Southwest Chicken Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing
The BEST Southwest Chicken Salad with Creamy Avocado Dressing! Made with colorful veggies, marinated grilled chicken, black beans, corn, crumbled cotija cheese and tossed with the most delicious avocado cilantro dressing!
| Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Total Time: 30 Minutes |
| Cooking Time: 20 Minutes | Servings: 4 |
Ingredients
| Chicken | Salad | Dressing |
| 2-3 Chicken Breasts | 8 Cups Chopped Romaine Lettuce | 1 Sliced Avacado |
| 2 Tbsp Lime Juice | 1 Cup Halved Cherry/Grape Tomatoes | 2 Garlic Cloves |
| 1 Tbsp Olive Oil | 1 Cup Drained & Rinsed Black Beans | 1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro |
| 1 Tbsp Taco Seasoning | 1 Cup Fresh or Canned Corn | 1/4 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt |
| 1 Diced Avacado | 3 Tbsp Avacado Oil or Olive Oil | |
| 1/2 Thin Sliced Red Onion | 1 Tbsp Lime Juice | |
| 1/3 Cup Chopped Fresh Cilantro | 1/4 Tsp Cumin | |
| 1/3 Cup Crumbled Cotija Cheese | 1/4 Tsp Salt & Pepper | |
| 1/4 to 1/2 Cup Water |
Instructions
1. Make the dressing: Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Feel free to add in a few tablespoons of water to thin out the dressing to reach your desired consistency. Store in the fridge in a sealed, airtight container or mason jar until ready to use.
2. Cook the chicken: Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, taco seasoning, salt/pepper and toss with chicken. Let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes (or up to 12 hours) and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Bake chicken for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the inside of the chicken reaches 165 F using a digital thermometer. You could also grill the chicken 4 to 5 minutes on each side on the grill or grill pan, until the juices run clear.
4. Assemble the salad: In a large bowl, mix together the lettuce, tomatoes, black beans, corn, avocado, red onion, cilantro, cheese and diced chicken. Drizzle with the avocado dressing and toss until all combined. Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1/4th of salad | Calories: 492kcal | Carbohydrates: 37.2g | Protein: 40.5g | Fat: 26.6g | Saturated Fat: 5.1g | Cholesterol: 81.3mg | Sodium: 653.8mg | Fiber: 15.1g | Sugar: 9.1g
Recipe Courtesy of Eat Yourself Skinny
