When it comes to salad, this grilled chicken southwest salad is a game changer!
It’s a game changer because you will crave this salad just like we do. Yes, I said, “we”. I am happy to report that although it took me some time, I finally found a salad that David wants to eat. Besides my Blond Italian Caesar Salad, this grilled chicken southwest salad with BBQ ranch dressing is a salad that David loves just as much as I do.
The weather has been unusually STUPID warm so far this fall. Quite frankly, I am growing tired of sweating in October. While I am wishing for more seasonal weather, David and I have been taking advantage of prettier grilling days. However, most of it has been in the front yard, due to our deck remodel (more to come soon).
I mentioned this salad last week when I shared the incredibly good BBQ Ranch Dressing recipe with you. Inspired by a pre-made salad I bought from the grocery store on a whim, I challenged myself to make the salad at home, but make it even better.
Grilled chicken southwest salad can be served as a salad, side dish or dinner. A fiesta of flavor, this southwest salad is a meal within itself. This salad is packed with black beans, tomatoes, freshly grilled sweet corn, grilled chicken breast, and avocado, on a bed of crunchy romaine lettuce. The salad is then topped with bacon bits and served with an Incredibly Good BBQ Ranch Dressing.
How To Make Grilled Chicken Southwest Salad:
Prepare the grill for indirect heat.
Rinse the chicken with cold water, then pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Place the chicken directly over the hot coals. Move the chicken to the cooler zone after the flesh of the chicken has browned and grill marks form, on both sides, about 10 minutes (5 minutes on each side).
Continue to grill the chicken over indirect heat with the lid closed. This will help maintain a constant temperature, about 300 degrees for about 35 to 40 minutes until done (165 degrees F). Remove chicken from the grill and allow to rest at least 5 minutes, before cutting into bite-sized pieces.
Shuck the corn, removing the husks and silk. Add the ears of corn directly over the hot side of the grill. Cook turning occasionally until charred on all sides and tender; about 10 minutes. Remove the corn from grill and allow to cool. Then remove the kernels from the cob into a small bowl.
Assemble The Salad:
Place the chopped romaine lettuce on the bottom of a salad bowl or plate. Top with avocado, chopped tomatoes, black beans, corn, and chopped chicken. Sprinkle with bacon bits and BBQ ranch dressing just before serving.
Recipe Notes:
When making this salad, I like having leftovers for another day. I only use one avocado at a time and keep all the ingredients separate, until needed. It keeps the lettuce crisp and the ingredients stay fresher also.
NEW GADGET ALERT!
For this salad, I got to use a new kitchen gadget I purchased this summer.
David and I tend to have leftover corn on the cob. We think the corn tastes better the day after the corn is cut off the cob. This is a pretty messy task. I kind of struggled holding the corn cob while cutting it with the knife. This corn shredder is the greatest little gadget ever. It makes cutting the corn off the cob a cinch!
Simply cook the corn, place the stripper blade side down over the cob, inside a bowl and press the kernels off the cob.
I wasn’t paid to promote this product. It’s a great tool and I wanted to share it with you, just in case you struggle with cutting corn off the cob too.
I just highly recommend it!
I hope you enjoy this salad as much as we do!
Grilled Chicken Southwest Salad
Ingredients
- 1 whole boneless skinless chicken breast
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 2 ears of corn
- 4 strips bacon cooked and chopped into bits
- 4-6 cups romaine lettuce chopped
- 15 ounces canned black beans rinsed and drained
- 8 ounces small cherry or grape tomatoes quartered or halved
- 2 medium Hass Avocados pitted, peeled and diced
- BBQ Ranch Dressing to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the grill for indirect heat.
- Rinse the chicken with cold water, then pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Place the chicken directly over the hot coals. Move the chicken to the cooler zone after the flesh of the chicken has browned and grill marks form, on both sides, about 10 minutes (5 minutes on each side).
- Continue to grill the chicken over indirect heat with the lid closed. This will help maintain a constant temperature, about 300 degrees for about 35 to 40 minutes until done (165 degrees F). Remove chicken from the grill and allow to rest at least 5 minutes, before cutting into bite-sized pieces.
- Shuck the corn, removing the husks and silk. Add the ears of corn directly over the hot side of the grill. Cook turning occasionally until charred on all sides and tender; about 10 minutes. Remove the corn from grill and allow to cool. Then remove the kernels from the cob into a small bowl.
Assemble The Salad:
- Place the chopped romaine lettuce on the bottom of a salad bowl or plate. Top with avocado, chopped tomatoes, black beans, corn, and chopped chicken. Top with bacon bits and BBQ ranch dressing just before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
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Dana @ IveGotCake says
Pretty pretty salad, my mouth is watering!!
And you know I’ll take all the STUPID warmth in a heartbeat so bring it ON!!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thank you Dana. Yes, I know. May want to start hibernating soon dear…lol!
Dana @ IveGotCake says
Nooooooooo!!!
God I wish I was rich enough to travel someone warm from Nov – March!
nancyc says
Looks like such a delicious salad!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thank Nancy!
Karen says
I make a similar salad but now I’ve got to try it with your dressing!
The Mountain Kitchen says
It’s my new favorite Karen. I hope you enjoy it! ?
eatlettersanddeco says
?YUMMY!
Delicious salad…
Greetings from Switzerland
Belinda
The Mountain Kitchen says
Hi Belinda! ? Thanks for the compliment! Hope you’ll give this a try. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Antonia says
I am so glad it has cooled down a bit, it really has been stupid hot here too! Your salad is just beautiful! I love all the flavors and can’t wait to try this out. My daughter loves black beans and is going love seeing them in a salad. 😀 Thank you for sharing!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Hi Antonia! Yes, I have enjoyed not sweating…lol! I hop you and your daughter enjoy this salad as much as we did. I love black beans too and have eaten way too many while preparing foods that they go in…lol! Thanks for stopping by!
cookingwithauntjuju.com says
I thought adding bbq sauce to ranch dressing was a great idea – now to find the perfect sauce or make it. Great salad Debbie 🙂
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thank you so much! We make our own. Any sauce will work though. Enjoy!
givememeatloaf says
Soooo, your photos are always fantastic, but these are something else! Wow-ee-wowzer! I want to reach in and grab it. 😀
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thank you for that great compliment. I want to reach in and grab some more of this too! So yummy!
Julie is Hostess At Heart says
That is a cool little gadget! This would be my favorite salad too and with the bbq ranch dressing it would be amazing!
The Mountain Kitchen says
Julie I wondered about it when I first tried it on raw corn, because that was a no go! When cooked it slide right off. I hope you’ll try this salad, you wont be disappointed. I could eat it out of a trough! ?
Betsy Maness says
I made this for dinner tonight using the rub from your chicken wing recipe you shared a few weeks ago. I also added some jicama I needed to use up. The salad was fantastic! My husband’s new favorite:) Thanks for sharing:)
The Mountain Kitchen says
Hi Betsy! I’m so glad you liked the recipe. I bet the rub and the jicama were great additions to this recipe. It’s always great to hear that husbands approve of salads! Thanks for your rating and comment!