Southwest Chicken Salad (Creamy, No-Cook, 15 Minutes)

This creamy southwest chicken salad mixes rotisserie chicken, black beans, corn, and peppers in a taco-seasoned Greek yogurt dressing with one secret ingredient: a splash of pickled jalapeño brine.

Easy Chicken Salad with Southwest Flavor

Southwest chicken salad is what happens when classic creamy chicken salad meets taco night. My version skips the long spice list and uses taco seasoning instead. I also add two tablespoons of pickled jalapeño brine straight from the jar for added flavor, which Matt loves!

This easy lunch idea is loaded with protein and fiber. It comes together in 15 minutes with zero cooking. Pile it on lettuce, scoop it with tortilla chips, or roll it into a flour tortilla.

The secret to our favorite southwest chicken salad: jalapeño brine

Using jarred pickled jalapeno brine is the fastest way to make a creamy dressing taste bright instead of heavy. It brings a vinegar tang and a little heat.

Matt puts pickled jalapenos on everything, so it is a common ingredient in our fridge. And don’t think its odd to add the brine to salads. This is the same trick as adding pickle juice to pickle pasta salad, dill pickle dip and dill pickle potato salad. And you can buy mild peppers if you don’t want too much heat.

What is in southwest chicken salad?

Southwest chicken salad is made with cooked chicken, black beans, corn, red bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, and a creamy dressing of Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, taco seasoning, lime juice, and pickled jalapeño brine.

Chicken: A rotisserie chicken gives you the 3 cups you need with the best texture — pull it into rough shreds and chop once or twice so the pieces are bite-sized but not minced. Leftover grilled chicken or shredded chicken works, too.

Black beans and corn: Rinse the beans until the water runs clear so they don’t gray the dressing. For corn, thawed frozen is my everyday pick, but corn cut from leftover grilled corn cobs adds a smoky-sweet flavor.

Greek yogurt: Use whole milk yogurt. Nonfat yogurt turns the dressing thin. Use leftover yogurt for our frozen yogurt cookies.

Taco seasoning: Using taco seasoning replaces 6-8 spice jars. Most are already salted, so don’t add salt until you’ve tasted the finished salad.

What is the dressing for southwest chicken salad?

The dressing is ½ cup whole milk Greek yogurt, ⅓ cup mayonnaise, 3 tablespoons taco seasoning, 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeño brine, and a tablespoon of lime juice.

I am a midwest girl at heart, so mayo based salads are the way I generally lean. But I have learned to swap some of the mayo for Greek yogurt to add protein. Please note that the ratio is adjustable, and the salad works any way you’d like:

• Richer (classic deli style): flip it to ½ cup mayo and ¼ cup yogurt
• My everyday version: ½ cup yogurt and ⅓ cup mayo. Creamy but bright
• Lightest: all Greek yogurt, no mayo

How to Store Chicken Salad

Southwest chicken salad keeps 3 to 4 days covered in the refrigerator, which makes it a genuine meal-prep lunch.

A little liquid on day two is normal. Greek yogurt releases some whey as it sits, and the corn and peppers give up a bit of moisture. Don’t drain it, just stir it back in and the dressing comes right back together.

I don’t recommend freezing this one. the dressing separates and the vegetables lose their crunch.

Serving Ideas

There are 3 ways we eat this southwest chicken salad recipe.

Over lettuce: A bed of chopped romaine or iceberg lettuce keeps the lunch low carb and adds greens.

Scooped with tortilla chips: This is great for a potluck or tailgating. Set the bowl out with a bag of sturdy scoop-style chips.

In a flour tortilla: Roll it up for the best five-minute lunch wrap you’ll make all summer.

Creamy Southwest Chicken Salad Recipe

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No bland chicken salad here! Taco seasoning and jalapeño brine bring flavor to this southwest chicken salad. Rotisserie shortcut, one bowl, ready in 15 minutes.

Servings 6

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

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Ingredients

 

• 3 cups cooked chicken chopped or shredded (rotisserie works great)
• 1 can black beans 15 ounces, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup sweet corn thawed frozen, canned, or cut from grilled cobs
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper finely diced
• 1/3 cup red onion finely diced
• 2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeños
• 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeño brine from the jar
• 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt whole milk
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoons lime juice about half a lime

Instructions

 

• Add all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
• Mix to combine.
• Cover and refrigerate until serving. Serve over lettuce, with tortilla chips or in flour tortillas.

Notes

• Most taco seasonings are already salted, so taste before adding any extra salt.
• Keeps 3-4 days refrigerated (the yogurt may release a little liquid but just stir it back in).
• Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.
  The calories shown are based on the recipe serving 6, with 1 serving being ⅙ of the salad. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. **

Nutrition

Calories: 302kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 245mg | Potassium: 423mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 663IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 2mg

Author Julie Clark

Course Appetizer, Dinner, Main Dish

Cuisine American, Mexican, Tex Mex

Calories 302

Keyword comfort food, one-bowl, quick, spicy

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