Delicious Southwest Shredded Chicken Salad is a fresh, colorful summer salad recipe full of tender rotisserie chicken, black beans, corn, creamy avocado, and a zesty lime dressing. Bursting with Tex-Mex flavor, it is a quick and easy dish perfect for a warm-weather meal. Serve it chilled on a bed of lettuce, in wraps, or with tortilla chips or crostini for a satisfying Southwestern meal or snack.
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I am a big fan of easy meals with rotisserie chicken, and this easy chicken salad recipe brings all the flavors of the Southwest to the table in about 30 minutes. Be sure to try my other chicken salad recipe—it's a Costco copycat recipe that is amazing on croissants.
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What you need to make Southwest Shredded Chicken Salad
- Shredded cooked chicken. Shredded rotisserie chicken is ideal, but you can use any chopped or shredded cooked chicken.
- Black beans. Canned beans, drained and rinsed.
- Corn. Frozen or canned is fine, just drain and thaw first. For a flavor pop and beautiful presentation, try frozen fire-roasted corn.
- Red bell pepper. Adds sweetness and crunch. Yellow, orange, or green work too, but they are not as sweet. Quartered cherry tomatoes can be swapped for red bell pepper for a different flavor that keeps the color.
- Avocado. Add just before serving to prevent browning. When choosing avocados at the grocery store, choose avocados that are firm but have some give when you squeeze them gently in the palm of your hand. If they have a lot of give, they are close to or past their prime. If they have no give, they will need a few days to ripen.
- Cilantro. Adds that classic Southwest flavor, but if you are one of the many who find that it tastes like soap, feel free to leave it out or swap in fresh parsley instead.
- Sour cream & mayonnaise. This combo is the base for the dressing. For a lighter version, you can substitute plain greek yogurt for just the sour cream or both the sour cream and mayo.
- Lime juice. Adds brightness and gives just the right consistency.
- Hot sauce. For kick; feel free to adjust the amount or omit to fit your personal heat tolerance.
- Salt, pepper, cumin, and smoked paprika. Adds Southwest flavor to the dressing. A sweet and hot spice, smoked paprika is the key ingredient here. Plain paprika won't give the depth you get from smoked, so if you don't have it use chili powder instead.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make this Southwest chicken salad recipe
Combine all dressing ingredients and mix well.
Finely dice red bell pepper and red onion and chop the cilantro. Place chicken, corn, beans, red bell pepper, and avocado in a large bowl (1).
Add cilantro and dressing. Stir gently to incorporate all ingredients (2). Chill for at least 15 minutes to let flavors meld.
Serve on a bed of lettuce, mixed with pasta, in tortillas, or with tortilla chips or crostini. If desired, sprinkle with smoked paprika and chopped cilantro before serving.
✨ Pro Tip: Ripen Avocados Faster ✨
Tuck them in a paper bag at room temperature and roll the top closed. Check them daily, since they’ll ripen quickly.
Make it your own
This is a super flexible recipe and is easily adapted. You can swap out the main ingredients for what you have on hand, and adjust the heat level to your preference.
- Spicy - add chopped jalapeños, increase the amount of hot sauce, or top with crispy jalapeños for heat and crunch
- Vegetarian - use cannellini beans, chickpeas, or soy curls instead of chicken
- Low carb - omit the corn and/or beans and add extra avocado for fat and cheese for fat and additional protein
You can serve it for alone for a light lunch, on a bed of lettuce or as a sandwich for dinner, or with crostini or tortilla chips as a snack or appetizer.
Storage and freezing
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days without avocado or 1 day with avocado. For meal prep, wait to add avocado until just before serving.
Freezing is not recommended for this Southwest chicken salad for quality reasons.
FAQ
Can I make Southwest Shredded Chicken Salad ahead of time?
Yes, you can make it up to 24 hours in advance, but chop and add the avocado just before serving to prevent it from browning.
What can I substitute for cilantro?
Parsley has a mild flavor and adds the same pop of fresh green color as cilantro.
Do I have to use rotisserie chicken?
Any cooked chicken that has been shredded or chopped works well.
How spicy is Southwest Shredded Chicken Salad?
As written, the recipe is mild to medium. You can adjust the spicy ingredients to your preference.
is this Southwest chicken salad gluten-free?
Yes, it is gluten-free as written, but double check the hot sauce and any chips or tortillas you serve it with to be sure they are gluten-free.
Recipe
Southwest Shredded Chicken Salad with Black Beans and Lime
Ingredients
Salad:
- 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- ½ cup corn, canned or thawed from frozen
- ½ cup canned black beans
- ⅓ cup red bell pepper
- ¼ cup red onion or green onions
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 1 small avocado
- lettuce, pasta, tortillas, crostini, or tortilla chips, for serving
Dressing:
- ¼ cup mayo
- ¼ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 lime, or 2 tablespoons lime juice
Instructions
- Finely dice ⅓ cup red bell pepper and ¼ cup red onion or green onions.
- Rinse and drain ½ cup canned black beans and drain (or thaw if frozen) ½ cup corn.
- Chop ¼ cup fresh cilantro and juice 1 lime.
- Chop 1 small avocado. (If you are preparing in advance, chop and add avocado just before serving to prevent browning.)
- Combine ¼ cup mayo, ¼ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt, 1 teaspoon hot sauce, ½ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and lime juice. Mix well.
- Place 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, black beans, corn, red bell pepper, avocado, cilantro, and dressing in a large bowl.
- Stir gently to incorporate all ingredients.
- Chill for at least 15 minutes to let flavors meld.
- Serve on a bed of lettuce, mixed with pasta, in tortillas, or with tortilla chips or crostini.
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