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Tex-Mex Chopped Chicken Salad

Tex-Mex chopped chicken salad with charred corn, black beans, and creamy avocado tossed in a zesty lime-ranch dressing. Built for crunch in a crispy tortilla bowl with colorful, fresh romaine and cheddar in every forkful.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 530
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Salad base
  • 2 cup cooked shredded chicken
  • 4 cup chopped romaine lettuce
  • 1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen, charred) Char corn before using.
  • 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 0.5 red onion, diced
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 0.25 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Crispy tortilla strips
  • 1 Crispy tortilla strips Use enough to top and keep crunchy.
Dressing
  • 0.5 cup ranch dressing
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp taco seasoning

Method
 

Build the chopped salad
  1. Toss the chopped romaine lettuce in a large bowl until evenly distributed, using a gentle fold so the leaves stay crisp.
  2. Top the romaine with charred corn, black beans, diced red bell pepper, diced avocado, diced red onion, shredded chicken, shredded cheddar cheese, and chopped cilantro.
Mix and dress
  1. Whisk the ranch dressing with lime juice and taco seasoning in a bowl until smooth and uniformly colored.
  2. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently just to coat, keeping avocado from breaking.
Serve
  1. Serve immediately topped with crispy tortilla strips so they stay crunchy.

Notes

For the best texture, char the corn right before assembling and dress only when ready to eat. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 2 days; add tortilla strips fresh when reheating is not needed (avoid soggy toppings). Freezing isn’t recommended due to the lettuce and avocado. Swap to Greek yogurt ranch for a lighter dressing while keeping the same lime-and-taco seasoning flavor.