Hearty salads like this Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad with black beans, corn, avocado, and crunchy romaine lettuce topped with an easy 5-ingredient homemade BBQ sauce are more than just a first course, they make the meal.
Course Salad
Cuisine Tex-Mex
Keyword chicken salad
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 40 minutesminutes
Servings 6
Calories 393kcal
Ingredients
For the BBQ Sauce
1cupketchup
¼cupcider vinegar
3tablespoonswater
2tablespoonsbrown sugar
2tablespoonsmolasses
1tablespoonyellow mustard
½teaspoonkosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine all of the ingredients in a small pan over medium heat. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until flavors combine, then remove from heat.
For the Southwest Chicken Salad
Prepare a grill or stovetop grill pan over medium-high heat.
To prepare the chicken, start at the thicker end of the chicken breast and use a sharp knife to cut the chicken breast in half into two thinner cutlets. Trim any excess fat and season both sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spray the grill pan with cooking spray (or oil the grill grates) and cook the chicken breasts for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Lower the heat to medium and brush both sides of the chicken breasts with the BBQ sauce and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes on each side until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 160 degrees F. Transfer to a platter and tent with aluminum foil.
While the chicken is cooking, cut the tortillas into thin strips. Heat the canola oil in a small pan over medium-high heat and fry the tortilla strips, stirring often, until golden and crisp. You may have to do this in batches. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with kosher salt while still hot.
Arrange the cut romaine lettuce in a large bowl with the black beans and corn. Slice the chicken into strips and place on top of the lettuce with the tomatoes, avocado, and red onion slices. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime over the salad, then in a small bowl, mix the ranch dressing with the juice from the remaining lime. Drizzle the lime ranch dressing over the salad with the reserved BBQ sauce. Garnish with the chopped cilantro and the tortilla strips and serve.