Are you a fan of Chick-fil-A's spicy Southwest salad? Learn how to make this popular fast food restaurant salad that will soon be your dinner party staple. It's loaded with fresh, bold Tex-Mex flavors with some spiciness.
If you are a fan of Chick-fil-A's chicken salads, you'll want to try our copycat Chick-fil-A Cobb salad and our copycat Chick-fil-A market salad.
Ingredients
Our copycat Chick-fil-A Southwest salad contains ingredients that are easy to find at any large grocery store in the U.S. Let's talk about some of the key ingredients.
- Greens: We used a blend of romaine lettuce and spring mix.
- Cheeses: We used freshly grated Monterey Jack and extra sharp cheddar.
- Vegetables: We used grape tomatoes, charred corn, poblano chiles, and red bell peppers.
- Protein: We used spicy grilled chicken breasts and black beans.
- Dressing: We used our homemade creamy salsa dressing.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Vegan: Omit the grilled chicken and increase the black beans. Use vegan cheese, mayo, and sour cream.
- Reduce the calories: Skip the cheese and the dressing.
- Can't eat lettuce? Swap the mixed greens and romaine for kale and Swiss chard.
How to Make Chick-fil-A Southwest Salad
Gather all the ingredients for our copycat Chick-fil-A Southwest salad by starting with the chicken brine and spice rub.
- Pound the chicken until it's thin. (image 1)
- Mix the dill pickle juice and whole milk together, then place the flattened chicken breasts into a zip top bag. Put in the fridge to marinate the chicken for 4 hours or overnight. (image 2)
- Mix the spices for the rub together until they're blended. (image 3)
- Once the chicken has marinated, pat it dry with paper towels and then rub in the spice rub on both sides of each chicken breast. (image 4)
- Heat the oil for 2 minutes over medium high heat and carefully place the chicken breast in the pan. Cook for one minute, then lower the temperature to medium low and cook for 4 minutes. Flip it over with tongs and cook for 4 more minutes or until the internal temperature is 165°F. Remove from the skillet and place on a clean plate. Tent loosely with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes. Repeat with the second chicken breast. (image 5)
- Allow the chicken breast to cool for another 5 minutes after tenting, and thinly slice on a cutting board. Place the chicken slices in a shallow bowl and pour the juices from the plates on top for extra flavor and color. This will give you chicken that tastes better than Chick-fil-A's! (image 6)
- For the Chick-fil-A chili lime pepitas, heat up some olive oil in a small skillet over medium high heat, then add the pepitas. Sprinkle in the chipotle chili powder and stir constantly for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour in the lime juice and stir. Allow the pepitas to cool and dry out slightly on a small cookie tray or paper towel. (image 7)
- In the same skillet, heat up 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium high heat until shimmering, then add the fresh yellow corn. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. (image 8)
- In a 425°F oven, roast the poblano chile pepper and a red bell pepper that have been brushed with olive oil for 7 minutes. Turn the pablano pepper over and roast for another 7 minutes. When the pablano looks done, transfer to a clean plate to cool and roast the red bell pepper for another 10 minutes. When both pepper are cool enough, chop into small pieces. (image 9)
- For the copycat Chick-fil-A creamy salsa dressing, place all the ingredients in the food processor and blend until the cilantro is small. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. (image 10)
- To assemble our copycat Chick-fil-A Southwest salad, start with a base of romaine and mixed spring greens. Add the two cheeses and the Tex-Mex mix of black beans, charred corn, roasted poblano chiles, and red bell peppers. Next add the optional toppings of chili lime pepitas and tortilla strips. Finish off with the thinly sliced spicy chicken breast. (image 11)
- Add a drizzle of the indulgent creamy salsa dressing. Enjoy our copycat Chick-fil-A Southwest salad while it's still fresh and crisp. (image 12)
Recipe FAQs
Their website says it contains, " slices of grilled spicy chicken breast served on a fresh bed of mixed greens, topped with grape tomatoes, a blend of Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses, and a zesty combination of roasted corn, black beans, poblano chiles, and red bell peppers. Served with seasoned tortilla strips and chili lime pepitas. Pairs well with creamy salsa dressing."
It is keto friendly, meaning it's easy to adjust it to meet the needs of a keto diet. To lower the carbs, omit the charred corn and the tortilla strips. To lower the sugar, omit the powdered sugar and the white sugar from the spice rub and the dressing. To increase the fat, sprinkle on more then the suggested 2 tablespoons of grated cheese. All these things are simple to do if you plan on making this copycat version of the spicy Southwest salad.
