The Best Tex Mex Salad
During the summertime, we find ourselves craving all the best fresh, summer salads and this Tex-Mex Salad is definitely one of our all-time favorites that we have perfected over the years! We took some of the best flavors from our Ultimate Southwest Salad and created this delicious chopped salad. Whether you serve it with the included Chipotle Ranch, a creamy Southwest Dressing, or a Southwest Vinaigrette, we have something for everyone. Typically, we like to create a salad bar for an easy dinner where everyone can build their dinner any way they want!
Looking for More Mexican-Inspired Recipes?
If you love these recipes as much as we do, you definitely need to try our Steak Fajita Bowl!
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
- chicken thighs – highly recommend going with this delicious cut of chicken, but you can also use grilled chicken breasts, grilled chicken cutlets, or simply pick-up a rotisserie chicken!
- soy sauce – typically we use our chicken marinade recipe when grilling chicken, but some simple soy sauce (or coconut aminos to keep it gluten-free) can work in a pinch.
- lettuce – we love using a classic romaine lettuce, but feel free to use iceberg lettuce or any other type of mixed greens.
- corn – there isn’t anything much better than grilled sweet corn in the summer, but canned corn or frozen corn will also work if you want to skip the grill.
- cheese – feel free to omit the cheese or use a dairy-free alternative, if you want.
- tortilla strips – your local grocery store should have some of these by the croutons or you can simply break up some tortilla chips too!
How To Make A Tex Mex Salad
Best Ways To Serve A Tex Mex Salad
We love serving this chicken salad with our classic chipotle ranch dressing, but we also have a southwest dressing and southwest vinaigrette that would be delicious too. A little sour cream, salsa, or fresh limes for a squeeze of lime juice would be great additions. And if you are looking for a simple side dish to make a complete meal, we highly recommend some grilled bread!
Recipe FAQs and Tips
- Are there other ways to season the chicken for a tex mex salad? Absolutely! We kept it super easy and just used soy sauce with salt and pepper, but our chicken marinade or homemade taco seasoning would be great too.
- What are the best toppings for a tex mex salad? Everything that’s listed in the recipe card is amazing, but you could also add some black olives, red onion, guacamole, etc.
- Meal Prep: this is a great recipe to make ahead of time, just be sure to store the chicken, fresh ingredients, and dressing each in a separate airtight container to prevent sogginess. Store in the fridge for 2-3 days.
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Tex Mex Salad Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 salads 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Grill
- Cuisine: Mexican-Inspired
Description
The BEST Tex Mex Chop Salad recipe with a homemade creamy chipotle ranch dressing you will come back to again and again!
Ingredients
Chipotle Ranch:
- 1/2 cup mayo
- 1/2 cup sour cream (regular or dairy-free)
- 3 tablespoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped (more if desired)
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon dried parsley leaves
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill weed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried chives
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Tex Mex Chopped Salad:
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2–3 tablespoons soy sauce (sub Tamari or coconut aminos for gluten-free)
- kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 4 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 15oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 15oz can of corn, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 2 avocado, sliced or diced
- 1/3 cup green onions, sliced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 1 cup tortilla strips, more as desired
- for serving: fresh lime wedges, salsa, sour cream
Instructions
- Chipotle Ranch: Add ingredients to a small blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Taste and add additional chipotle peppers, as desired, and blend again.
- Prep Chicken Thighs: Add chicken thighs to a bowl and toss with soy sauce; set aside while you prep the remaining salad ingredients.
- Grill Chicken Thighs: Bring grill to medium-high heat (about 400 degrees F) and ensure grill grates are clean. Remove chicken from soy sauce, letting any excess liquid drip off. Grill chicken on direct heat (directly over flame) for 3-4 minutes per side (the bigger the thigh the longer you will need to cook it), flipping once and seasoning both sides with a little salt and pepper. Remove from grill once the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees F (use an instant-read meat thermometer). Let rest 5-10 minutes and then cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Build Salads: Divide chopped lettuce between 4 salad bowls and top with the cooked chicken, black beans, corn kernels, shredded cheese, green onions, tomatoes, bell pepper, avocado, cilantro and tortilla strips.
- Dressing + Serve: Serve with some salsa, sour cream and fresh lime wedges. Top with as much dressing as you want and enjoy!
Notes
- Dairy-Free: use a dairy-free sour cream and your favorite dairy-free shredded cheese.
- Gluten-Free: simply swap the soy sauce for coconut aminos or tamari and omit the tortilla strips.
- No Grill? No problem! Feel free to cook the chicken any way that works for you. Baked in the oven, cooked in a skillet on the stove top, or even Air Fryer Chicken Breasts!
- Storage: the chicken, dressing, and fresh ingredients can all be stored separately in airtight containers in the fridge for 3-4 days. Simply reheat and assemble when ready to eat.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6oz
- Calories: 512
- Sugar: 3.7 g
- Sodium: 706.9 mg
- Fat: 31.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 25.3 g
- Protein: 32.6 g
- Cholesterol: 132.2 mg
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