Happy Monday! I’m back after a wonderful weekend celebrating my 29th birthday. My husband surprised me with a visit to the Signature Room on the 95th floor of the John Hancock Building — a view of Chicago that was absolutely spectacular. We had an 8:30 reservation so the city was lit up at night, and the skyline was breathtaking. The food was just as memorable; dessert was a white and dark chocolate mousse cake that tasted as lovely as it looked.
Now, back to the kitchen — this Southwestern BBQ Chicken Salad is one of our favorite summer meals. We try to have salads a couple nights each week for a light, satisfying dinner, and this one stands out. It combines fresh ingredients like black beans, corn, cilantro, tomatoes, and chunks of cheese with tender BBQ chicken. The homemade BBQ Cilantro Lime dressing complements these flavors perfectly and comes together quickly.
I often use a store-bought rotisserie chicken to speed things up, but this recipe also works great with leftover chicken. It’s easy to assemble and makes a great weeknight meal that still feels special.
SALAD INGREDIENTS
- 3 cups pre-cooked rotisserie chicken, shredded
- 1 cup BBQ sauce
- 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
- 1 head romaine lettuce, shredded
- 1/4 red onion, finely diced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 15-ounce can corn, drained
- 2 roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 8 ounces cheese, cubed (cheddar and Monterey Jack recommended)
DRESSING INGREDIENTS (BBQ CILANTRO LIME)
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2/3 cup milk (adjust for desired thickness)
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 cup BBQ sauce
DIRECTIONS
- In a large bowl, toss the shredded chicken with 1 cup BBQ sauce. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Combine the remaining salad ingredients — iceberg, romaine, black beans, corn, tomato, cilantro, red onion, and cheese — in a large bowl and toss to mix evenly.
- Make the dressing by blending the mayonnaise, vinegar, cilantro, lime juice, sugar, garlic, salt, cayenne, black pepper, cumin, and 1/2 cup BBQ sauce. With the blender running, slowly add milk until the dressing reaches your preferred consistency. I used slightly less than 2/3 cup.
- To serve, place a portion of the salad on each plate and top with a spoonful of BBQ chicken. Serve the dressing on the side or toss about 1/2 cup of dressing with the salad to coat before plating, depending on how dressed you like it.
- Serves 4.
Recipe adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe