Southwest Salad is a delicious and hearty salad that is loaded with classic southwestern flavors with a Tex-Mex twist. With an assortment of fresh veggies, filling ingredients like chicken, beans, and avocados, and cheddar cheese, all tossed in a healthy homemade Southwest salad dressing, this salad has it all.
The best part? You can throw this simple and classic salad together in under 10 minutes for a quick dinner or a healthy lunch. Serve southwest salad on Taco Tuesday, at a summer potluck, or anytime of the week.
Why You'll Love Southwest Salad
- Quick and easy to make in 10 minutes. A tossed salad is so easy to make because you just combine all the ingredients together, drizzle on some salad, and toss together. It's so easy that you can get the kids to help. This recipe is perfect if you are making a salad for a crowd, meal-prepping, or just short on time.
- It’s a nourishing and filling salad. When you make this southwest salad, you don’t need to worry about pairing sides or finding other dishes to serve along with it. It stands its ground all on its own, thanks to the chicken, beans, bountiful veggies, and creamy dressing. But you can choose to make it with or without chicken — and it's still just as filling.
- Loaded with flavor. In this southwest chicken salad, you’ll enjoy the flavorful homemade southwest dressing that is packed with lime juice, cilantro, cumin, paprika, and chili powder. But you’ll also get to savor the natural flavors from all of the ingredients.
Ingredient Notes
To make this delicious Southwest Salad, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
- romaine lettuce - feel free to substitute with your favorite salad greens, whether you want to use a bag or spring mix greens, kale, or spinach.
- grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
- corn - you can use fresh corn kernels sliced off the cob, or canned corn (drained and rinsed), or frozen corn that has been thawed and cooked.
- avocado
- red onion
- yellow cheddar - feel free to substitute with your favorite cheese. Some great alternatives are cotija cheese, tex mex cheddar, or white cheddar.
- chicken breasts - you can add in some cooked chicken breast for extra protein, but it is completely optional. I used our Oven Baked Chicken Breast in here. Some other great options are Mexican Chicken Breast or Air Fryer Chicken Breast.
- southwest salad dressing - we used our homemade Southwest Salad Dressing here that takes just 5 minutes to make in the blender. You can also use store-bought dressing — whatever is more convenient for you. Another dressing options that works well in this salad is Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing.
You can customize this salad and substitute or add in other ingredients that you like. You can try adding Tortilla Strips, bell peppers, or fresh cilantro.
How to Make the Best Southwest Salad
Like most salad recipes, this Southwest Salad is so easy to make. You just combine everything into a large serving bowl and toss to coat — romaine lettuce, tomatoes, black beans, corn, avocado, red onion, yellow cheddar, and sliced chicken (if using).
Then, drizzle southwest salad dressing over the salad and serve or toss to coat. You can make your own southwest dressing in just 5 minutes or use store-bought dressing if it's more convenient.
How to Serve
I like to serve this southwest salad on its own since it’s packed with veggies and protein. However, if you’re serving a large crowd, this salad also pairs well with southwest and Mexican-inspired dishes such as:
- Tacos
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Beef and Bean Burritos
- Sheet Pan Nachos
- Mexican Street Corn (Elote)
- Tortilla chips with Salsa and Guacamole
Storing Instructions
- Make ahead instructions: To make this salad ahead of time, store the salad, chicken, and dressing separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. I would also recommend leaving the avocado out and adding it when serving (to prevent browning). The chicken will last up to 3 days, and the salad will last 4-5 days, and the dressing will last up to 1 week. When ready to eat, just toss and combine just before serving or packing for a healthy lunch. This will keep your salad looking and tasting fresh.
- How to store: When storing leftover southwest salad, it’s best to keep your dressing on the side if possible. If you don’t, the acidic lime juice will wilt your romaine lettuce faster. Again, I also prefer to keep the avocados separate, so I can add fresh avocado when it’s time to eat. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Undressed, this salad will last for 4-5 days in the fridge. With dressing, it will last about 2-3 days.
More Salad Recipes
- 40 Best Salad Recipes
- Mexican Chicken Caesar Salad
- Summer Corn Salad
- Garden Salad
- Kani Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
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Recipe
Southwest Salad
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Southwest Salad is a delicious and hearty salad that is loaded with classic southwestern flavors with a Tex-Mex twist, tossed in a homemade salad dressing.
Ingredients
- 2 heads romaine lettuce
- 2 cups grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
- 1 cup corn, cooked (can use canned or thawed from frozen)
- 1 medium avocado
- ½ cup red onion, sliced
- 1 cup yellow cheddar, cubed
- 1-2 cooked chicken breasts, sliced (optional)
- 1 recipe southwest salad dressing (about 1 cup)
Instructions
- In a large serving bowl, add romaine lettuce, tomatoes, black beans, corn, avocado, red onion, yellow cheddar, and sliced chicken (if using).
- Drizzle southwest salad dressing over the salad and serve or toss to coat. Serve immediately.
Notes
Make ahead instructions: To make this salad ahead of time, store the salad, chicken, and dressing separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. I would also recommend leaving the avocado out and adding it when serving (to prevent browning). The chicken will last up to 3 days, and the salad will last 4-5 days, and the dressing will last up to 1 week. When ready to eat, just toss and combine just before serving or packing for a healthy lunch. This will keep your salad looking and tasting fresh.
How to store: When storing leftover southwest salad, it’s best to keep your dressing on the side if possible. If you don’t, the acidic lime juice will wilt your romaine lettuce faster. Again, I also prefer to keep the avocados separate, so I can add fresh avocado when it’s time to eat. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Undressed, this salad will last for 4-5 days in the fridge. With dressing, it will last about 2-3 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Tossed
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: southwest salad, southwest chicken salad, tex mex salad, southwest salad recipe, how to make southwest salad
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