Description

This Chipotle Lime Chicken Salad is a vibrant, smoky, and creamy dish perfect for a quick and healthy meal. Featuring shredded chicken mixed with black beans, sweet corn, colorful bell peppers, and a zesty chipotle lime dressing made from Greek yogurt and adobo peppers, it’s a flavorful and satisfying salad that combines spicy, tangy, and fresh elements in every bite.

Ingredients

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For the Dressing

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (optional or add more yogurt)
Juice from 1 lime
2 Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

For the Salad

4 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup canned sweet corn, drained
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 orange bell pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup romaine lettuce, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

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Instructions

Prepare the Dressing: Add the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise (if using), lime juice, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, kosher salt, minced garlic, and chipotle chili powder into a food processor or high-speed blender. Blend the ingredients until the mixture becomes smooth and creamy, ensuring the flavors are well combined.
Combine Salad Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, add shredded cooked chicken, rinsed and drained black beans, drained sweet corn, diced red and orange bell peppers, thinly sliced romaine lettuce, finely diced red onion, chopped fresh cilantro, and freshly cracked black pepper. Gently toss the ingredients to mix evenly.
Toss with Dressing: Pour the prepared chipotle lime dressing over the salad mixture. Toss everything thoroughly to ensure all components are evenly coated with the smoky, tangy dressing. Taste the salad and adjust salt and black pepper if necessary to suit your preference.
Serve: Serve the salad immediately. For a fun presentation, serve with additional romaine lettuce leaves and tortilla chips on the side for scooping or crunch. Garnish with extra chopped cilantro if desired.

Notes

You can substitute mayonnaise with extra Greek yogurt for a lighter dressing.
Use cooked chicken breast, rotisserie chicken, or leftover chicken for convenience.
The salad can be made ahead; keep dressing separate and toss before serving to maintain freshness.
Adjust the number of chipotle peppers to control the heat level of the dressing.
Serve with warm tortilla chips or as a filling for wraps or tacos for variation.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 cup
Calories: 320
Sugar: 5g
Sodium: 450mg
Fat: 11g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Unsaturated Fat: 7g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 22g
Fiber: 7g
Protein: 30g
Cholesterol: 65mg