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๐Ÿฅ˜Recipes by Nani
Lunch

Southwest Chicken Salad

A colorful and zesty chicken salad packed with beans, corn, and fresh vegetables.

By Recipes By Naniยท ๐ŸŒ Americanยท July 20, 2026
Southwest Chicken Salad
recipesbynani.com
Prep
15 minutes
Cook
0 minutes
Total
15 minutes
Serves
4

This Southwest Chicken Salad is one of my favorite ways to brighten up a lunch. It takes the classic chicken salad we all know and gives it a fun, zesty spin with ingredients like black beans and sweet corn.

I love making a big batch of this at the start of the week. My best tip is to let the salad sit in the fridge for about thirty minutes before you serve it so all those tasty Southwest flavors can really get to know each other.

๐Ÿงบ Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced
  • 1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup roasted corn kernels
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • Salt and pepper to taste

๐Ÿ‘ฉโ€๐ŸณInstructions

  1. 1

    Place your shredded chicken, black beans, corn, bell pepper, and onion into a large mixing bowl.

  2. 2

    In a separate small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, chili powder, and cumin until smooth.

  3. 3

    Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and stir everything together until well coated.

  4. 4

    Add the fresh cilantro and season with salt and pepper to your personal preference.

  5. 5

    Serve immediately or keep it chilled in the refrigerator until you are ready to eat.

๐Ÿ’ก Tips

This salad is wonderful served inside a large lettuce leaf or on top of toasted bread. If you have leftovers, keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

Made this recipe? Let us know how it went.

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