Crisp lettuce, ripe tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, crisp corn, and black beans combine with an easy BBQ Ranch Dressing in one of our favorite salads.
This Southwest Chicken Salad with Spicy Ranch is a great way to get a light, fresh, and filling meal on the table in just a few minutes. My family has been enjoying this salad for lunch and dinner for several years now.
With the convenience of pre-cooked roast chicken that you can make ahead of time and stash in the fridge, the Southwest Chicken Salad comes together in about fifteen minutes. Alternatively, you can simply pick up a rotisserie chicken for an extra simple meal.
Want an alternative to chicken? You can use the Best Ever Taco Meat, Pulled Pork, or Steak Bites as the protein for this salad. Not a meat eater? Try hard boiled eggs on this salad!
If you’re looking for more great options for summer salads, don’t miss my eBook for How To Eat A Salad Everyday.
Spicy BBQ Ranch Dressing
We especially like the spicy ranch dressing with this salad. It is made simply by combining Ranch Dressing and Spicy Barbecue Sauce; the Spicy BBQ Ranch Dressing is a family favorite that is served regularly in our home.
My friend, Sandra, introduced me to her version of this salad shortly after we moved to Phoenix. It became a family favorite from that first meal.
How To Make Southwest Chicken Salad
The ingredients are simple and are always on hand in my house. When it gets hot outside, this is a quick and easy dinner that doesn’t require any time spent in a hot kitchen.
All of the ingredients are easily adjusted for each member of the family. If I’m serving a large number of people; I often set out each of the salad ingredients in separate bowls and let people build their own salads that way.
Otherwise, layer ingredients onto plates and drizzle with the dressing right before serving. Alternatively, you can layer all of the salad ingredients in a bowl or on a large platter as pictured.
Southwest Chicken Salad Recipe
- Layer lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, corn, beans, and chicken on a large platter or in a bowl.
- Top with cheese, pine nuts, and tortilla strips.
- Combine 1 cup of ranch dressing with approx 2 -3 tbsp of barbeque sauce in a small jar. Whisk or shake well and chill until ready to serve.
- Drizzle the salad with Spicy BBQ Ranch Dressing.
- Toss well and serve immediately.
Salad Recipes
For more great salad recipes, check out How To Eat A Salad Everyday, this Avocado Chicken Salad, and the amazing Bacon, Bleu Cheese, Shrimp, and Bacon Salad.
This Make Ahead Eight Layer Salad by Wishes and Dishes is loaded with meat and pasta, making it a hearty meal for lunch or dinner. And this Tortellini Pasta Salad by Rachel Cooks is loaded with great flavor and a great make-ahead meal too.
The ingredients for this recipe are adjustable for one serving or for a crowd. I’ve written the measurements for a large single serving, but it can be multiplied as needed.
Southwest Chicken Salad with Spicy Ranch Dressing
Ingredients
- 3 cups Lettuce chopped or torn (I used green leaf, romaine and spring mix)
- 1/3 cup Grape tomatoes sliced in half
- 1/4 cup Cucumbers seeded and cut into bite size pieces
- 2 tablespoons Bell pepper seeded and cut into bit size pieces (colored varieties are my favorite)
- 2 tablespoons Corn frozen or canned, served at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons Beans whichever type is your favorite (I use pintos or black beans for this most of the time)
- 1/3 cup Cooked chicken cut into bite size pieces
- 2 tablespoons cheddar cheese, cut into matchsticks or shredded
- 1 tablespoon Toasted pine nuts or sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup Tortilla strips the miniature ones are great with this salad
- DRESSING OPTIONS:
- 1 cup Favorite Ranch Dressing
- 2-3 tablespoons Spicy Barbecue Sauce
Instructions
- Layer lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, corn, beans, and chicken on a large platter or in a bowl.
- Top with cheese, pine nuts, and tortilla strips. Drizzle with Spicy BBQ Ranch Dressing. Toss well and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Spicy BBQ Ranch Dressing
- Combine 1 cup of ranch dressing with approx 2 -3 tbsp of barbeque sauce. Stir well and chill until ready to serve. The dressing will keep nicely in the fridge for up to two weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
{originally published 5/24/11 – recipe notes and photos updated 6/5/20}
Quay Po Cooks says
Sounds like an easy to make and delicious salad. Got to try making this.
Karl says
Mary, what does it mean to 'seed' your cucumbers?
Barefeet In The Kitchen says
Even though, cucumber seeds are edible, I still like to remove the seeds from certain types of cucumbers. To do that, I slice the cucumber in half lengthwise and then in half lengthwise once more. Then it is very easy to just scoop out or slice out the seeds. I rarely remove seeds from European, Persian and Japanese cucumbers. Those varieties tend to be slightly sweeter with much less noticeable seeds.
Ashley @ Wishes & Dishes says
You are then salad master! Looks amazing!
Linda says
Giving this 5 Stars on how pretty it looks and how good it sounds! My husband is not a fan of ranch or any creamy dressing. What other dressings would you suggest for this salad? Made the mistake of letting hubby go to Sam’s alone and now we have tons of chicken in the freezer, so I can’t wait to make this. Wish I had seen your Beer and Garlic Grilled Chicken recipe before we froze all the chicken. It would be great to have the chicken frozen in the marinade. Oh, well, there’s always the next time he goes to Sam’s!
Mary Younkin says
I hope you love the salad, Linda! There are a LOT of salad dressings here on the site. You can check them all out here: https://barefeetinthekitchen.com/category/condiments/salad-dressings/
WesternUS says
I’ve actually made this, many times, and it’s delicious and very adaptable. The dressing is really good. This is one of my go-to meals when I take dinner to families for illnesses, surgeries, new baby, condolences, etc. I layer it like the pictures and send the dressing on the side. It’s really easy to make gluten free, healthy, and beautiful to look at. I pair it with whole grain dinner rolls.
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad it’s a favorite!