Description
A flavorful Southwestern Chicken Salad featuring shredded chicken simmered to perfection and tossed with a zesty yogurt-based dressing, black beans, corn, red bell pepper, red onion, and cilantro. This versatile and nutritious salad is perfect for a light lunch or dinner, served on whole wheat toast, tortilla chips, rice cakes, or in a tortilla.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Chicken
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
- Kosher salt & black pepper to taste
Dressing & Salad Mix
- 1 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt or skyr
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 3/4 tsp ground cumin
- 3/4 tsp chili powder
- 3/4 tsp smoked paprika
- Kosher salt & black pepper to taste
- Cayenne pepper optional, to taste
- 3/4 cup black beans
- 1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup corn (fire-roasted preferred)
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Cook the chicken: Place the chicken breasts in a medium pot and season generously with kosher salt and black pepper. Add enough water to cover the chicken by at least 1 inch. Bring the water to a boil, then cover the pot with a lid, reduce heat to low, and let the chicken simmer for 20 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the chicken is fully cooked.
- Shred the chicken: Transfer the cooked chicken to a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Shred the chicken either using two forks or with the mixer on a low speed for faster shredding.
- Prepare the dressing: In another large bowl, whisk together the full-fat Greek yogurt, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, kosher salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper if using until smooth and combined.
- Combine the salad: Add the shredded chicken, black beans, diced red bell pepper, corn, red onion, and chopped cilantro to the yogurt dressing. Stir everything until it is evenly coated and well mixed. Taste and adjust the seasoning with extra salt, pepper, or cayenne if desired.
- Chill and serve: Refrigerate the chicken salad until chilled and flavors have melded, about 30 minutes. Serve on whole wheat toast, with tortilla chips, on a rice cake, or wrapped in a tortilla for a satisfying meal.
Notes
- For added smoky flavor, use fire-roasted corn as suggested.
- To speed up shredding, a stand mixer is very effective but two forks work well too.
- Adjust cayenne pepper to your preferred spice level or omit for a milder salad.
- Use low-fat Greek yogurt if you prefer a lighter version but full-fat yields creamier texture.
- This salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Serve the salad chilled or at room temperature depending on preference.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
