Description
This vibrant Southwestern Chicken Salad combines tender, shredded chicken with a creamy Greek yogurt dressing spiced with cumin, chili powder, and smoked paprika. Mixed with colorful vegetables like black beans, red bell pepper, corn, red onion, and fresh cilantro, it offers a flavorful and healthy option perfect for sandwiches, wraps, or served with chips.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Chicken
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
- Kosher salt & black pepper to taste
Dressing & Salad Ingredients
- 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 & black pepper to taste
- Cayenne pepper, optional and to taste
- 3/4 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 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 fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Cook the Chicken: Place the chicken breasts in a medium pot, seasoning with kosher salt and black pepper. Cover with at least 1 inch of water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, cover with a lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer gently for 15-20 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 meat using two forks or by running the mixer on low speed until the chicken is finely shredded.
- Prepare the Dressing: In a 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 well combined.
- Combine Ingredients: Add the shredded chicken to the dressing mixture along with the black beans, diced red bell pepper, corn, red onion, and chopped cilantro. Stir everything thoroughly to combine all the flavors.
- Chill and Serve: Cover the salad and refrigerate it until chilled so the flavors can meld together. Serve chilled on whole wheat toast, with tortilla chips, on a rice cake, or inside a tortilla wrap. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts; using a meat thermometer is advised to ensure the chicken is safely cooked.
- For a spicier salad, increase the amount of cayenne pepper or add diced jalapeños.
- Fire-roasted corn adds a smoky depth but regular corn can be used as well.
- Leftover salad keeps well refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- This recipe is great for meal prep and packed lunches.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 340mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 75mg
