• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to home navigation
  • Skip to privacy navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Top 10 Party Games
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter

Play.Party.Plan

Adding fun and creativity to everyday life

  • Fun Ideas by Occasion
    • Baby Shower
    • Bridal Shower
    • Birthday
    • Game Night
    • Movie Night
    • Super Bowl
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • Graduation
    • Summer
    • 4th of July
    • Back to School
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • New Year’s Eve
  • Games
    • Adult Games
    • Baby Shower
    • Bridal Shower
    • Birthday Party
    • Bingo Games
    • Board Games
    • Card Games
    • Christmas Games
    • Dice Games
    • Disney Games
    • Group Games
    • Holiday Games
    • Kid Games
    • Minute to Win It
    • Outdoor Games
    • Party Games
    • Scavenger Hunts
    • Teen Games
    • Trivia Games
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Baked Goods
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
    • Drinks
    • Main Dishes
    • Party Food
    • Sides
    • TikTok Recipes
  • Free Printables
    • Crafts
    • Gift Tags
    • Kids Activities
    • Party Printables
    • Printable Games
  • Travel
    • Caribbean
    • Cruises
    • Disney
    • International
    • Travel Tips
    • United States
  • Popular Posts
    • Girl Baby Showers
    • Bridal Shower Games
    • Bachelorette Games
    • Diaper Cake DIY
    • DIsneyland Food
    • Dunkaroo Dip
    • Fun Math Games
    • Saran Wrap Game
    • SeaWorld San Antonio
  • About
    • About Me
    • Contact Me
    • Work With Me
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility
  • Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter
  • Join the Free Party E-Club!
Home Recipes Salads Southwestern Chicken Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

Southwestern Chicken Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

30 minutes
Jump To Recipe Video Print Recipe
By: Britni Vigil
6/08/2020Updated: 8/13/2020
This post may contain affiliate links. Privacy policy.
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
Cilantro lime dressing with text for PInterest
Cilantro lime dressing with text for PInterest
Bowl of southwestern chicken salad with text for Pinterest

Southwestern chicken salad with creamy cilantro lime dressing is full of flavor and tastes better than any restaurant version you could buy! It’s easy to make, absolutely delicious, and perfect for to feed the entire family!

Two bowls of southwestern chicken salad with dressing

During the summer all I want to do are eat salads. Salads and anything grilled (like these amazing eggplant rolls). And ice cream. I could totally go for some of this lemon ice cream right now!

This southwestern chicken salad is perfect for the summer because it combines both of my summer favorites – salad and grilled chicken. 

Pair it with a refreshingly cool cilantro lime dressing for the ultimate summer dinner for the entire family. 

This salad makes it way onto our weekly meal planner on a regular basis, and I hope you love it as much as we do! 

Southwestern Chicken Salad Ingredients

There are three main parts to this salad – the chicken, the salad itself, and the dressing. 

This list includes everything for the salad, chicken marinade, and dressing. Make sure to check out the full recipe at the bottom of this post so you know what goes where! 

  • Romaine lettuce – you can really use any kind of greens you want but romaine gives this salad a nice crunch
  • Red pepper – cut into strips
  • Tomato – diced
  • Cabbage – purple or red works here, you can either buy pre-cut cabbage or just cut it yourself 
  • Tortilla strips – I just used a bag of pre-made tortilla strips
  • Crumbled feta cheese – you can also substitute this with a Mexican cheese like cotija cheese
  • Avocado – cut into large cubes
  • Boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • Salt
  • Olive oil
  • Lime juice
  • Cumin
  • Chili powder
  • Garlic cloves 
  • Oregano
  • Smoked paprika
  • Cilantro
  • Plan Greek yogurt
  • White vinegar

Something else that would be really yummy is this salad is the caramelized corn that we use in this white chicken chili recipe. It’s super easy and the flavor would be an amazing addition to this! 

How to Make Southwestern Chicken Salad

 

This salad is super easy to make and tastes way better than what you can get at your favorite restaurant.

1 – Marinate the southwestern chicken

Mix all of the ingredients for the marinade in a large plastic zipper bag then place the chicken breasts in the bag with the marinade. 

Allow the chicken to marinade for at least 30 minutes.

Chicken marinating in a bag for southwestern chicken salad

2 – Prep your salad

While the chicken is marinating, cut all of your veggies and toppings (other than the avocado, which you’ll want to cut right before you toss the salad) 

Easy southwestern chicken salad with cilantro lime dressing that's a great weeknight dinner or easy dinner recipe!
A bowl of southwestern chicken salad

3 – Make the dressing

Make your dressing by blending all of the ingredients together on low. Once it reaches your desired consistency, put it in the fridge to allow the flavors to set and cool before serving. 

Dressing for southwestern chicken salad

4 – Grill the chicken

Once your chicken has marinated for 30 minutes, it’s time to grill it! Grill the chicken either using a regular grill or on a grill-an at medium high heat. 

Once cooked all the way through, slice up the grilled chicken and you’re ready to make the salad!

Chicken on a grill for southwestern chicken salad

5 – Make your southwestern chicken salad

Combine the lettuce and chopped veggies in a large bowl. Top with avocado, grilled chicken, cheese crumbles, cilantro lime dressing, and finally the tortilla strips.

And there you have it – a delicious southwestern chicken salad ready for lunch, dinner, or eating all week long. 

If you do want to use this all week long, I recommend putting the veggies all in separate bags as well as the chicken. Then just combine the ingredients for a salad whenever you’re hungry! 

Pouring dressing on southwestern chicken salad
A bowl with southwestern chicken salad and dressing
Want More Goodies?

