Tex-Mex Chopped Chicken Salad Recipe
A flavorful and refreshing Tex-Mex Chopped Chicken Salad combining tender chicken, fresh vegetables, and a zesty taco-seasoned ranch dressing. This quick and easy salad is perfect for a light lunch or dinner and serves six.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Ingredients
Scale
Dressing
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- 2 Tbsp taco seasoning, hot or mild
Salad
- 3 cups chicken, cooked, cooled and diced
- 4 cups Romaine lettuce, chopped (about 1 head)
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 cucumber, seeded and diced
- 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
- 4–5 green onions, sliced
- 1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese or pepper jack, cut into ¼” cubes
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- Juice of 1/2 of a lime
- 1 cup tortilla chips, crushed
- Optional garnishes: jalapeño, diced; toasted pumpkin seeds; diced avocado; jicama
Instructions
- Prepare the dressing: In a small bowl, mix together 1 cup of ranch dressing with 2 tablespoons of your preferred taco seasoning, whether hot or mild. Stir thoroughly to combine and then refrigerate the dressing until you are ready to use it.
- Toss the salad: In a large mixing bowl, combine the diced cooked chicken, chopped Romaine lettuce, diced Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced cucumber, corn kernels, sliced green onions, drained black beans, cubed sharp cheddar or pepper jack cheese, chopped cilantro, and the juice of half a lime. Toss all these ingredients well to distribute evenly.
- Add the dressing: Slowly add the prepared dressing to the salad a little at a time, tossing gently with each addition until the salad is lightly coated but not drenched.
- Season and serve: Taste the salad and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper as desired. Finally, top the salad with crushed tortilla chips and any optional garnishes such as diced jalapeño, toasted pumpkin seeds, diced avocado, or jicama. Serve immediately to enjoy the freshness and crunch.
Notes
- Use cooked chicken from a rotisserie or leftover grilled chicken for convenience.
- For a spicier salad, choose hot taco seasoning and add diced jalapeños as garnish.
- If fresh corn is unavailable, frozen corn works well—just thaw before adding.
- To make the salad vegetarian, omit chicken and add more beans or a plant-based protein.
- Tortilla chips add essential crunch; add them right before serving to keep them crisp.
- Store leftover salad and dressing separately to maintain freshness.
Keywords: Tex-Mex salad, chicken salad, chopped salad, ranch dressing, taco seasoning, healthy lunch, easy salad
Find it online: https://bitesizedbenny.com/tex-mex-chopped-chicken-salad-recipe/
