High Protein Southwest Chicken Salad (Printable Version)

A vibrant salad packed with grilled chicken, black beans, fresh veggies, and zesty lime-cilantro dressing.

# Needed Ingredients:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 1.1 lbs)
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1 teaspoon chili powder
04 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
05 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
06 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
07 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
08 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Salad

09 - 1 large romaine lettuce heart, chopped
10 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
11 - 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
12 - 1 cup canned sweet corn, drained
13 - 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
14 - 1/2 avocado, diced
15 - 1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
16 - 1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
17 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

→ Lime-Cilantro Dressing

18 - 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt (0% or 2% fat)
19 - 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
20 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
21 - 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
22 - 1/2 teaspoon honey or agave syrup
23 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
24 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

# Steps:

01 - Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Pat chicken breasts dry and coat evenly with olive oil. Season with chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
02 - Place seasoned chicken on preheated grill. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes per side until internal temperature reaches 165°F. Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes before slicing thinly.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, honey, cumin, salt, and pepper until smooth and well combined.
04 - In a large salad bowl, combine chopped romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, black beans, corn, bell pepper, avocado, red onion, cheddar cheese, and cilantro.
05 - Arrange sliced chicken over salad mixture. Drizzle with prepared dressing and toss gently to combine. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in 35 minutes but tastes like you spent way more effort than you actually did.
  • The lime-cilantro dressing is so addictive you'll find yourself making extra just to drizzle on other things.
  • You get 36 grams of protein per bowl, which means you're actually full instead of hungry again in two hours.
02 -
  • Don't skip letting the chicken rest after grilling, because cutting into it immediately means all those flavorful juices run right out onto the cutting board instead of staying in the meat.
  • Make the dressing thick enough to coat everything but thin enough to actually pour, which is why the Greek yogurt amount matters so much.
03 -
  • Prep your vegetables the night before and store them separately so you can throw this together in 10 minutes on a busy day.
  • The dressing actually tastes better after sitting for an hour because the flavors get to know each other, so make it ahead if you can.
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