 shredded rotisserie chicken - cold or at room temp
- ¾ cup corn kernels - fresh, canned or frozen
- ¾ cup canned black beans - drained and rinsed
- ½ a red bell pepper - diced
- ¼ cup cherry tomatoes - quartered
- 1 scallion - finely chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro - finely chopped
- ½ cup freshly shredded pepper jack cheese - or similar
- 1 ripe avocado - sliced for serving at the end
- Color tortilla chips or lettuce cups - for serving
Dressing:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ tsp smoked paprika - not the regular sweet paprika
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp chili powder
- 1 teaspoon honey
- Salt and pepper
- Zest of 1 lime
- Juice of 1 or 2 limes - to taste
Instructions
- Char the corn: Heat a few small drizzles of oil in a skillet over high heat, then add the corn (patted dry) and let it char for about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Note: If using corn on the cob, you can grill then cut off the kernels.
- Make the dressing: Whisk all the dressing ingredients until evenly combined. Adjust to taste. Tip: I make the dressing right in the serving bowl for ease, but you can also do that separately in a mixing bowl.
- Assemble: In a large serving bowl, combine the shredded chicken, charred corn, black beans, bell peppers, tomatoes, scallions, cilantro, and shredded cheese. Add the dressing and toss to combine until creamy and evenly coated.
- Serve and garnish with avocado slices on top. Serve with tortilla chips (as a dip) or over lettuce cups or wraps. Can also serve as wraps, sandwiches, over cucumber slices, or any way you like!
Video
Notes
- Use cold or room-temperature chicken. Hot chicken melts the dressing, making the salad watery.
- Avocado: Do not mix it into the salad. Add it only as a topper at serving time to prevent browning. That way, your southwest chicken salad will last longer in the fridge.
- Charring corn: Pat the corn completely dry before adding it to the hot skillet so it chars instead of steams. You can also grill corn on the cob and cut off the kernels
- How to shred chicken: Shred by hand for a chicken salad with a rustic-style texture, or use an electric mixer on low for 20 seconds for a fine, scoopable dip consistency. Do not overmush, otherwise it can turn mushy.
- Make Ahead: Make it up to 24 hours in advance and keep refrigerated. Bring closer to room temperature before serving.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Do not freeze.
- Chicken: Swap rotisserie chicken for leftover roast chicken or poached chicken.
- Dressing: Substitute the mayo and sour cream with Greek yogurt for a lighter version, adding extra spices and salt to taste.
- Cheese: Replace Pepper Jack with Monterey Jack, Cheddar, or Colby Jack.
- Cilantro: Substitute with Italian parsley if preferred.
- Add heat: Add diced jalapeños or a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Disclaimer: Nutritional values (per serving) are approximates only.
Nutrition
Calories: 540kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 170mg | Sodium: 859mg | Potassium: 840mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 841IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 138mg | Iron: 2mg
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Katy says
How many servings is this recipe?
Bonnie Niemeyer Puntney says
Ok.. just made this salad… waay quick, easy and totally tasty! Didn’t change 1 thing! I’m always on the lookout for something a little different.. wowza! This checks all the boxes!
Thankyou!
Donna says
Amazing salad!
Tania says
Thank you! So glad to hear you loved it.
Sarah says
Okay- stupid question. For a light version, am I subbing Greek yogurt for the mayo or
For the sour cream?
Tania says
For both, if you want to keep it light. If using greek yogurt only, add extra seasoning to taste.
Patricia B says
This was fabulous! Made it yesterday for lunch meal prep this week. Took a few bites to try it last night and ended up eating an entire bowl before the week even started lol it is REALLY DELICIOUS! Today I am making wraps with it and adding some lettuce I bought from the farmers market. I’m thinking tomorrow I’ll eat it over lettuce like you showed in your photo. What else would you suggest for serving?
Oh! I also added some hot sauce to it and it was DIVINE!!! Thank you so much
Tania says
Hi Patricia! Thank you so much. Other great ways you can serve this Southwest chicken salad are: sandwiches, croissants, lettuce wraps, over saltine crackers, or you can even make a pasta salad out of it.