Cilantro Lime Southwest Chicken Salad

Hey guys! Today we're preparing a yummy cilantro lime southwest chicken salad. It's so good and very fulfilling. Let's get started!

Ingredients:
For the Chicken Marinade:
Pimento peppers (or red chili peppers/sweet peppers)
Fresh cilantro
Juice of 1/2 lime
Olive oil
For the Chicken:
2 boneless chicken breasts, sliced into strips or chunks
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
Olive oil (for frying)
For the Corn and Black Beans:
Olive oil
1 cup corn kernels
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and black pepper to taste
For the Southwest Dressing:
1/2 cup sour cream (or Mexican crema)
Juice of 1/2 lime
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Cayenne pepper (to taste)
Chili powder (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
For the Salad:
4 cups lettuce, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, diced
1 avocado, cubed
1/2 cup crumbled queso blanco (or cotija cheese)
1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

Instructions:
For the Chicken Marinade:
Blend Ingredients:
Blend pimento peppers, fresh cilantro, juice of 1/2 lime, and a little bit of olive oil until it forms a paste.

Marinate Chicken:
Pour the marinade over the sliced chicken breasts in a bowl.
Add onion powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and paprika.
Mix well to ensure the chicken is thoroughly coated.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.

For the Chicken:
Cook Chicken:
Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom.
Add the marinated chicken and cook until golden brown on one side.
Flip the chicken and cook until the other side is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through (about 15 minutes in total).
If desired, cover the pan to help the chicken cook faster.
Set the cooked chicken aside.

For the Corn and Black Beans:
Toast Corn and Beans:
Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add a little olive oil.
Add the corn and black beans to the pan.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Stir and cook for about 3 minutes until warmed through.
Set aside.

In a bowl, combine sour cream (or Mexican crema), lime juice, chopped cilantro, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and salt.
Mix until smooth and creamy.
Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed.
Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the Salad:
Prepare Salad:
In a large bowl, add the chopped lettuce.
Add the corn and black beans mixture, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and avocado.
Toss to combine.

Assemble Salad:
Add the cooked chicken on top of the salad.
Drizzle the southwest dressing over the salad.
Add crumbled queso blanco and shredded Mexican blend cheese.
Mix everything until well combined.
This cilantro lime southwest chicken salad is delicious and one of my favorite salads. I hope you guys enjoyed this recipe. If you did, don't forget to like, comment .I appreciate you guys, and I'll see you next time. Bye!

Created by: Nellys Kreations