This healthy, flavorful salad comes together so quickly and easily!
After a weekend full of drinking and tailgate food, this BBQ chicken salad was exactly what I needed to start Monday off eating healthy.
I have posted a similar salad in the past but this salad is a southwestern twist which uses BBQ chicken, avocado, corn and black beans. This is definitely a salad that eats like a meal and given that it takes less than 30 minutes to make, it’s perfect for light easy dinners! I used my favorite sweet baby rays and hidden valley ranch but feel free to use your favorites, it will be delicious either way!
What are you waiting for? Go make it!
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 boneless, skinless thin-sliced chicken breasts
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 Roma tomato, diced
- 3/4 cup canned corn kernels, drained
- 3/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup diced red onion
- 1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup Ranch dressing
- 1/4 cup BBQ sauce
- 1/4 cup tortilla strips
Directions:
- Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat.
- Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, to taste. Add to skillet and cook, flipping once, until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces.
- To assemble the salad, place romaine lettuce in a large bowl; top with chicken, tomato, corn, beans, onion and cheeses. Pour Ranch dressing and BBQ sauce on top of the salad and gently toss to combine.
- Serve immediately, topped with tortilla strips.
On a related note, have you heard of the Instant Pot? It’s seriously the greatest invention, I am obsessed. You need to put this on your Christmas list or buy one before Winter. There are tons of amazing recipes out there and it makes life so much easier check out my favorite Pulled Pork Instant Pot Recipe!
As the weather gets cooler, I will definitely be using the Instant Pot for soups and chili. The fantastic thing is that you can sauté veggies or meat right in the pot before switching it to slow-cooker mode. (That is always my gripe with my crock pot: I hate dirtying an extra pan and having that additional step.) In the upcoming weeks I will be sharing with you more dishes you can make including recipes using the instant pot.. stay tuned.
More healthy chicken recipes you may have missed:
Beauty in Everything 