Southwest Salad (with Cilantro Lime Dressing)

This Southwest salad is recent, hearty, and loaded with daring taste from juicy grilled rooster, candy corn, and a zesty Cajun kick. I serve this with our favourite cilantro lime dressing, but it surely’s additionally nice with ranch, or Green Goddess dressing.

It’s a simple, colourful meal that comes collectively shortly.

Holly’s Recipe Highlights: Southwest Salad

Taste: Daring, recent, and crunchy with smoky rooster, candy corn, avocado, and romaine.

Beneficial Instruments: An instant-read thermometer is one of the simplest ways to make completely cooked, juicy rooster.

Cooking Technique: The rooster might be cooked on the grill or stovetop.

Time-Saving Tip: Begin with a bagged salad to avoid wasting washing the lettuce.

Whole Time: half-hour Serves: 4

avocado , green onions , oil , chicken , cheese , beans , seasoning , tomatoes , dressing , corn and lettuce to make Southwest Salad

Ingredient Notes

Rooster: Pound to an excellent thickness so it cooks evenly and stays juicy. Rooster thighs can be utilized rather than breasts, or use rotisserie rooster for a shortcut.
Seasoning: Cajun seasoning provides smoky warmth and plenty of taste with little or no effort. If utilizing a store-bought mix, style earlier than utilizing, as some manufacturers might be fairly salty.
Corn: Thawed frozen corn or canned corn can be utilized rather than recent cobs.
Beans: Black beans add further protein and fiber. Different varieties of canned beans can be utilized equivalent to pinto beans.
Dressing: I exploit a fast selfmade cilantro lime dressing. It may be changed along with your favourite store-bought dressing. Attempt Chiptole Ranch, blue cheese dressing, or blackened ranch.
Variations: You’ll be able to simply make this vegetarian by skipping the rooster and including further beans and even some grilled tofu for protein. For extra shade and warmth, add sliced crimson bell pepper or jalapeño.

seasoned chicken to make Southwest Salad

How To Make a Southwest Salad

Season and grill the rooster (full recipe beneath).
Char the corn and slice off the kernels.
Add lettuce, corn, beans, tomatoes, cheese, and avocados to a bowl.
Slice the rooster and place excessive.
Drizzle with dressing and serve.

Pound Rooster Evenly: Having the rooster an excellent 1/2-inch thick helps it cook dinner quick and keep juicy.
Let Rooster Relaxation: Retains the juices in.
Use Frozen Corn: Sear in a sizzling skillet for higher shade and taste.
Rinse Beans Properly: Retains the salad from getting watery.
Add Avocado Final: Retains it recent and crisp and avoids it browning.

adding dressing over top Southwest Salad

Storage and Leftovers

Refrigerate: Retailer elements individually when potential. Reduce avocado recent earlier than serving. Cooked rooster retains for as much as 4 days. Undressed salad retains for as much as 2 days.
Freezing: Cooked rooster will preserve for as much as 3 months within the freezer.
Reheating: Heat rooster within the microwave or a skillet.
Leftovers: Wrap every little thing in tortillas for southwest rooster wraps or flip leftovers in rice bowls with further beans and salsa.

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This put up has been sponsored by McCormick.

image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text

Prep Time 20 minutes

Prepare dinner Time 15 minutes

Whole Time 25 minutes

Preheat the grill to medium-high (400°F).
Utilizing the flat aspect of a meat mallet, pound the rooster breasts to ½ inch thickness. Brush with 2 teaspoons of olive oil and the Cajun seasoning.
If utilizing corn cobs, brush flippantly with remaining olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and place on the grill. Prepare dinner till flippantly charred, rotating often. Cool barely and reduce the kernels off the cob.
Prepare dinner the rooster on the grill for six minutes, flip, and cook dinner for a further 6 to eight minutes till absolutely cooked and reaches 165°F. Take away from the grill and put aside to relaxation for five minutes.
Add romaine lettuce to a big salad bowl. Add corn kernels, black beans, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheese, inexperienced onions, and sliced avocado.
Slice the rooster and place it on prime of the salad.
Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat.

To arrange on the stovetop: Warmth 1 tablespoon of oil in a big skillet over medium warmth. Add the seasoned rooster and cook dinner for 5-6 minutes per aspect or till the rooster reaches an inner temperature of 165℉.
Use frozen (and thawed) or canned corn kernels when assembling the salad.
This salad would additionally pair nicely with a creamy lime ranch or chipotle ranch-style dressing.
Preserve leftover elements in separate containers within the fridge. Cooked rooster will preserve for as much as 4 days. An undressed salad will preserve for as much as 2 days within the fridge

Diet info supplied is an estimate and can fluctuate based mostly on cooking strategies and types of elements used.

Course Foremost Course

Delicacies Tex Mex

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