Southwestern Chicken Salad – bursting with flavor! Super simple to make and tastes great! Cooked chicken, mayonnaise, lime juice, taco seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, corn kernels, green pepper, celery, tomatoes, and cilantro. Great for parties, potlucks, and meal prep. People always ask for the recipe!

bowl of chicken salad with croissants and text overlay

Southwest Chicken Salad Recipe

This Southwestern Chicken Salad is not your ordinary chicken salad. It is loaded with corn, peppers, tomatoes, lime juice, taco seasoning, and cilantro. TONS of great flavors!! It is out of this world delicious! It is hands-down better than any restaurant! This is my go-to recipe for potlucks and baby showers. It always gets rave reviews. One bite and you will know why!!

How to Make Southwestern Chicken Salad

This dish is super easy to make with only a few simple ingredients. Start with chopping green bell peppers, celery, and plum tomatoes. In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lime juice, taco seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder and red pepper flakes. Stir in chopped chicken, bell peppers, celery, tomatoes, and cilantro. Coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with some additional chopped fresh cilantro before serving.

Helpful Tips & Frequently Asked Questions

I use rotisserie chicken in this recipe.
- This is a great recipe to use up any leftover cooked chicken. You can use any cooked chopped chicken that you have on hand. Chicken breasts, chicken thighs, chicken tenderloins, or chicken legs.
Here is our recipe for Homemade Taco Seasoning made with chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper: https://www.plainchicken.com/homemade-taco-seasoning/
Don’t like cilantro? You can leave it out or substitute fresh parsley.
For extra flavor, use a can of Mexicorn corn kernels.
What can I add to Southwestern Chicken Salad?
- black beans
- avocado
- red bell peppers
- red onion
- cherry tomatoes
Can substitute plain Greek yogurt for some of the mayonnaise to reduce the calories.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.

What to Serve with Southwest Salad

This has quickly become one of our favorite chicken salad recipes! We like to serve it on mini croissant rolls drizzled with some jalapeño ranch dressing and tortilla chips. It is equally delicious on crackers, in a romaine lettuce wrap, or in a tortilla wrap. This is great for a party or meal prep since it can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator. I promise this chicken salad is not to be missed!

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