Grilling season is upon us and honestly it makes my dinner-life so much easier. This Southwest Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Salad is filling and delicious. You can toss pretty much anything on the grill and it instantly makes it better, so I usually open the fridge at about 6pm and rummage around for anything I can throw on there and call it dinner. If you’re one of those people that doesn’t think “salad” counts as dinner, then you should try a giant salad like this. It’s basically like a chicken dish, a side of carbs, and a day’s worth of vegetables all on one plate. Covered in delicious sauce. You will be completely stuffed (but not too stuffed for a cookie after, because #dessert) I promise.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Chicken breasts – If you think ahead, you could use our popular Taco Chicken, or Slowcooker Taco Chicken, or this Pressure Cooker Chili-Lime Chicken. All great options. If I haven’t thought enough ahead of time, I just drizzle the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, plus some chili powder and cumin. That’s what I’ve included in the printable recipe, but feel free to use any of these chicken options!
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Cumin
- Corn on the cob – I like to steam my corn before tossing it on the grill. It has a tendency to dry out a bit on the grill, so I toss it in my steam oven first (or you could boil it ahead of time) and then put it on the grill just to char it up.
- Mini sweet bell peppers – Mini sweet bell peppers are one of my favorites. You’ll find them in a bag near the other bell peppers, or Costco regularly carries them as well. I don’t remove the stems or anything, I just pop them on the grill as-is. Feel free to use sliced bell peppers if that’s what you have available.
- Red onion – I prefer red onion, but pretty much any onion variety will work here.
- Romaine lettuce – This recipe calls for one head of romaine to make two salads. If you prefer to buy pre-cut bagged romaine to make things easier, go for it!
- Canned black beans
- Tomato
- Lime wedges
- Cilantro
- Dressing of choice – When it comes to dressing, you’ve got lots of options. The simplest is a good olive oil, plus a splash of fresh lime juice and salt and pepper. My favorite homemade dressings are our Creamy Cilantro-Lime Ranch and our Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette (think Cafe Rio for both of those). This Creamy Avocado Dressing is fantastic here, too. If you want a good store-bought dressing, I’ve been loving Bolthouse Farms Yogurt Dressings, both the Cilantro Avocado and the Chili Verde are really great. Drizzle it all over and you’ve got the best combination of flavors and textures.
How to Make a Southwest Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Salad
- Start by grilling your veggies. Just toss everything in a little olive oil and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Pop it all on the grill and while it’s cooking, wash a head of romaine (yes, an entire head, I told you these were big salads!) and divide it into bowls or plates.
- Take all that good stuff off the grill and you’re just about ready to roll. Slice up the chicken, add it along with the grilled veggies, and also some canned black beans and fresh tomato.
- Serve with your choice of dressing and enjoy! I love the warm chicken and veggies with the crisp, cold lettuce and tomato, and the beans, chicken, and sheer quantity here will seriously stuff your belly. It’s a great summer dinner!
Storing and Other Tips
- Like most salads, this one is best enjoyed fresh. If you have leftover ingredients, store them separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-5 days for best results.
- As written this recipe makes two large, dinner-sized salads. Feel free to make smaller salads or store ingredients separately to put together quick lunches during the week.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes. In fact, this salad is a great way to use up leftover grilled meats and veggies. If you want to plan ahead, you can use any of the chicken options outlined in the Ingredients section above or grill fresh chicken with your veggies. Let everything cool, store in the refrigerator, and put your salad together when you’re ready for it.
Can I use other veggies or add other ingredients?
Hey, it’s your salad! Use whichever grilled veggies you love. Feel free to add a hearty grain like brown rice, quinoa, or bulgur wheat. Roasted sweet potato would be tasty as well.
Southwest Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Salad
A flavorful, fresh summer salad full of hearty protein and vegetables.
Servings very large salads
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- olive oil
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- chili powder
- cumin
- 2 ears corn
- 8-10 bell peppers, mini, sweet
- 1 red onion, small-medium
- 1 head lettuce, romaine washed and torn into pieces
- ⅔ cup black beans, canned washed and drained
- 1 tomato chopped
- lime wedges
- cilantro, chopped
- Dressing of choice See notes
Instructions
- Preheat outdoor grill or indoor grill pan. Drizzle chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, chilli powder, and cumin (eyeball it). Place on grill and cook for about 6 minutes per side, or until internal temperature reaches 165℉.
- Line a large baking sheet with foil and set corn, bell peppers, and onions on it. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place veggies on grill and turn occasionally until tender.
- While everything is cooking, fill two large bowls or plates with lettuce. Remove everything from grill and slice chicken. Arrange veggies on top of lettuce with chicken and add black beans and tomato. Serve with desired dressing, and garnish with lime wedges and chopped cilantro.
Notes
- Here are some of my favorite dressing options:
- Fresh squeezed lime juice + olive oil + salt and pepper
- Cilantro-Lime Ranch
- Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette
- Fresh Avocado Dressing
- Store-bought Bolthouse Farms Cilantro-Avocado or Chili Verde Dressing
- Nutritional information was calculated without dressing.
- Like most salads, this one is best enjoyed fresh. If you have leftover ingredients, store them separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-5 days for best results.
- As written this recipe makes two large, dinner-sized salads. Feel free to make smaller salads or store ingredients separately to put together quick lunches during the week.
Nutrition
Serving: 2g, Calories: 526kcal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 62g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 145mg, Sodium: 311mg, Potassium: 2518mg, Fiber: 17g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 31522IU, Vitamin C: 177mg, Calcium: 159mg, Iron: 6mg
Calories: 526kcal
Cost: $10
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Questions & Reviews
New favorite salad!! I really could eat it every week … Thank you for these summer grill recipes 🙂
What a seriously gorgeous salad!! Can’t wait to try it this summer.
Quick question: when the peppers are cooked that way what do you do with the seeds? Do you eat them, or pick them out, etc.?
They’re so small I just eat them and toss the stem 🙂
If you trim the very end of the husks on the cor, you can soak the ears for 20-30 minutes and then throw it right on the grill (still in the husk). The moisture helps to “steam” it a little bit and they grill up tender and perfect! Then after they are off the grill you peel the husk back carefully and you have the perfect handle if you are not going to chop it off the cob.
Yes! I’ve done it that way too- good tip!
Oh my goodness the Bolthouse Farms dressings!! I was making my own frequently (using your recipes!) until I found these and now I use them more often than not. I do still love yours and splurge on the weekends, but during the week for packing quick lunches, I pour those Bolthouse Farms dressings in my little 21 Day Fix containers and head out the door! I have tried 6 of them and really liked them all. It is the only “diet” Ranch I can tolerate!
FIrst! running to the store to make this stuff tonight!
This looks so good! I’ve been making a lot of salads lately because they’re so easy to meal prep all at once! This looks wonderful 🙂 I’m also looking for some advice… I’d love a Blendtec and am thinking about splurging and realized there’s several different levels of them. Which do you suggest? I’ll probably use it for smoothies and then with cooking I’m guessing I’ll use it 4-7 times a week. I’m also wondering if you have a food processor you recommend? I trust both of you lol and LOVE your blog. I joke around with everyone I know that your recipes are fool proof!