Chicken Salad is one of my favorite uses for leftover chicken, and this particular chicken salad is my favorite way to go about it. It has the same kind of creamy/sweet/crunchy flavor profile going on that you might be accustomed to, but it relies on different ingredients to get there. It’s a zesty and delicious combination and makes for a great sandwich, but I love serving it simply atop a bed of lettuce too.
While in a traditional chicken salad, you might just see mayo and a couple of herbs, this dressing is kicked up with taco seasoning and lime juice. It’s not spicy, but it’s zesty. (And delicious.)
There is of course chopped chicken, but instead of celery and apples, here we use black beans, green bell pepper, corn, red onion, and fresh cilantro. You still get plenty of crunch and the corn adds a nice pop of sweetness.
It’s such a tasty combo – a little smoky thanks to the taco seasoning, but tangy too because of the lime juice. There’s so much crunch and fresh, vibrant flavor, it’s hard to go back to basic ol’ chicken salad!
Southwestern Chicken Salad
Diet: Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 2 cups cooked chicken, cubed or shredded
- 1 cup canned corn kernels, drained
- 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- In a large bowl, whisk together the mayo, lime juice, taco seasoning, salt and pepper until smooth.
- Add the chicken, corn, black beans, green pepper, onion, and cilantro. Toss to combine.
- Chill until ready to serve and enjoy!
Recipe adapted from The Little Pine.