You’ve not had chicken salad like this before! We’re talking a serious fiesta, Tex Mex makeover that will make your tastebuds sing! Building on the classic combo of chicken and green chiles, this chicken salad recipe is flavor-packed with sweet roasted corn, punchy red onion, cilantro, lime, cumin and chili powder.
If you love chicken salad, you’ll also love my Tasty Lemon Chicken salad recipe & my Apple Cranberry Chicken Salad recipe.
This is one of my absolute favorite game day recipes! Set me up with a big bowl of this Green Chile Chicken Salad and a bag of tortilla chips, and I don’t care who wins or loses! Stuff this salad in a warm tortilla and the day gets even better.
It’s unique Tex Mex flavors, full of sweet corn and crunchy red onion, plus the classic combo of green chiles and chicken (Have you tried my Green Chile Chicken Stuffed Bread or Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole?) have turned chicken salad into a whole new zesty thing it’s never even thought about being before!
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Salad Recipe
- This recipe is so versatile. Serve it as a dip with tortilla chips, on a bed of greens with a cool slice of avocado or in a warm flour tortilla for an incredibly tasty lunch.
- It’s veritably LOADED with flavor that you just won’t be able to get over! From the punches of chili powder & cumin to the sweet corn & green chiles, this chicken salad has plenty of texture and zing.
- Love White Chicken Chili?? Yeah, now it’s a chicken salad. That’s bold.
- Tailgate recipe?? Undeniably yes.
- This isn’t your grandmother’s proper chicken salad. It’s hearty, snack-y and completely addictive. If you’re looking for a recipe you can’t stop eating & your guests will rave about, this is it.
Recipe Ingredients & Overview
I’ll walk through an overview of ingredients & steps in these next sections along with helpful tips!
Look for specifics at the end of the post in the recipe card.
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- diced green chiles
- whole kernel corn (frozen)
- red onion
- jalapeno
- cilantro
- lime juice
- mayonnaise
- sour cream
- salt & pepper
- chili powder & cumin
- garlic powder
- olive oil
RECIPE SUBSTITUTIONS: I prefer to use frozen corn because it contains less sodium and is fresher than a canned product. However, if canned corn is what you have in your pantry or what you prefer to use, just drain and rinse before adding to your recipe.
This recipe also pan roasts the corn before adding it to the chicken salad. I think it adds a delicious warm, roasty, sweetness to the recipe. But if you want to skip it, thaw your frozen corn before adding it to the recipe.
Don’t like cilantro? No problem! Just leave it out or substitute chopped parsley instead.
For the ultimate shortcut, use a rotisserie chicken from your grocery store instead of boiling and shredding chicken breasts. Just note that when using the rotisserie chicken, the white and dark meat will be used to have the right amount of protein for this recipe.
How to Make Green Chile Chicken Salad
Prep the chicken. Boil chicken breasts on the stove top over medium heat in generously salted water for about 15-20 minutes or until done. Drain and set aside to cool. (To make the most of your time, prepare the rest of the ingredients while chicken is boiling and cooling.)
Make the dressing. In a large measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together mayo, sour cream, undrained green chiles, lime juice and seasonings to make the salad dressing. Set aside to allow flavors to marry while the rest of the chicken salad is prepared.
Pan Roast the Corn. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add frozen corn. Stir until corn begins to brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
Chop the Rest of the Ingredients. Dice onion and jalapeño. Chop cilantro and chop or shred the chicken breasts.
Mix Well. Add chicken, corn, onion, jalapeño and cilantro to a large bowl. Pour about ⅔ of the dressing over the salad and mix well. Add the rest of the dressing if needed. If not, save remaining dressing to freshen the salad when serving leftovers.
Serve. Serve immediately or cover and chill. Top with 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese and extra cilantro for a nice presentation.
How I Like To Serve This Chicken Salad
I love leaning into the Tex Mex flavor of this chicken salad and serving it with tortilla chips or other corn chips as a dip.
It’s also out of this world yummy stuffed in fresh, hot homemade tortillas. (recipe coming soon) Making them only adds about 15 minutes to your dinner prep.
Speaking of stuffed, stuff an avocado with this salad for a protein packed lunch or dinner.
Of course, this Green Chile Chicken Salad is also delish served on a bed of greens with a slice of avocado and a few tomatoes or piled high between 2 slices of your favorite bread.
Storing Instructions
This chicken salad only gets better the next day! Make it ahead of time or just store leftovers in covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
More Salad Recipes Like This To Love
Green Chile Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 7 ounces chopped green chiles (not drained)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (1-2 limes)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 10 ounces frozen whole kernel corn
- ½ large red onion diced
- ½ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 large jalapeño (deveined and deseeded) diced
- optional garnishes- cheddar cheese & chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Boil chicken on the stove top over medium heat in generously salted water for about 15-20 minutes or until done. Drain and set aside to cool. (To make the most of your time, prepare the rest of the ingredients while chicken is boiling and cooling.)
- In a large measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together mayo, sour cream, undrained green chiles, lime juice and seasonings to make the salad dressing. Set aside to allow flavors to marry while the rest of the chicken salad is prepared.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add frozen corn. Stir until corn begins to brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Dice onion and jalapeño. Chop cilantro and chop or shred the chicken breasts.
- Add chicken, corn, onion, jalapeño and cilantro to a large bowl. Pour about ⅔ of the dressing over the salad and mix well. Add the rest of the dressing if needed. If not, save remaining dressing to freshen the salad when serving leftovers.
- Serve immediately or cover and chill. Top with 1 tablespoon of shredded cheese and extra cilantro for a nice presentation.
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