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Spicy Southwest Salad in a white bowl on a counter with a towel to the side.
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5 from 3 votes

Spicy Southwest Salad

Spicy southwest salad has the crunch, creamy tangy dressing and juicy, spiced marinated chicken.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 4
Author: Bailey

Equipment

  • skillet
  • blender or food processor

Ingredients

Chicken Marinade

  • 1 lb chicken breasts, cut in half
  • 1 orange, squeezed
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ½ tsp paprika

Salad Mix In's

  • 1 large red bell pepper
  • ⅓ cup pepita seeds
  • 1½ cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup canned black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup thawed/fresh corn kernels
  • ⅓ cup shredded cheese *see notes
  • 10 cups chopped romaine about 2 large romaine

Spicy Southwest Dressing

  • 1 cup sour cream *see notes
  • 1 lime squeezed
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • 3 Tbsp cilantro
  • ½ tsp salt more to taste as needed
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper more as needed for spicer
  • ½ tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp honey more to taste as needed

Instructions

  • Marinate The Chicken. In a large bowl, add the chicken marinade and chicken. Marinate for 15 minutes or up to 24 hours. Let them sit for at least 10 - 20 minutes. The longer the better. Meanwhile, gather all other ingredients.
  • Cook The Chicken. Once the chicken has marinated for a bit, preheat a skillet with oil. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for about 7-9 minute on each side (medium high heat) or until the chicken reaches 165º internally. Let it rest. *chicken will vary in size so please be sure to check that internal temp is at 165º
  • Let the chicken rest. While it's resting, slice and seed the pepper, slice tomatoes, chop romaine. Add the romaine and all mix-ins to a lage salad bowl.
  • Make The Dressing. In a small high speed blender or food processor, add all the dressing ingredients together and whiz until it's well combined. Taste and adjust if needed.
  • Slice or cube up chicken. Add it to the large salad bowl with romaine, peppers, tomatoes, seeds, cheese, beans, corn, dressing and mix well. Add chicken to the top and serve. Optional to add sliced avocado as well.

Notes

  • always best to have a digital meat thermometer. This will help keep the chicken nice and juicy. 
  • Taste the dressing as you go. You can spice it up or make it less spicy as needed. 
  • Marinate the chicken for 15 minutes or 24 hours for the ultimate juicy flavors. 
  • To cut out some calories and make it a bit healthier, skip the cheese and avocado to save 100 calories.
  • You can also use plain greek yogurt or mayo for the dressing if desired.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. 

Nutrition

Serving: 2cups of salad with dressing | Calories: 571kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 1091mg | Potassium: 1086mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 2433IU | Vitamin C: 94mg | Calcium: 231mg | Iron: 3mg