Southwest Chicken Salad
A no-cook, high-protein chicken salad loaded with black beans, corn, avocado, and a tangy lime-honey Greek yogurt dressing. A meal-prep lunch that never gets boring.
- 12 ounces cooked, shredded chicken
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 1/2 cups corn
- 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup diced bell pepper (red, yellow, or orange)
- 1/4 cup finely diced red onion
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 avocado, diced (optional)
- tortilla chips, for serving (optional)
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1-1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning (gluten-free, as needed)
- 1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1 teaspoon honey
- In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, bell pepper, red onion, shredded cheddar, cilantro, and diced avocado. Since nothing here needs cooking, this step is really just about getting everything chopped to a similar size so every bite has a good mix of textures.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, lime juice, taco seasoning, minced garlic, and honey until fully smooth. Taste the dressing on its own before adding it to the salad, and adjust with a little extra lime juice, taco seasoning, or honey until the balance of tangy, savory, and sweet feels right to you.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and gently fold everything together until every piece is evenly coated. Fold rather than stir vigorously here, especially if the avocado is already in — you want to dress the salad without mashing it into a paste.
- Serve right away with tortilla chips for scooping, or spoon it into lettuce cups, over a bed of greens, or into a tortilla for a wrap. Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, making this an easy one to prep in advance for grab-and-go lunches.
Chef's Note: What makes this salad worth putting on repeat is the dressing doing double duty — Greek yogurt brings the creaminess you'd normally get from mayonnaise, but with a fraction of the fat and a real protein boost, while the lime and honey keep it bright instead of heavy. It's a formula that scales well for meal prep, since the beans, corn, and chicken hold up in the fridge for days without turning mushy.
If you're prepping this ahead, hold back the avocado and dressing until just before serving — diced avocado browns quickly once cut, and the salad keeps noticeably better dressed fresh each time. Leftover rotisserie chicken works beautifully here, which makes this one of the fastest ways to turn last night's dinner into tomorrow's lunch.
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