Spicy Southwest Salad Recipe | The Best Southwest Chicken Salad

This Spicy Southwest Salad is super healthy and each bite is packed with flavor. It tastes like the popular spicy southwest chicken salad from Chick-Fil-A, complete with bold Tex-Mex style chicken, creamy salsa dressing, and fresh ingredients. It's nutritious, delicious, and surprisingly easy to make too!

THE BEST SPICY SOUTHWEST SALAD

When I'm in the mood for something wholesome, fresh, and filling, this southwest salad recipe is always my go-to. 

I love a salad that is all jazzed up with a combination of different ingredients. And the ingredients in this salad blend together to create the perfect balance of flavors. And this copycat Chick-Fil-A spicy southwest salad has just that.

I mean, there's perfectly seasoned chicken, southwest-style veggies, a homemade smooth salsa dressing with a little kick, and everything is finished off with crunchy tortilla strips & chili lime pepitas. What's not to love about this salad?

And what makes this recipe even better is it's easy to put together and works perfectly as a healthy meal prep recipe you can eat over the next few days. 

INGREDIENTS FOR SPICY SOUTHWEST SALAD

Ok, so this ingredients list is pretty extensive since the salad is packed with so much flavor. But luckily, everything should be easy to find in your local grocery store if you don't already have it at home. 

And trust me, getting everything on this list will be so worth it. Once you take your first bite, you'll see how every ingredient adds layers of deliciousness to the recipe.

Anyway, here's what you'll need for the chicken:

• 2 chicken breasts
• ⅓ cup dill pickle juice
• 1 tbsp sour cream
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ½ tsp ancho chili powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp olive oil for cooking

For the dressing:

• ⅓ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup hot Jalapeno salsa (or any salsa)
• ⅓ cup sour cream
• Bunch of cilantro leaves (½ loose cup)
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• Pinch of salt and black pepper
• ½ tsp ancho chili powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder

And to complete the salad:

• 2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
• 2 cups spring mix
• ½ cup cheddar cheese
• ½ cup canned black beans, rinsed
• ½ cup corn, rinsed
• ½ bell pepper, chopped 
• 12 grape tomatoes
• ½ cup tortilla strips
• ½ cup Chili lime pepitas

By the way, if you're worried that you won't get much use out of these ingredients beyond this salad, you can use almost all of the spices to make this blackened chicken or blackened shrimp! Then, you can whip up some of these low carb french fries to go with 'em, and you've one tasty meal. 

And if you don't like any of these ingredients, feel free to leave them out and add in anything else you'd like!

HOW TO MAKE SOUTHWEST CHICKEN SALAD

Now, once you've got all your ingredients together, the rest of the recipe comes together in a snap.

And I know you want to dig into this salad ASAP, so let's dive into the instructions!

STEP 1: MAKING THE SPICY CHICKEN

First things first, let's prepare the chicken.

To start, pound the chicken breasts a few times with a meat tenderizer to flatten them. Then marinate the chicken breasts in the pickle juice for 2-4 hours. 

Now, you don't absolutely have to marinate it, but it totally elevates the flavor of this chicken. 

Next, combine the spices for the chicken - cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, ancho chili powder, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder - in a small bowl and give them a good mix. 

Once the chicken breasts are done marinating, pat them dry with paper towels and spread sour cream on both sides of the chicken. Then cover the chicken in the prepared spice mix.

Next, heat up 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a cast-iron pan.

Then add your chicken breasts to it, cook them for 4 minutes on one side, flip them over, and cook for another 4 minutes. 

Transfer your cooked chicken to a plate and let it cool while you prepare the rest of the salad.

STEP 2: MAKING THE CREAMY SALSA DRESSING 

While the chicken is cooling, we can move on to the dressing. And this dressing couldn't be easier to make!

Just combine all the dressing ingredients – that would be your mayonnaise, salsa, sour cream, cilantro leaves, lime juice, ancho chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper – in a blender or food processor.

Then, blend everything together until you get a smooth and creamy consistency.

STEP 3: MAKING THE CHILI LIME PEPITAS

The last thing we have to prepare is our homemade chili-lime pepitas. These are optional to make, but they add a one-of-a kind flavorful crunch to the salad. 

First, heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Then add your pepitas and a quarter teaspoon of chili powder and mix the pepitas around to cover them in the chili powder.

Toast everything for around 2-3 minutes, then remove the skillet from the heat and toss the pepitas with a teaspoon of lime juice and a sprinkle of salt.

STEP 4: ASSEMBLING THE SALAD 

Finally, let's put this salad together!

First, add your romaine lettuce and spring mix to a large bowl. 

Then, put in the black beans, corn, chopped bell peppers, and grape tomatoes. 

Sprinkle on your cheddar cheese, pepitas, and tortilla strips and thinly slice your chicken breasts, and arrange them in the center of the salad 

Top it all off by drizzling your creamy salsa dressing over everything and enjoy! 

HOW TO STORE YOUR SOUTHWEST CHICKEN SALAD

Like any salad, the best way to enjoy this southwest salad is when it's freshly made.

That said, there are a few tricks you can do if you want to meal prep or enjoy some leftovers the next day. And if you want to do this, I recommend only assembling the amount you plan to eat that day. 

Then you can store all of your ingredients in separate containers or in a container with dividers in it. 

If you store everything this way in airtight containers, your spicy southwest salad will stay good in the fridge for up to 3 days.

When you want to enjoy this salad again, add all of your ingredients to a bowl and dig in!   

FINAL THOUGHTS

If you think salads are boring, this southwest chicken salad will definitely change your mind.

It honestly is my favorite salad I've ever made, and I think it might be the best salad you can make at home. 

Of course, I might be a little biased, so you'll just have to try this southwest chicken salad recipe and see for yourself. 

And if you do, be sure to leave a comment below and let me know what you think!

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