This unique Mexican Chicken Salad With Corn features a very special sweet and spicy dressing drizzled over a great line-up of ingredients. Tender chicken breast, corn, creamy avocado and a salty briny bite of black olives. Healthy and crisp with bibb lettuce and savory with kidney beans it’s truly Incredible with flavor, and special enough for entertaining.
In life there are salads and then there are salads. The second being a satisfying meal that you never want to stop eating. This recipe falls into that category.
This Mexican chicken salad with corn, kidney beans and black olives is tossed with a unique creamy, sweet spicy dressing that is simply stated – addictive.
Ingredients for the dressing include mayo, chili sauce and cider vinegar. This creamy dressing is then kicked up with chili powder and your favorite hot sauce. It’s really a flavorful treat.
Not only is this an easy weeknight dinner recipe, but I’d feel very comfortable serving this entree-style Mexican chicken salad to dinner guests.
My post has all the process shots, hints and tips for you to make the very best salad with Mexican Chicken Salad with Cron in your home. Let’s get started.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Bibb Lettuce: Bibb lettuce is a tender green lettuce that almost melts in your mouth like butter. It’s a rich tasting and can be found in the produce section in a clam shell with roots still attached.
- Chicken Breast: Cooked and diced into bite-sized pieces.
- Avocado: Makes any salad luscious and creamy.
- Corn: You can use canned yellow corn, but I’d suggest using frozen. Frozen corn gives you that little extra crunch that adds to the beautiful textures of this salad. Just heat it enough to warm and thaw and mix it into the salad. Or let it sit at room temperature until thawed.
- Kidney Beans: I try to use dried beans soaked overnight as often as I can, but make it easy on yourself and grab a can of Red Kidney Beans at the store. Just let them drain, give them a quick rinse and you’re in business.
- Black Olives: Sliced. I like to buy whole olives and simply half them. They seem to be a better presentation and texture choice than the very thin canned pre-sliced olives.
Ingredients For The Dressing
- Mayonnaise: Full fat or reduced fat will work.
- Spices: Chile Powder and Onion Salt
- Green Onion: Sliced
- Hot Sauce: Use your favorite brand, as you can see, we like Cholula. I’ve not been given any incentive to mention Cholula sauce, we just like it.
- Vinegar: Cider Vinegar works well here.
- Sweet Asian Chile Sauce: Make sure you purchase chile sauce labeled sweet. Asian chile sauces labeled garlic sauce are not sweet and very spicy hot.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Lettuce: Any tender lettuce will work for this salad. Butter lettuce and red-leaf lettuce are good examples.
- Chicken: Feel free to substitute cooked chicken thighs for this salad. Left-over rotisserie chicken meat is also a good choice here.
- Vinegar: Red wine vinegar is an excellent substitute for cider vinegar. They both have a sweet note to their flavor. If you don’t have either, white vinegar will work just fine.
- Green Onion: You can also use chopped sweet or yellow onion. You can use red onion for a stronger bite of onion flavor.
- Mayonnaise: If you like the flavor of Greek Yogurt, substitute it for the mayonnaise. You’ll have a healthier salad. You may need to add more salt, so taste once mixed.
Step by Step Instructions
Be sure to see the recipe card below for complete ingredients and instructions.
- Step 1: Combine all of the salad dressing ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
- Step 2: Using a whisk, stir the ingredients until well blended. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to let the flavors marry.
- Step 3: Add all of the salad ingredients (minus the lettuce and avocado) in a large bowl. Side note: I like to roast chicken breasts in the oven. Just rub with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and chile powder and cook in a low sided casserole dish until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Let cool and cut into cubes. You can also use grilled chicken to add a bit of smoky flair.
- Step 4: Using a large spoon, gently stir the ingredients to mix them together.
- Step 5: Add the dressing to the salad ingredients and gently stir to blend and coat. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
- Step 6: Lay a few leafs of the lettuce on a place. Scoop on a good helping of the Mexican chicken salad ingredients. Sprinkle on some chopped avocado and provide a wedge of lime to squeeze over the salad.
Questions You May Have
Yes. Just prepare the salad ingredients, mix in the dressing, cover and refrigerate up to two days. Don’t add the avocado until ready to serve as it will turn brown. You can also separate and wash the lettuce leaves in advance. Just dry them well and place them in a large plastic bag and store in the refrigerator. For more tips on preparing lettuce for salads, take a look at my 9 Secrets To Make A Perfect Salad.
Mayonnaise based salads simply don’t freeze well. The mayonnaise tends to separate when it thaws and the texture becomes compromised.
Yes. All of the fresh ingredients are naturally gluten free and the two sauces are gluten free.
Storage
For any leftovers, store the lettuce and chicken salad ingredients separately. Place both in airtight containers, and they’ll keep in the refrigerator for up to three days. Avocado will turn brown, so don’t mix it in with the salad ingredients. You’re better off slicing a new avocado when serving leftovers. This salad is mayo based, so don’t let it sit at room temperature for over two hours. Doing so is inviting bacteria to the salad, which can make people sick.
Recipe for Mexican Chicken Salad with Avocado
If you’re having a Mexican Buffet party, this chicken salad recipe with avocado would make an easy addition. Offer a stack of tortilla taco shell bowls, or a platter of Bibb Lettuce. Place a bowl of the chicken salad ingredients next.
And lastly, bowls of chopped avocado and lime wedges. Let guests spoon the chicken salad over the lettuce.
