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Tex-Mex Chopped Chicken Salad

Tex-Mex chopped chicken salad with charred corn, black beans, and creamy avocado, finished with ranch-lime taco seasoning. Served in a crispy tortilla bowl for crunchy texture in every bite.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 520
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cooked shredded chicken
  • 2 cup cooked shredded chicken
Romaine lettuce
  • 4 cup chopped romaine lettuce
Charred corn
  • 1 cup corn kernels Fresh or frozen, then charred.
Black beans
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
Bell pepper
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
Avocado
  • 1 avocado, diced
Red onion
  • 0.5 red onion, diced
Cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Fresh cilantro
  • 0.25 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Crispy tortilla strips
  • 1 crispy tortilla strips For topping or for a crispy tortilla bowl.
Dressing
  • 0.5 cup ranch dressing
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp taco seasoning

Method
 

Prep the salad base
  1. Chop the romaine lettuce and place it in a large bowl as the salad base.
  2. Char the corn kernels until blistered and lightly browned, then let cool briefly before adding to the bowl.
Assemble the chopped salad
  1. Top the romaine with black beans, diced red bell pepper, and diced red onion.
  2. Add the charred corn, diced avocado, shredded chicken, shredded cheddar cheese, and chopped cilantro on top.
Make the lime ranch dressing and finish
  1. Whisk ranch dressing, lime juice, and taco seasoning until smooth and evenly combined.
  2. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently until everything is lightly coated.
  3. Serve immediately topped with crispy tortilla strips for crunch.

Notes

Pro tip: add avocado right before serving so it stays creamy and doesn’t break down. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 2 days, but add tortilla strips fresh when reheating or serving again for best crunch. Freezing isn’t recommended due to lettuce and avocado texture. For a lighter option, use light ranch dressing (or Greek-yogurt ranch) while keeping the same lime and taco seasoning mix.