Want more delicious recipes just like this one? Enter your first name and email address in the form below to join the Play Party Plan community! You’ll receive weekly recipes and party ideas directly to your inbox!

Print Rate
4.72 from 7 votes

Southwestern Chicken Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

Southwestern chicken salad with creamy cilantro lime dressing is full of flavor and tastes better than any restaurant version you could buy! It's easy to make, absolutely delicious, and perfect for to feed the entire family!
Two bowls of southwestern chicken salad with dressing
Prevent your screen from going dark
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Serves4

Ingredients

  • 1 head romaine lettuce chopped
  • 2 red peppers cut into strips
  • 2 tomatoes diced
  • 1 red cabbage shredded
  • 1 cup tortilla strips
  • ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1 avocado cut into slices

For the Chicken

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • salt
  • 1 Tbs olive oil
  • 2 Tbs lime juice
  • 2 Tbs water
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • ½ tsp oregano
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika

For the Dressing

  • 1 bunch cilantro
  • 1 garlic clove smashed
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 TBS lime juice
  • 1 TBS white vinegar
  • ½ tsp salt

Instructions

For the Salad

  • Cut all veggies and mix together into a salad.
  • Top with cheese, avocado, tortilla strips, and chicken.
  • Drizzle with cilantro lime dressing.

For the Chicken

  • Salt both sides of your chicken.
  • Mix all ingredients together in gallon size plastic zipper bag.
  • Add chicken and allow to marinate in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  • Grill on medium-high heat until cooked throughly. Slice into thin slices.

For the Dressing

  • Put all of the dressing ingredients into a blender.
  • Blend on low or medium low until dressing reaches the desired consistency. Make sure not to blend too high or you'll lose the flavor of the cilantro.
  • Check flavor and add salt to taste.

Tips & Notes:

Feel free to add more or less of any of the salad ingredients depending on your taste preferences. Some other toppings that go well with this include black beans, caramelized corn, and fresh cilantro. 

Nutrition Info

Calories: 532kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 35g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 45mg, Sodium: 584mg, Potassium: 1676mg, Fiber: 13g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 18935IU, Vitamin C: 220mg, Calcium: 237mg, Iron: 5mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

Author: Britni Vigil
Course:Dinner
Cuisine:American
Did You Make This?Tag @PlayPartyPlan on Facebook and Instagram and hashtag it #playpartyplan so I can see your creations!
  • Facebook

More Delicious Chicken Recipes

  • Almond chicken
  • Teriyaki chicken bowl
  • White chicken enchiladas
  • Greek lemon chicken
  • Orange chicken
  • Balsamic chicken

Don't forget to pin this southwestern chicken salad for later! 

Bowl of southwestern chicken salad with text for Pinterest

you may also like…

  • This sparkling water watermelon juice is the perfect summer drink for a hot day or a great girls night drink!
    Drinks
    Sparkling Watermelon Juice
  • A cast iron pan with a wooden spoon and a bunch of chopped veggies for corn succotash
    Sides
    Easy Corn Succotash
  • Cakes & Cupcakes
    Easy Cherry Cake
  • Apple pie crust in a pie pan
    Desserts
    Easy Flaky Pie Crust

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Use the form below to submit your question or comment. I love hearing from you and seeing what you made!
rate this recipe:




text here

  1. Beth Padilla says

    Posted on 6/10 at 3:27 pm

    What about substituting cojita for feta?

    Reply
    • Britni Vigil says

      Posted on 7/9 at 1:00 pm

      You could definitely try that!

      Reply
  2. beckandbulow says

    Posted on 3/3 at 5:47 am

    5 stars
    yum yum yummy

    Reply
  3. Wilhelmina Wessel says

    Posted on 10/19 at 10:34 am

    5 stars
    This salad looks amazing and the dressing takes it to the next level!

    Reply
  4. Dini says

    Posted on 10/19 at 9:51 am

    5 stars
    I’m always looking for chicken salad recipe ideas, and this looks and sounds really fresh, flavorful and filling! Can’t wait to add this to our rotation!

    Reply
  5. Chelsea @ Life With My Littles says

    Posted on 8/24 at 9:48 pm

    This looks amazing! And it’s so pretty. And vibrant! What a perfect summer dish!

    Reply
Homemade taco meat is perfect for a Whole 30 meal plan
Previous Post
The Best Homemade Taco Meat
Two printed indoor scavenger hunts
Next Post
Free Printable Indoor Scavenger Hunt for Kids

Primary Sidebar

Hi! I'm
Britni

I love sweet treats, my family, games, and anything fun!

Read More

Ideas By Theme

Baby Shower Birthday Bridal Shower Disney Game Night Holiday Just For Kids Movie Night Outdoors

Popular Party Ideas

Bridal Shower Games

woman blindfolded with her hand in a plastic cup

Party Games

Kids Board Games

Blindfolded blocking is one of the best baby shower games

Baby Shower Games

Top Recipes

slice of chocolate dr pepper cake on a white plate

Best Party Foods

Wooden spoon stirring a batch of homemade Chex Mix

Homemade Chex Mix

cropped-best-buffalo-chicken-dip-recipe-11-of-14-e1609965122832.jpg

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Slice of peanut butter pie on two plates with a blue napkin

Reese's Pie

Free Party Ideas E-Club

Loading
As Featured On
connect
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter
  • Play
    • Board Games
    • Kids Activities
    • Minute to Win It
    • Scavenger Hunts
  • Party
    • Food
    • Games
    • Printables
    • Themes
  • Plan
    • Disney Trips
    • Easy Meals
    • Family Travel
    • Gift Ideas

Disclaimer

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Back to Top
  • Contact
  • Work With Me
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility
© 2023 · PLAY PARTY PLAN · Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window