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Tex-Mex Chopped Chicken Salad with Crispy Tortilla Bowl

Tex-Mex chopped chicken salad with charred corn, black beans, and avocado, finished with a ranch-lime taco seasoning dressing. The toppings are layered for bright color and quick tossing, then served in crispy tortilla strips for crunch.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Salad base
  • 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
  • 4 cups romaine lettuce chopped
  • 1 cup corn kernels fresh or frozen; charred
  • 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 store-bought or homemade; for serving
Dressing
  • 0.5 cup ranch dressing
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 1 tbsp taco seasoning

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Assemble the chopped salad
  1. Add the chopped romaine lettuce to a large bowl and toss it to break up the leaves.
  2. Top the lettuce with charred corn, black beans, diced red bell pepper, diced avocado, diced red onion, cooked shredded chicken, shredded cheddar cheese, and chopped fresh cilantro.
Make and add the dressing
  1. Whisk the ranch dressing, lime juice, and taco seasoning together until evenly combined.
  2. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently just until coated.
Serve
  1. Serve immediately topped with crispy tortilla strips for crunch.

Notes

For the most char and sweet flavor from the corn, cook it on a hot sheet pan until browned spots form, then let it cool 5 minutes before assembling. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 2 days, but keep tortilla strips separate and add right before eating so they stay crisp. Freezing isn’t recommended because lettuce and avocado texture will soften. For a lighter swap, use Greek-yogurt ranch or reduce the ranch dressing by half while keeping the lime and taco seasoning for the same tangy finish.