Mexican Street Corn Chicken Salad
Satisfy your salad cravings with this Mexican Street Corn Chicken Salad. This easy salad comes together in minutes. Everyone will love the flavors in this healthy dinner recipe.
Satisfy your salad cravings with this Mexican Street Corn Chicken Salad. This easy salad comes together in minutes. Everyone will love the flavors in this healthy dinner recipe.
- salt
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 cup ranch dressing
- 1 teaspoon lime juice
- cilantro for garnish
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- 4-5 cups salad greens
- 2-3 grilled chicken breasts cut up
- 2 ears grilled corn cut off the cob
- 1 1/2 cups cherry tomato halves
- 1 ripe avocado sliced thin
- 1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese
- Carbohydrate 5.57613305544235 g
- Cholesterol 6.16 mg
- Fat 14.5581448611102 g
- Fiber 2.70237771939404 g
- Protein 1.05505083332769 g
- Saturated Fat 2.22141205555545 g
- Serving Size 1 1 serving (67g)
- Sodium 157.717472222195 mg
- Sugar 2.87375533604832 g
- Trans Fat 1.0001279861107 g
- Calories 150 calories
Step-by-step
- Place the salad greens in a bowl.
- Top with the chicken, corn, onion, tomatoes, avocado, and cheese. Sprinkle cilantro on top.
- Whisk together the ranch dressing, chili powder, and lime juice. Season with salt, if desired.
- Toss the salad together and serve immediately with the dressing.
Dressing this salad too far in advance causes the 4 to 5 cups of salad greens and sliced ripe avocado to wilt and brown within 30 minutes due to the moisture in the ranch dressing and lime juice mixture. Acidic components break down delicate leaf cell walls rapidly when combined with salt, releasing water that dilutes the dressing. Keeping components separate until service preserves the structural integrity of the tender leaves and prevents the avocado from oxidizing into an unappealing gray hue.
Preparing components ahead requires specific holding strategies. Grilled chicken breasts and grilled corn kernels store safely in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to three days at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below, but they must be completely chilled before assembly to prevent residual heat from wilting the vegetables. Cotija cheese can be crumbled 24 hours in advance and stored dry.
Adapting this composition involves mindful dairy and cheese swaps. Substituting crumbled cotija with aged queso fresco maintains the necessary salty, dry profile, though queso fresco melts slightly faster if paired with warm chicken. Feta cheese works as a 1:1 substitute by volume, yet introduces a sharper tang that alters the balanced chili and lime profile of the dressing.
