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–+ servings
A shallow white bowl holding a copycat Chick-fil-A southwest salad with slices of grilled chicken, crispy tortilla strips, and red cherry tomatoes.

Chick-fil-A Southwest Salad Recipe

40aprons.com/chick-fil-a-southwest-salad/
A bite-for-bite copycat of Chick-Fil-A's Spicy Southwest Salad, with tender grilled chicken and a creamy Southwest salsa dressing.
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Marinate 1 hour
Total 1 hour 35 minutes
Recipe Makes (Approximate): 2 salads

Equipment

  • standard blender or food processor
  • jar or small bowl
  • Airtight container
  • grill
  • small mixing bowl
  • whisk
  • Paper towels
  • Large plate
  • neutral-flavored spray oil
  • internal meat thermometer
  • Tongs
  • Cutting board
  • Sharp chef's knife
  • large mixing bowl
  • salad tossers
  • 2 Serving bowls

Ingredients

For the Creamy Salsa Dressing

  • ½ cup mayonnaise (full-fat preferred)
  • ½ cup sour cream (full-fat preferred)
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
  • 1 squeeze fresh lime juice (plus more to taste)

For the Spicy Grilled Chicken

  • 2 large thinly-sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 4 ounces each)
  • ½ cup dill pickle juice (optional but encouraged)
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt (more or less to taste)
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (more or less to taste)

For the Southwest Salad

  • 8-9 cups mixed greens (spinach, red lettuce, green lettuce, arugula, baby romaine, etc.)
  • ¼ cup cooked black beans (drained and rinsed if canned)
  • ¼ cup fire-roasted corn kernels (drained and rinsed if canned, defrosted if frozen)
  • 12 grape tomatoes
  • ¼ cup roasted red peppers (diced)
  • ½ cup tortilla strips

Instructions

To Prepare the Chicken

  • Place 2 large thinly-sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts in airtight container. Pour ½ cup dill pickle juice over chicken, covering chicken breasts completely.
  • Secure lid on container and place in refrigerator. Marinate chicken 1 hour. Do not marinate longer than 8 hours.

For the Creamy Salsa Dressing

  • Add ½ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup sour cream, ¼ cup fresh cilantro, 1 teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon cumin, and ¼ teaspoon salt to blender. Blend ingredients together until fully combined into smooth mixture. Pause blender and scrape down sides as needed to thoroughly combine ingredients.
  • Once mixture is smooth, taste dressing and add 1 squeeze fresh lime juice. Blend or stir mixture to incorporate lime juice, then taste dressing again. Add lime juice and/or salt as desired.
  • When satisfied with flavor of dressing, transfer mixture to jar or bowl. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Spicy Grilled Chicken

  • Preheat grill to medium-high heat, approximately 375° to 400° Fahrenheit.
  • Add ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ¼ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to small mixing bowl. Whisk ingredients together until well blended.
  • Remove chicken from pickle juice marinade and pat chicken breasts completely dry on all sides with paper towels. Place chicken breasts on large plate.
  • Season chicken breasts generously on all sides with prepared spice blend. Rub or pat spice blend into chicken to ensure coverage.
  • Lightly spray grill rack with neutral-flavored spray oil, then place seasoned chicken breasts on grill rack over indirect heat. Grill chicken breasts 5 minutes.
  • Flip chicken breasts over and grill 5 to 8 minutes more, or until internal temperature reaches 158° to 160° Fahrenheit.
  • Once chicken reaches 158° to 160° Fahrenheit internally, carefully remove chicken from grill and place on cutting board. Set chicken aside to rest 5 minutes.
  • After 5 minutes, slice chicken breasts into strips or bite-sized chunks.

For the Southwest Salad

  • Add 8-9 cups mixed greens, ¼ cup cooked black beans, ¼ cup fire-roasted corn kernels, 12 grape tomatoes, and ¼ cup roasted red peppers to large mixing bowl. Toss ingredients together until well blended.
  • Divide salad mixture evenly between 2 serving bowls.
  • Top each bowl of salad with grilled chicken. Garnish salads with ½ cup tortilla strips and serve immediately with prepared salsa dressing.

Recipe Notes

  • Chicken: You can also use 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast, halved horizontally to create 2 thin cutlets.

Nutrition Information (Approximate)

Serving Size: 1saladCalories: 757calProtein: 32gFat: 59gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 130mgSodium: 2188mgPotassium: 1224mgTotal Carbs: 28gFiber: 5gSugar: 6gNet Carbs: 23gVitamin A: 3905IUVitamin C: 63mgCalcium: 126mgIron: 3mg
Recipe By: Cheryl Malik
https://40aprons.com/chick-fil-a-southwest-salad/