Southwest Chicken Salad

Packed with protein and fiber, this Southwest Chicken Salad with our Cilantro Lime Greek Yogurt Dressing is a delicious way to balance glucose levels and an easy meal-prep recipe.

Overhead photo of Southwest chicken salad. We see the salad in a blue bowl on top of a blue napkin. In the corner we see the edge of another salad bowl.

All of our recipes here at Buena Wellness are designed to be glucose friendly. This means that our recipes are ideal for anyone with insulin resistance, prediabetes or diabetes. Read Jen's section below on why the Southwest Chicken Salad recipe meets our criteria and is dietitian approved!

Ingredients for Southwest Chicken Salad

The Dressing

First, you'll want to check out our recipe for the Cilantro Lime Greek Yogurt Dressing that makes this salad so creamy and yummy. To make mealtime stress free, prepare a batch ahead of time and refrigerate it until you're ready to use it.

Photo of cilantro lime Greek yogurt dressing in a small glass bowl, surrounded by a cut lime, cilantro, scallions and garlic peels.

If cilantro tastes like soap to you (I see you out there!), I've got you covered! Swap the cilantro in our dressing with dill or parsley, or try our Greek Yogurt Chipotle Sauce instead.

The Chicken

Chicken Thighs: Choose organic if you're able; if you prefer, chicken breast also works.
Kosher Salt: Not all salt is equal, and I test all of our recipes with Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt (affiliate link). It's not as salty as regular kosher salt, so be sure to adjust accordingly!
Garlic Powder: I prefer garlic powder to fresh garlic here, which can burn easily.
Cumin Powder: An earthy spice common in Southwestern, Tex-Mex, and Mexican cuisine.
Smoked Paprika: It's packed with smoky flavor and provides a nice color to the cooked chicken.
Chipotle Powder: Made from dried smoked jalapeños, it packs a spicy punch. If you're adverse to spice, just skip it.
Salt and Pepper

The Salad

Romaine Lettuce: A sturdy lettuce with a satisfying crunch that holds up when its tossed with the creamy dressing. Skip the less nutritious iceberg.
Cherry tomatoes: You can't go wrong – consistently flavorful and juicy.
Frozen Corn: Thawed frozen corn is convenient, but feel free to use fresh.
Avocado: For creamy texture.
Canned Black Beans: For extra protein and fiber.
Cheddar Cheese: We like sharp cheddar here, but use your favorite or whatever you have on hand.
Green Onions: An optional savory garnish for flavor and crunch.
Cilantro: It's in the dressing, but I like a little more in leaf form. If you're not a fan, leave it out.

How to Make Southwest Chicken Salad

Start by making the Cilantro Lime Greek Yogurt Dressing. To save time, make ahead and refrigerate.
Preheat the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a non stick baking sheet (affiliate link).
Season the chicken and bake for 25 minutes, and/or until an instant read (affiliate link) meat thermometer reads 165°F.

Photo of seasoned chicken thighs on a non stick baking sheet.

Photo of baked, seasoned chicken thighs.

Prep the salad ingredients.
Assemble the salads and dress with the Cilantro Lime Greek Yogurt Dressing.

Variations

Boost this salad's nutrition by replacing the romaine lettuce with spinach leaves.
Replace the chicken with our Flank Steak recipe.
Use ground chicken and cook it in a skillet with chopped onions and the same spice mix used to cook the chicken thighs.
If you like extra spice, use our Greek Yogurt Chipotle Sauce instead of the Cilantro Lime Greek Yogurt Dressing.

Common Questions

Can I make this salad for meal prep?

Absolutely! You'll crave it so much, you'll be glad to have extra portions for weekday lunches and dinners.

I'm not a fan of yogurt. Can you suggest another dressing?

Yes! Mix up some olive oil, red wine vinegar, dried oregano, a bit of your favorite fresh salsa, salt, and pepper, and drizzle over the salad.

How long can I refrigerate the chicken?

You can refrigerate the cooked chicken for 3-4 days.

Can I make this salad vegetarian?

Yes! Replace the chicken with sliced or cubed high protein tofu that has been drained and dried, and bake it the same as the chicken thighs.

three quarters view of the salad with the dressing in the background.

This Southwest Chicken Salad is so simple to make, we think it'll become a favorite in your household.

Recipe

Packed with protein and fiber, this Southwest Chicken Salad with our Cilantro Lime Greek Yogurt Dressing is a delicious way to balance glucose levels and an easy meal-prepping recipe.

5 from 3 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Mexican, Tex-Mex

Keyword: chicken, easy, fiber, high-protein, non-starchy veggies, salad

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 25

Servings: servings

Calories: 538kcal

Equipment

1 Non-Stick Baking Sheet

Ingredients

Ingredients for the Chickenn

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cumin powder
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika or chipotle powder (or both); adjust to taste
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients for the Salad

3 cups romaine lettuce shredded
½ cup cherry tomatoes sliced
¾ cup frozen corn thawed
¾ cup black beans, canned rinsed and drained
1 avocado diced
¾ cup cheddar cheese, grated

Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

Bake the Chicken.

Preheat oven to 425℉.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, or use a non stick baking sheet.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine the salt, garlic powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and chipotle powder (if using). Season the chicken thighs on both sides with the olive oil and the salt and spice mix.
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs, 1 tsp Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp cumin powder, ¼ tsp smoked paprika, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Bake for about 25 minutes until an instant read meat thermometer registers 165°F. Remove the chicken from the oven, cover with foil, and rest for 10-15 minutes.
Once the chicken has cooled, slice it or cut it into cubes and set aside.

Make the Dressing

While the chicken is baking, make the Cilantro Lime Greek Yogurt Dressing (or make ahead and refrigerate).

Prep and Assemble the Salads

In three bowls, portion out the ingredients for the salad, top each one with ⅓ of the dressing, the cubed chicken, and the optional garnishes.

Nutrition

This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved By Jen Birge MS, RDN, CDCES

This Southwest Chicken Salad will have you craving salad, I promise! And, of course, it meets our criteria for being glucose friendly by having a good protein to carb ratio.

Each serving of the salad provides 42 grams of protein and only 26 grams of carbs per serving. This is a great protein to carb ratio! You can read in depth about what a good protein to carb ratio is and how it helps balance glucose and insulin levels.

And, if you use the Cilantro Lime Greek Yogurt Dressing you will increase the protein a bit!

Image describes how the Southwest Chicken Salad is glucose friendly with a good protein to carb ratio and is high fiber with 10 g of fiber per serving. Each serving has 42 g of protein and 26 g of carbs. There's at least 2 servings of non-starchy veggies and this meal is great for meal prepping.

Southwest Chicken Salad Has Plenty of Fiber

In addition, this recipe is loaded with fiber (with 10 grams of fiber per serving). Along with protein, fiber helps balance glucose levels. Fiber also helps improve our gut health and can help improve blood pressure.

And, eating a higher fiber diet helps reduce many chronic diseases, like heart disease.

This recipe definitely gets my approval for insulin resistance, prediabetes, and diabetes.

Help Us Bring You More Recipes By Giving Us Your Feedback

Last but not least, if you try this recipe, please give us your feedback below and tell us what you think. It helps us so much!

And, be sure to let us know if you make any variations. And, please know that when you share our recipes, it helps us continue to craft glucose friendly recipes for you!

Southwest Chicken Salad