Yesterday was a great day for salads at my house. So much so, I just had to share.
If you’ve looked through other recipes on this blog, one thing is obvious, I make dishes that are super quick and don’t use a million different ingredients.
I also really strive to cultivate the flavor of the food without adding many spices. Maybe this is because I’m not a fan of measuring 1/4 teaspoon of this and 1/2 teaspoon of that over and over. #aintnobodygottimeforthatBut, this recipe sort of does a 180 from my usual. Oh, don’t get me wrong, it’s definitely low-fat and totally jammed with nutrition. But, the quick part?
Huuuum, not so much.But, the yummy part?
Huuuum, totally to the moon and back.


- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 medium to large garlic clove (finely chopped)
- 1 medium red onion (finely chopped)
- 1/2 medium jalapeno (finely chopped)
- 1/2 to 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro (finely chopped) *optional
- 1 can whole kernel corn (drained)
- 1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup Sriracha sauce
- 2 to 3 medium skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 8 cups romaine lettuce (torn into bite-sized pieces)
- 1 cup tomato (coarsely chopped)
- 2 avocados (coarsely chopped)
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup creamy chipotle dressing (your favorite brand from the store)
- Add oil, sugar, and vinegar to a sauce pan, bring to a low heat, and stir until sugar dissolves.
- Remove from heat and quickly cool the mixture by placing ice cubes in a bowl and setting the saucepan on the ice cubes.
- In another bowl, add black pepper, garlic, onion, jalapeno, *cilantro, corn, and beans.
- Pour the cooled oil/vinegar/sugar mixture over the corn and bean mixture, toss, cover, and refrigerate until completely chilled.
- When ready to serve the salad, baste the chicken with the sriracha sauce and grill (outside or inside on a George Forman) until completely cooked.
- Set the chicken aside to slightly cool.
- Layer a salad bowl with romaine, tomatoes, and avocados.
- DRAIN and SAVE the marinade from the corn and bean mixture.
- Layer the corn and bean mixture on top of the other vegetables.
- Add the chicken on top of the corn and bean mixture.
- Mix 1/2 cup of the corn and bean marinade with 1/2 cup store-bought chipotle dressing.
- Dizzle the chicken and vegetables with the vinaigrette dressing.
- Toss and serve.
- I usually make the corn and bean marinade early in the day and let it set for several hours or overnight.
- The chicken can be served hot, but the flavors and the freshness of the vegetables seem to mesh better if the chicken is cooled, but not room temperature or cold.

And, as always, thanks so much!
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7 Comments
OH. MY. GOODNESS! This sounds amazing!! I will definitely be trying this!
Hi Maria, For sooo many years, I was homeschooling my son, traveling with him for tennis tournaments, AND working full-time. I didn’t have time for anything, especially cooking. Because of this, most of the recipes I share are family-friendly quick mixes. However, this one is always on the table when I have time to get it together. It’s a family favorite. Thanks for visiting and your sweet comment.
Hi Susie, I see this salad in my immediate future. So simple and the layering of the ingredients makes this looks oh-so delicious. Your lovely pictures also bring it to life.
Glad I popped over.
Have a nice day.
Thanks so much, Lisa. This is one of my family’s favorites. It is a joy to share it with you.
[…] Chicken Salad (link here) is a […]
This looks amazing! I’m so glad you linked up at You Link It, We Make It! We didn’t make it (yet), but did pick you as one of our additional features, so we will be sharing this on our social media throughout the week. I hope you come back tomorrow and link up some more! And if you send me an email at uncookiecutter@gmail.com from your email that you use for Pinterst, I’ll send you an invitation to our group board! Thanks again!
Thank so much. I’m totally honored. I look forward to linking more recipes and appreciate the feature so very much.