Place your entree, such as this Baked Chicken Enchiladas with Tomato Cream Sauce next. This is a very easy way for guests to serve themselves.
Riffs on Mexican Chicken Salad With Corn:
- Substitute chili flavored pinto beans for the kidney beans.
- Add some chopped sweet red bell pepper for a splash of color.
- Omit the chicken for a vegetarian Mexican salad.
- To add some heat, add diced jalapeno pepper.
- Serving ideas: Top with Sour cream. Grated Mexican Cheese. Chopped cilantro. Serve with lime wedges for a squeeze of citrus to brighten flavors.
Pro Tip: Using tortilla taco bowl shells would ramp up the presentation factor even more. For this, shred or tear the lettuce into bite sized pieces, line the molded taco bowls with the lettuce then add the salad ingredients. Premolded taco shell bowls can be purchased at the grocery store.
I hope you give this beautiful Mexican Chicken Salad recipe a try. And if you do, please come back and let me know how you liked it and give the recipe a star rating. And if you have a favorite avocado chicken salad recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.
If you’re making this for a crowd, be sure to make plenty. You’ll notice everyone returning for seconds for this one.
More Main Course Salad Recipes
- Skirt Steak Salad with Wilted Greens and Chipotle Dressing
- Southwestern Salad Recipe with Black Beans
- Grilled Chicken Wilted Spinach Salad
And one of the most popular on my site for this old fashioned recipe for Taco Salad Made with Catalina Dressing.
And if you love Mexican food as much as we do, don’t miss my Mexican Food Category. You’ll find lots of delicious recipes, including the most popular on my site for New Mexico Carne Adovada.
And speaking of New Mexico, don’t miss my article that includes a line up of Hatch Green Chile Recipes.
If you liked this recipe, please leave a star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the recipe card below and leave a comment. I always appreciate your feedback and hearing how everything went.
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Mexican Chicken Salad with Corn
Ingredients
- For the dressing
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Green Onion minced
- 2 Tablespoons Asian Sweet Red Chile Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons Cider Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Onion Salt
- ½ teaspoon Chili Powder
- 4 drops Hot pepper sauce
- For the Salad
- 1 ¼ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts Cooked and cut into bite sized pieces
- 12 ounces Frozen sweet corn thawed
- 15 ounces Canned Red Kidney Beans drained and rinsed
- 7 ounces Pitted Ripe Olives well drained and cut in half
- 1 Avocado Chopped or sliced
- 2 Cups Bibb Lettuce Leaves
- salt, pepper, chile powder to season chicken
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- For the Dressing: Mix first 7 ingredients. Cover and Chill for 30 minutes to let flavors marry.
- Season boneless skinless chicken breasts with a sprinkle of salt, pepper and pure chile powder, such as New Mexico chile powder or ancho chile powder.
- Place the chicken breasts in a low sided casserole dish and bake for about 20 – 30 minutes or until juices run clear when pierced with a fork. Better yet, use a digital read thermometer to test the internal temperature to 165 degree. You can also grill the chicken to add a smoky flair.
- Combine corn, beans, olives and chicken. Toss with dressing. Spoon into lettuce-lined bowls.
- Sprinkle with chopped avocado.
- Serving ideas: Top with Sour cream. Grated Mexican Cheese. Chopped cilantro. Serve with lime wedges for a squeeze of citrus to brighten flavors.
Notes
Nutrition
Creamy Mexican Chicken Salad … It’s Whats for Dinner
This recipe was first published April of 2018 and updated February of 2022 with step by step instructions.
Why Trust These Recipes? Lea Ann Brown has lived, worked and played in Colorado for 45 years. She has immersed herself in the Colorado Culinary space, is a Culinary School Graduate and publishes her Colorado food Blog, Cooking On The Ranch.
I need something healthy in my life right about now. This definitely is, plus it has tons of flavor. Nice. And thanks.
Still a great recipe!
Lea Ann, this salad has my name written all over it! I need to get the olives and avocados and get this on the table this week!
I loooooove main course salads, and this one looks so delish. Also love that you used Bibb lettuce since we’re supposed to avoid my favorite romaine.
Your salad has a great-looking combination of flavors. I’ve had salads like that in the Southwest. Wondered why you called it Casa Grande? I love the special Indian pottery from the Casas Grandes Mata Ortiz area in northern Mexico.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Hi Mae and thanks for your note. I was inspired to make this salad from a New Mexico Cookbook, Simply Simpatico.
They recipe in that book was called Casa Grande salad. I added chicken, switched some things up in the ingredients, and kept the name. Because I liked it.
And you bet, that pottery is beautiful.
What kind of Chile sauce do you use. Is it the Asian sweet red Chile sauce, the Chile sauce that’s more like ketchup or another one? This looks yummy!
Sweet Asian Red Chile Sauce. I’ll change the recipe to verify that. Thanks for the question.
We’re eating a ton of main-course salads at the moment, and this looks like a real winner. Pretty, and just loaded with wonderful flavor. Terrific recipe — thanks.
Thank you John.
Have never used kidney beans in a salad which is crazy especially in a spicy salad like this. I’m sure they handle as well as complement the spiciness quite well like they do in red beans and rice. I need to try this salad, but of course I would serve in a bake tortilla shell. 🙂
I’m a kidney bean fan. I think it’s their rich dark red color. And I agree, Baked Tortilla Shell is the way to go. Thanks MJ
So many possibilities with this! And perfect for eating anytime!