Southwest Chicken Chopped Salad
Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs
on Sep 23, 2026 
This easy Southwest chopped chicken salad skips the lettuce entirely and comes together in one-bowl with no cooking required! It’s a high-protein, meal-prep-friendly lunch or dinner that gets better as it sits.
My Favorite High-Protein Southwest Chicken Salad
My take on a Southwest chopped chicken salad is my go-to when I want a high-protein lunch that’s ACTUALLY filling and full of flavor without spending time at the stove. It’s hearty enough to eat straight from the bowl, works beautifully stuffed into a wrap, and holds up in the fridge for days without getting soggy the way a lettuce-based salad can. The Greek yogurt lime dressing keeps it lighter than a mayo-based version, and the whole thing comes together in about ten minutes!
I developed the flavor profile to be bright and zesty from the lime, gently smoky from the chili powder, and fresh from the cilantro, which is exactly what I want in a lunch I’m eating four days in a row. And if you want to cook the chicken yourself instead of reaching for rotisserie, my slow cooker cilantro lime chicken shreds perfectly into this salad and adds even more lime and cilantro flavor.
This one is a serious meal prep staple in my house because the flavors actually deepen overnight as the dressing soaks into the beans and chicken. Make a full batch on Sunday, portion it into containers, and you’ve got lunches covered for the week without thinking about it. Love that! And if you love a no-lettuce, protein-packed salad for meal prep, my dense bean chicken salad is another easy, make-ahead option worth keeping in your rotation.
Welcome to My Kitchen, Let’s Make a Southwest Chopped Chicken Salad!
Robyn’s Testing Tips for Easy Chopped Chicken Salad
- Make the dressing right in the serving bowl before adding anything else. It coats the bowl so the first ingredients you add get dressed immediately, and you end up with more even coverage without having to toss as aggressively.
- Taste and adjust the salt after tossing. The Greek yogurt dressing can taste slightly flat before the salt is balanced, so I always do a final taste and add a pinch more if needed before serving or packing for meal prep.
- This keeps in the fridge for up to four days. I store it dressed and find it actually gets better by day two, but if you prefer a crisper texture, keep the dressing separate and toss right before eating.
Southwest Chicken Chopped Salad
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- ½ cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Chopped Chicken Salad
- 3 cups small-diced cooked chicken (such as rotisserie)
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen-thawed
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 2 tablespoons red onion, finely chopped
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Equipment
- Large Bowl
Instructions
- Make the Dressing: In a large bowl (the same one you’ll be making the salad in), whisk together the yogurt, lime juice, olive oil, chili powder, and salt until smooth.
- Assemble the Salad: Add the chicken, beans, corn, bell pepper, tomatoes, red onion, and cilantro to the dressing, tossing until well combined.
Notes
- Rotisserie chicken is my first choice here for speed, but any cooked chicken works. My slow cooker shredded chicken is another great option that pulls apart perfectly and soaks up the dressing beautifully.
- Let the salad sit for at least 15 minutes before eating if you can! The lime and chili powder soak into the beans and chicken as it rests and the whole thing tastes noticeably more cohesive than when it’s eaten immediately.
