Tex-Mex chopped chicken salad is a big, crunchy bowl of chopped romaine, seasoned skillet chicken, black beans, corn, tomatoes and cheddar, tossed in a creamy taco-ranch dressing and finished with crushed tortilla chips. It is a full dinner on a warm night and a lunch worth packing the next day.
How to make Tex-Mex chopped chicken salad: Whisk ranch dressing with taco seasoning and chill it. Cook bite-size chicken pieces in a skillet until they reach 165°F, then cool slightly. Toss romaine, tomatoes, corn, green onions, black beans, cheddar, cilantro and lime juice with the chicken. Add the dressing a little at a time, and the tortilla chips when serving.
Why You’ll Love It
- A meal in a bowl. Two pounds of chicken, beans, corn and greens fill four plates.
- A two-ingredient dressing. Ranch plus taco seasoning.
- Crunch in every bite. Crisp romaine and crushed tortilla chips.
- Good for packed lunches. Keep the dressing and chips apart and it travels well.
Ingredient Notes
Ranch dressing and mild taco seasoning. One cup of ranch whisked with 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning makes the dressing.
Chicken breasts. Two pounds, boneless and skinless, cut into bite-size pieces.
Romaine lettuce. Eight cups, chopped.
Roma tomatoes and green onions. Two tomatoes, diced, and 4 green onions, sliced.
Corn kernels. One cup, fresh or frozen.
Black beans. One 15-ounce can, drained and rinsed.
Mild cheddar cheese. A 1/2 cup, shredded.
Cilantro and lime. A 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro and the juice of half a lime.
Tortilla chips. One cup, crushed, added at the table.
Ingredients
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- 2 tablespoons mild taco seasoning
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 8 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
- 4 green onions, sliced
- 1 can black beans (15 ounces), drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup mild cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 1 cup tortilla chips, crushed
How to Make Tex-Mex Chopped Chicken Salad
1. Mix the dressing. Whisk the ranch dressing and mild taco seasoning together in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Cook the chicken. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook and stir the chicken pieces, seasoning with salt and pepper. This takes about 12 minutes. Check that the chicken reaches 165°F with a food thermometer instead of going by the time alone. Let it cool slightly.
3. Combine the salad. In a large bowl, toss together the chopped romaine, tomatoes, corn, green onions, drained black beans, cheddar, cilantro and lime juice. Add the chicken.
4. Dress and serve. Add the chilled dressing a little at a time and gently toss until coated. Add the crushed tortilla chips when serving. Serve immediately.
How to Pack It for Lunch
Two things ruin a packed chopped salad: dressing that goes on too early and chips that go in too early. Lettuce wilts under dressing, and tortilla chips turn soft. Keep both apart until you sit down to eat.
| Part | How to pack it | When it goes on |
|---|---|---|
| Salad and chicken | Together, in a covered container, kept cold | Already mixed |
| Taco-ranch dressing | In its own small container, refrigerated | Just before eating |
| Tortilla chips | In a small bag, at room temperature | At serving time |
The other rule is temperature. This is a chicken salad, so it has to stay at 40°F or below. Pack it with an ice pack or keep it in a refrigerator until lunch. Do not leave it in a bag on your desk all morning.
Tips for Success
How do I tell when the skillet-cooked chicken is done?
Use a food thermometer and look for 165°F. The 12 minutes is a guide. Bite-size pieces vary, so check a few of the bigger ones.
Why add the dressing a little at a time?
So you can stop when the salad is coated the way you like. You may not need the whole cup.
Should the chicken go in hot?
Let it cool slightly first, as the recipe says, before it goes onto the lettuce.
Can I use frozen corn?
Yes. Fresh or frozen corn kernels both work.
Can I use leftover or rotisserie chicken?
Cooked, shredded or cubed chicken, including rotisserie chicken, is used in this style of salad. Skip the skillet step if your chicken is already cooked.
How Cold Must Chicken Salad Stay?
At 40°F or below. USDA FSIS says perishable salad left at room temperature for more than 2 hours should be discarded, and the limit drops to 1 hour when the temperature is above 90°F. That applies on a picnic table and in a lunch bag alike.
How Long Does It Take?
About 37 minutes: 25 minutes of chopping and mixing, and about 12 minutes to cook the chicken. The recipe makes 4 servings.
Storage & Reheating
This salad is eaten cold and is not reheated. Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow, covered containers. USDA FSIS gives 3 to 4 days for refrigerated leftovers. A salad that is already dressed will soften, so if you expect leftovers, dress only what you plan to eat.
What to Serve With It
For another chicken salad, try the Asian chicken cranberry salad. If you want a warm chicken dinner on another night, there is Ritz cracker chicken casserole, 4-ingredient French onion chicken, slow cooker 4-ingredient cheddar baked chicken, slow cooker 3-ingredient brown sugar chicken or plain 4-ingredient slow cooker chicken, which also makes good cooked chicken for this salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I add the dressing and tortilla chips if I pack the salad for lunch?
Add the dressing just before eating and the chips at serving time. Pack both separately.
How cold must chicken salad stay, and how long can it sit out?
Keep it at 40°F or below. Discard it if it sits out more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour above 90°F.
What dressing goes on this salad?
Ranch dressing whisked with mild taco seasoning.
How many does this salad serve?
Four, as a main course.
Final Notes
I keep the chips in their own little bag until the fork is in my hand, because that is the difference between crunchy and soggy. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Tex-Mex Chopped Chicken Salad
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Ingredients
- 1 cup ranch dressing
- 2 tablespoons mild taco seasoning
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8 cups romaine lettuce chopped
- 2 Roma tomatoes diced
- 1 cup corn kernels fresh or frozen
- 4 green onions sliced
- 1 can black beans 15 ounces; drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup mild cheddar cheese shredded
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 1/2 lime juiced
- 1 cup tortilla chips crushed
Instructions
- Whisk the ranch dressing and mild taco seasoning together in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook and stir the chicken pieces, seasoning with salt and pepper. This takes about 12 minutes. Check that the chicken reaches 165°F with a food thermometer instead of going by the time alone. Let it cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, toss together the chopped romaine, tomatoes, corn, green onions, drained black beans, cheddar, cilantro and lime juice. Add the chicken.
- Add the chilled dressing a little at a time and gently toss until coated. Add the crushed tortilla chips when serving. Serve immediately.
