Make this delicious Southwestern salad part of your weekly meal prep rotation. Bursting with vibrant flavors, it's made with chicken, black beans, corn, roasted bell peppers, and more, tossed with crispy romaine in a creamy cilantro-lime dressing.
Prep. Preheat the oven to 425˚F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Season the chicken. Rub the chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Squeeze the lime halves over the chicken thighs.
Roast. Arrange the chicken on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until juices run clear and the chicken's internal temperature registers at 165˚F.
Rest and slice. Remove from oven and let the chicken rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing it into strips.
Roast the veggies
Prep. While the chicken roasts, line another baking sheet with aluminum foil.
Season the veggies. Arrange the onion and bell peppers on the baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Give everything a toss to coat the veggies with the oil and seasoning.
Roast. Roast the veggies in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender.
To make the dressing
Blend. While the chicken and veggies are roasting, load up your blender with the cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, lime juice, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
Store. Transfer the dressing to a mason jar and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.
Assemble the salad
Toss. In a large salad bowl, toss together the Romaine lettuce, roasted veggies, corn, beans, cherry tomatoes, and fresh chopped cilantro.
Serve. Distribute the salad between 4 plates. Top each salad with an equal portion of sliced chicken. Drizzle with the desired amount of dressing, and serve.
For a deeper flavor, marinate the chicken for about 30 minutes before roasting.
Dress the salad right before serving to maintain crispness.
Customize the spice level. Keep the jalapeno seeds for heat, or omit the jalapeno entirely if you don't like spicy foods. Also, adjust the paprika and cayenne as desired.
Experiment with different proteins like tofu or salmon.
Add different veggies like roasted broccoli, asparagus, or radishes.
Add toppings like cheese, avocado, tortilla strips, or crumbled bacon.
For a southwestern twist, replace greens with rice or cauliflower rice to make a burrito bowl.
You will have extra dressing. Seal it in a jar and store it in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.