Southwest Chicken Taco Salad

Southwest Chicken Taco Salad loaded with all your favorite ingredients, easy to make and full of flavor. Sliced chicken breast grilled with southwestern spices, and served over a bed of fresh greens, luscious avocados, and crispy tortilla strips, then drizzled with a creamy cilantro dressing.

Salad doesn’t have to mean sacrifice – if you do it right. That’s the magic of this Chicken Tortilla Salad. It’s a fresh, fun, and filling fiesta. No frowny faces when you hear the word “salad” – this one is flat-out tasty!

To transform a salad into an entrée, you need three things: protein, healthy fats, and flavor. The grilled chicken breast has lots of lean protein, while the avocado delivers the healthy fats. As for the flavor…you’re in luck! Next stop: Flavorville!

The homemade dressing that goes with this salad absolutely pops with flavor. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself looking for other things to dip into the dressing the next day, like celery or carrot sticks. Or chips. Or a spoon. Or a straw. Adding crispy tortilla strips and crunchy pumpkin seeds to the salad really punches up the flavor and texture, just like croutons. 

I like to top this Southwest Chicken Taco Salad with queso fresco cheese. It adds a salty and tangy zip without being overpowering. 

INGREDIENTS

This delicious salad calls for Romaine lettuce and cooked chicken breasts, topped with tortilla strips, pumpkin seeds, Queso Fresco cheese, fresh avocados, and limes. The dressing can be store-bought, or made from scratch with sour cream, mayonnaise, fresh cilantro, ranch dressing mix, salsa verde, and fresh garlic.

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN TORTILLA SALAD

MAKE THE DRESSING

• Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse until blended. 
• Chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving.

MAKE THE SALAD

• Toss all salad ingredients and already-made dressing together in a large bowl just before serving.

CAN YOU SAVE LEFTOVER CHICKEN TACO SALAD?

The secret to saving leftover salad is to keep it undressed. Salad dressing makes the lettuce soggy. If you’re anticipating having extra salad, you might want to serve the dressing on the side.

WHAT’S THE BEST LETTUCE TO USE FOR SALAD?

Romaine lettuce is an excellent choice. It’s crisp, sturdy, and substantial. While other types of lettuce can be substituted, for this recipe I would stay away from any lettuce that’s overly leafy, like spinach. Likewise, avoid anything too watery, such as iceberg lettuce. Romaine has the right amount of crunch, and also happens to be one of the more nutritious kinds of lettuce available.

HOW DO I COOK THE CHICKEN?

I recommend grilling the chicken for this salad. There’s no shortage of recipes for grilling chicken. Here’s one of my favorites (which also happens to be super easy): Lime Cilantro Chicken with Avocado Salsa

If you don’t have a grill, season and pan fry your chicken for a nice char.

CAN I USE OTHER MEAT IN THIS SALAD?

Absolutely! Ground beef, ground chicken, or ground turkey goes great in this salad, although in my opinion ground meats are much better when served warm. Just prepare your meat as if you were making tacos, and keep it warm in your pan until serving time. You can buy pre-made taco seasoning, or save money and make your own homemade taco seasoning.

IS CHICKEN TACO SALAD SPICY?

This salad is mild, but flavorful. The spice level can be adjusted in two areas: the chicken breast and the salad dressing. Marinating the chicken alongside sliced jalapenos helps dial up the spice level. Or add some heat with a dry rub that includes cayenne pepper. You can also substitute a spicier salsa when making the salad dressing. But keep in mind that most salad dressings are designed to provide a cool refuge from all the other flavors. People can eat around spicy pieces of chicken, but when you’re digging into a salad, there’s no escaping a spicy dressing.

Other delicious southwestern meals include Homemade Chicken Taquitos with Cilantro and Pepper-Jack Cheese and Chicken Enchiladas Freezer Meal Recipe.

PRO TIPS/NOTES

• If you’re going for that restaurant-quality presentation, you’ll find tortilla strips in the grocery store where they keep all those specialty salad toppings (like bacon bits, croutons, etc.). In terms of flavor, however, broken piece of tortilla chips will be just as delicious. You can certainly save a few bucks by using chips you already have in your pantry!
• When using avocados in a salad, look for an avocado that’s ripe but still firm. This allows you to make nice slices or cubes that don’t turn into mush. Also, you might prefer your avocados to be the same temperature as your lettuce and cheese. Be sure to chill the avocado for 20 minutes before cutting it open. 
• The chicken in this salad can be warm or chilled, as you prefer. Some people love the hot & cold contrast, but it requires a little bit of timing. Make sure not to add the cooked chicken until just before serving, otherwise it could wilt the lettuce and melt the cheese.
• Look for green pumpkin seeds, NOT WHITE. The green ones are the tender, inner part of the seed. The white ones (like the kind you might roast at Halloween) still have the outer shell. While these are edible, they don’t go well in salads. 
• Rather than tossing the salad, you may prefer to top the lettuce with the other ingredients, arranging them in sections. This is how chopped salad are often served. Flavor is the same – it’s all a matter of personal preference. 
• A few lime wedges served alongside the salad let you add a tangy spray of citrus that blends wonderfully to create a cilantro lime flavor profile. 

WHAT OTHER RECIPES CAN YOU MAKE WITH CHICKEN?

• Bake this incredible Cheesy Broccoli Rice Casserole.
• Make this Easy Creamy White Chicken Chili
• Prepare these One Pan Ranch Chicken and Potatoes.
• Try this Easy Chicken Burrito Recipe.
• Make this Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken.

If you make this Chicken Tortilla Salad, I would love to see it! Snap a picture of it and share it with me in Instagram using the hashtag #happymoneysaver and tagging me @happymoneysaver

This recipe was first posted May 17, 2010, but has been updated with new photos and better detailed instructions and tips on July 7th, 2021.