Looking for a healthy, vibrant, and flavour-packed salad? This Santa Fe Chicken Salad combines tender chicken breasts, fresh vegetables, creamy avocado, and crunchy tortilla chips for a dish that's as satisfying as it is colourful. Perfect for a light lunch, summer BBQ, or a dinner option that's easy to prepare, this Santa Fe salad recipe brings together bold southwest flavours and simple ingredients for a meal the whole family will love.
Jump to:
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost for you! Thank you!
What Is Santa Fe Salad?
The Santa Fe salad originates from the southwestern United States, specifically New Mexico, and is inspired by Tex-Mex cuisine. A classic Santa Fe-style salad usually features grilled chicken, black beans, corn kernels, cherry tomatoes, and creamy avocado, all tossed in a tangy lime dressing (that is now known as Santa Fe salad dressing). The addition of crunchy tortilla strips or crispy tortilla chips gives the salad texture and makes every bite exciting.
Over time, the dish has evolved into countless variations, including vegan Santa Fe salad with plant-based protein, or versions with rotisserie chicken and pico de gallo. Whether served with romaine lettuce, baby spinach, or a mix of salad greens, it's a hearty salad that's perfect for meal prep and everyday eating.
Why You Will Love This Southwest Salad?
Loaded with fresh vegetables: Spinach, cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, and green onions provide crunch, colour, and nutrition.
High in protein: Grilled boneless skinless chicken breasts or any leftover chicken make this salad filling.
Perfect balance of textures: Soft avocado, juicy tomatoes, and crispy tortilla strips create a satisfying bite every time.
Customisable: Add jalapeño pepper for heat, cotija cheese for creaminess, or pinto beans for extra fibre.
Quick and easy: Ready in about 30 minutes, making it a great option for weeknight meals or meal prep.
Salad Ingredients and Substitutes
For The Salad:
- chicken breast: we used boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 250g). If you wish, you can use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, but you will be missing out on all the flavours of the spices that are used to coat the chicken.
- spices: chilli powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, paprika, dried herbs (like oregano or thyme). All these spices can be replaced with a generous heaped teaspoon of taco seasoning.
- olive oil: or other oil suitable for cooking, like vegetable oil or avocado oil.
- baby spinach: can be replaced with rocket (arugula) or iceberg or romaine lettuce.
- spring onions: also known as scallions or green onions. You may also use thinly sliced red onion for extra colour vibrancy.
- cherry tomatoes: can be substituted with baby plum tomatoes or roughly chopped salad tomatoes.
- black beans: rinsed and drained. Replace them with red kidney beans if you wish.
- sweetcorn: tinned or cooked from frozen.
- avocado: choose ripe and creamy avocado.
- corn tortilla chips: you may choose to use toasted, crunchy tortilla strips.
- fresh cilantro (coriander).
For The Santa Fe Salad Dressing:
- extra virgin olive oil
- lime juice
- honey
- ground cumin
- chilli powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Step-By-Step Method
1. Season the chicken. In a small bowl, mix chilli powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, dried herbs, salt, and black pepper. Rub evenly over the chicken breasts.
2. Cook the chicken. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for 5-6 minutes per side until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Remove from the pan, let rest 5 minutes, then slice into bite-size pieces.
3. Make the dressing. Whisk together olive oil, lime juice, honey, cumin, chilli powder, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Optional: stir in spicy pan juices for extra flavour.
4. Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, combine baby spinach, spring onions, cherry tomatoes, black beans, sweetcorn, avocado, cilantro, and crushed tortilla chips. Toss gently with half of the dressing.
5. Serve. Arrange sliced chicken on top and drizzle with the remaining dressing. Garnish with extra cilantro and a few crispy tortilla strips for texture. Serve immediately.
Video
Tips and Tricks For Best Results
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels before seasoning for better browning.
- Adjust spice levels according to your taste; add jalapeño pepper for heat or reduce chilli powder for a milder salad.
- Use ripe avocado for a creamy texture and fresh lime juice to brighten the flavours.
- Make ahead: Store chopped salad ingredients in an airtight container separately and grill chicken just before serving.
- Extra crunch: Add more tortilla chips or crunchy tortilla strips at the last moment to prevent sogginess.
Variations & Dietary Adjustments
Extra protein: Add ground beef or pinto beans.
Vegetarian: Swap chicken for grilled tofu, tempeh, or chickpeas.
Vegan: Replace honey with maple syrup and use vegan chicken substitutes.
Gluten-Free: Ensure your tortilla chips are gluten-free.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy this Santa Fe chicken salad as a light lunch, hearty salad dinner, or part of a southwest-themed meal. Pair with salsa ranch dressing, corn tortillas, or grilled vegetables for a complete spread. Some other dishes that would go well here are:
- Baked Polenta Chips With Smoky BBQ Dip
- Grilled Potatoes | Perfect BBQ Side Dish
- Korean Garlic Cream Cheese Bread
- Creamy Corn Salad with Courgette
- Summer Pesto Pasta Salad
Storage and Meal Prep
Store leftover salad ingredients in an airtight container separately. Keep dressing chilled until serving. Assemble with freshly cooked chicken just before eating for best freshness and flavour.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Add half a ripe avocado, 2 tablespoon of Greek yoghurt, 1-2 tablespoon lime juice, a pinch of garlic powder and a handful of coriander leaves to a food processor and blitz it into a dressing. Loosen with some water if needed and season with salt and pepper.
There is about 590 kcal in one portion of the Santa Fe Salad With Chicken.
Other Delicious Salads
- Tex Mex Salad Bowl With Sweet Potatoes (Vegan)
- Crispy Chicken Katsu Salad
- Grilled Chicken and Peach Salad
- Watermelon and Feta Salad
For more, visit Vibrant and Healthy Summer Salads to Beat the Heat.
Santa Fe Salad With Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts skinless, boneless (about 160g each)
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried herbs like oregano or thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 90 g (3 cups) baby spinach
- 2 spring onions sliced
- 150 g (5.29 oz) cherry tomatoes halved
- 120 g (4.23 oz) black beans rinsed and drained
- 100 g (3.53 oz) tinned sweetcorn drained
- 1 avocado diced
- 30 g (¼ cups) corn tortilla chips/ crisps crushed
- 5 g (¼ cups) fresh coriander
For Santa Fe Salad Dressing:
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon chilli powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mix all the spices, dried herbs and salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- Rub your chicken breasts with the prepared seasoning, until they are fully covered.
- Brush a large frying pan or a griddle pan with oil and place it over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken breasts and cook for approximately 5-6 minutes on each side (it will depend on the thickness of the breasts but the internal temperature should be 74°C when cooked).
- In the meantime, mix all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. OPTIONAL: If you wish, you may stir in some spicy juices from the chicken pan into your dressing too.
- In a large, bowl mix the spinach, spring onion, fresh tomatoes, black beans, sweet corn, avocado, coriander and tortilla chips in a large bowl gently with half of the dressing.
- Slice the cooked chicken breast into pieces and serve on top of the salad. Drizzle the rest of the dressing over the salad and serve.
Video
Nutrition
Leave a Reply