It’s time for a siesta after this fiesta! My Southwest Chicken Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing is the perfect party salad recipe! Spice up your Labour Day festivities with a bowlful (or two) of this easy, fiery, quick, satisfying and veggie-forward dish!
My Southwest Chicken Salad recipe is chalk full of fresh and vibrant vegetables (and fruits) including romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, an orange bell pepper, green onions and corn. The salad is topped with smoky, salty, spicy, savoury, bright and herbaceous cajun chicken and mild and creamy Pepper Jack cheese. Looking for a little crunch with every bite?! Forget the croutons and use corn chips instead! These crispy and crunchy morsels give the salad some added texture and incremental depth of flavour.
A salad this special deserves a fun and exciting salad dressing. So, I present to you my Cilantro Lime Dressing recipe. This salad dressing combines fragrant cilantro, mild jalapeño pepper, tart lime juice, aromatic garlic, rich olive oil, creamy mayonnaise and sweet honey to create a sauce that you’ll want to use on everything! It’s bright, creamy, fresh, mildly spiced and tangy and couldn’t be more delicious. Trust me!
If you’re searching for a salad recipe to make this weekend, then this salad is for you! Enjoy it for lunch, dinner or as a snack. This salad makes for a satisfying side dish but works equally well as a hearty main! So, let me show you how it’s done. Grab a spoon and come and cook with me!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4 - 6
Ingredients:
Southwest Chicken Salad
8 cups romaine lettuce, cut into 1/2 inch slices (approx. 2 medium heads of lettuce)
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved (See Notes below)
1 orange bell pepper, cored, seeded, quartered and thinly sliced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup cooked corn kernels (See Notes below)
1 cup Pepper Jack cheese, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (See Notes below)
1 1/4 cups cooked Cajun chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (approx. 1 large chicken breast) (See Notes below)
1 cup corn chips
Cilantro Lime Dressing
1 cup cilantro leaves and stems
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (approx. 2 limes)
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 jalapeño pepper, stem, rib and seeds removed
1 clove of garlic, peeled
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions:
Creating the Cilantro Lime Dressing: To a food processor, add the cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, mayonnaise, jalapeño, garlic, honey and salt and pulse for 30 seconds or until blended and relatively smooth. Set aside.
Assembling the Southwest Chicken Salad: To a large salad or mixing bowl, add the romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, orange bell pepper, green onions, corn, Pepper Jack cheese, Cajun chicken breast and corn chips. Mix until fully incorporated.
Drizzle the Cilantro Lime Dressing over top. Toss until all the ingredients are well coated in the dressing and serve and enjoy!
Notes:
So Many Tomatoes: This recipe calls for grape tomatoes. If you don’t have any handy or can’t find them at your local grocer, then simply substitute them with cherry tomatoes on a 1:1 basis. Either option works beautifully in this dish!
That’s so Corny!: I love using frozen or canned corn kernels in this recipe. They require minimal prep and are quite the time saver! Just cook them in accordance with package instructions, drain and let them cool to room temperature. Incorporating hot corn kernels into this salad will cause the lettuce to wilt.
Say Cheese!: In keeping with the southwestern theme, I love using Pepper Jack cheese in this recipe. This semi-hard cow’s milk cheese is mild, tangy and packs subtle heat, thanks to the addition of jalapeño peppers. If you don’t have Pepper Jack handy, then substitute it on a 1:1 basis with Monterey Jack or white cheddar cheese. These cheeses have a similar consistency, texture and mild taste, without the added heat.
Chicken Breasts: I love using Cajun Chicken in this recipe. The chicken breast is coated in an aromatic Cajun spice blend and baked to perfection - leaving you with the most flavourful, juicy and tender chicken. If Cajun Chicken isn’t your thing, simply substitute it with lightly seasoned, fried, poached or grilled chicken breasts. For a quick and easy option, substitute the baked chicken breast with an equal measure of shredded rotisserie chicken.
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