This Spicy Southwestern Chicken Salad is a fantastic replica of a similar entree I enjoyed during a 2002 family vacation in South Dakota. I can’t remember the name of the restaurant we dined at, but I fondly recall my first bite of their spicy Southwest Chicken Salad. The components were outstanding, and my taste buds went crazy!
Jump to RecipeI have been making this version at home ever since. It’s a big hit with my family, which is a huge accomplishment. Because, while my husband and I love salads, my son isn’t much of a fan, so to create something that he loves is a big deal!

Spicy Southwestern Chicken Salad Ingredients and Recipe
Jump to VideoUsually, I marinate chicken breasts with fajita flavors and grill them. However, I eliminated this step and opted for a delicious pre-cooked chicken to save time and energy.
For this recipe, I used OriginAl’s Chicken Ribs. These ribs are fully cooked chicken thighs prepared with a dry rub and smoked over hickory for 4 hours. The flavor is outstanding! Even better, the prep time is only 5 minutes!
I’ve been using these ribs in all of my chicken recipes as of late, they’ve made dinner less complicated. OriginAl’s does nationwide two-day shipping right to your door (use Code: FloFAVS for $10 off)!
An interesting fact about myself is I declared myself a strictly white meat chicken eater during my teenage years and have avoided dark meat ever since. Consequently, I was shocked at how much I enjoyed these chicken thighs. I’m a huge fan of these chicken ribs!
I thawed 4 ribs and crisped in the air fryer for 5 minutes (you can also heat in the oven). Cut into strips after heating.

Salsa Ingredients
- 1 15 oz black beans (rinsed and drained)
- 1 cup corn (I thawed frozen corn)
- 15 grape tomatoes halved (see instruction video)
- 6 Tbsp cilantro leaves chopped
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 3 tbsp spicy dressing (see below)
Mix ingredients in bowl and set aside
Spicy Dressing
- 1/3 cup Hot Sauce
- 1/2 Cup Olive Oil Vinaigrette dressing (shake beforehand)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Combine ingredients in blender and mix. Pour dressing into a bowl and set aside.

Crispy Tortilla Strips
- 3 tortilla shells cut into strips and then 1 1/2-inch pieces
- olive oil spray or 1/2 cup vegetable oil depending on how you want to crisp them.
Coat tortilla strips with olive oil spray, place in air fryer on 350 and crisp 7 minutes until desired color. Set aside
Alternate: heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil and fry tortilla strips until crisp

To Assemble Spicy Southwestern Chicken Salad
- Place 1 cup lettuce on plate
- drizzle spicy dressing over lettuce
- top with 1/2 cup salsa
- Add chicken strips
- Top with crumbled queso, tortilla strips, and drizzle with ranch dressing
Enjoy (Click here for additional recipes)

Spicy Southwestern Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 4 OriginAl's Chicken Rib thighs cut into strips
- Romaine Lettuce
- Queso Fresco Crumbles optional
- Ranch Dressing
Spicy Southwestern Dressing
- 1/2 cup Olive Oil Vinaigrette Dressing shake beforehand
- 1/3 cup Hot Sauce
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp crushed black pepper
Salsa
- 15 Grape Tomatoes Halved
- 1 Can Black Beans 15 oz
- 1 Cup Corn I thawed frozen corn
- 6 tbsp Cilantro leaves chopped
- 4 tbsp Chopped Red Onion
- 1/2 tsp Cumin
- 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
Crispy Tortilla Strips
- 3 Flour Tortillas cut into strips
- Olive Oil Spray coat tortilla strips
Instructions
- Combine salsa ingredients in a bowl and stir, set aside
- Add all of the spicy dressing ingredients to a blender and blend
- Pour spicy dressing in a bowl and set aside
- Add 3 tbsp of spicy dressing to salsa and stir
- Coat tortilla strips with olive oil spray and crisp 5-7 minutes in air fryer at 400 Alternative: heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a small pot and fry tortilla strips to desired crispness. remove and drain on paper towel covered plate
- Place romaine lettuce on the bottom of a salad plate
- drizzle spicy dressing over romaine lettuce
- top with 1/2 cup of salsa
- add chicken strips
- top with queso fresco crumbles and tortilla strips
- drizzle ranch dressing over salad