For a serving size of 2 ½ cups with ¼ cup of creamy salsa dressing, our salad has 696 calories, 34.1g carbs, 45.3g fat, and 99.6g protein. Chick-fil-A's version has 450 calories without the dressing and 740 calories with it. For more nutritional information, scroll to the end of the recipe card.
This salad has a bolder, spicier flavor profile and is very different from the other salads that Chick-fil-A offers. The spice comes from the rub on the chicken and the seasoning on the pepitas. There is also a little bit of spice in the creamy salsa dressing.
The southwest flavors shine through in the black beans, charred corn, and the roasted red and poblano peppers. The chili lime pepitas and the tortilla strips provide the satisfying crunch, and are so pleasant in this salad. The creaminess shines through in the dressing, so we highly recommend trying this salad at least one time with the creamy salsa dressing.
Make Ahead: Yes, our copycat Chick-fil-A Southwest salad leans nicely towards meal prepping for a week of lunches. The chicken can marinate in the brine from 4 hours up to 24 hours. The spice rub can be made days in advance.
Leftovers: Any leftovers of our copycat Chick-fil-A Southwest salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freeze: The only part of this copycat Chick-fil-A salad recipe that you can freeze would be any leftover chicken.
Serve
Other Salads: If you're looking for more Chick-fil-A salads, you'll definitely want to try our copycat recipes for Chick-fil-A's hearty main course lemon kale Caesar and Asian salad. For something lighter and healthier, try our recipes for Chick-fil-A's side salad, kale crunch salad, and superfood salad.
More Dressings: Is your favorite Chick-fil-A salad dressing the avocado lime ranch? We've got you covered! You can also check out our ultimate guide to Chick-fil-A salad dressings for even more ideas.
Round Out Your Meal: If you want to round out your meal with other Chick-fil-A copycat recipes, make sure to try our recipes for Chick-fil-A sauce, Chick-fil-A mac and cheese, and Chick-fil-A chicken tortilla soup.
Expert Tips
- Brine the meat for a minimum of 4 hours, or up to 24 hours.
- Don't flip the chicken if it's sticking to the grill pan; just let it cook a little longer.
- Adjust the dressing to your personal taste.
- Add the chili lime pepitas, tortilla strips, and creamy salsa dressing just before serving.
Other Chick-fil-A Recipes You'll Love
Recipe
Copycat Chick-fil-A Spicy Southwest Salad
Ingredients
Chicken Marinade & Rub
- ½ cup dill pickle juice
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 2 large chicken breasts, boneless skinless
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ancho chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup olive oil
Spicy Southwest Salad
- 4 cups romaine lettuce, washed, dried, ribs removed
- 4 cup spring mix
- ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese
- ½ cup extra sharp cheddar cheese
- ½ cup canned black beans, rinsed
- ½ cup fresh yellow corn
- ½ cup roasted red bell pepper
- ½ cup roasted poblano pepper
- 16 grape tomatoes
- ½ cup chili lime pepitas
- ½ cup tortilla strips, blue and yellow corn
- 2 chicken breasts, grilled and thinly sliced
- 1 cup creamy salsa dressing
Instructions
Spicy Chicken
- Make the famous Chick-fil-A brine by whisking together the dill pickle juice and the milk in a bowl.
- Place one boneless, skinless chicken breast in a zip top bag on top of a large cutting board and pound it thin with a meat mallet. Make sure the bag is open so no air gets trapped inside. Remove the chicken and place on a clean plate, then repeat with the other piece. Place both pieces in the bag, then pour in the brine. Close the bag and place in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
- To make the rub, combine all the spices together in a bowl and mix well. Once the chicken is done marinating, take it out of the fridge and allow to come up to room temperature for 30 minutes. Place the meat on two clean plates and pat them dry with paper towel. Sprinkle on the rub, then rub it into both sides of the breast.
- Heat up 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a cast iron grill pan over medium high heat until the oil is shimmering, roughly 2 minutes. Carefully place one chicken breast inside and cook for one minute, then lower the heat to medium low and cook for 3 minutes. Using tongs, flip the meat over and cook for another 4 minutes, or until the meat registers 165 F in the thickest part on a meat thermometer. Repeat with the other breast.
- Place the cooked chicken on a clean plate, tent it loosely with foil, and allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes. Juices will run out of the meat as it rests, and be sure to keep them.
- Once the meat has rested, place it on a cutting board and thinly slice it. Transfer the sliced meat to large plate and pour the pan juices over it. This will make it taste better than Chick-fil-A's chicken.
Southwest Salad
- Preheat the oven to 425 F.
- Cut the red bell pepper in half, then brush it and the poblano pepper with oil. Place them on a small foil lined baking sheet, then roast them for 7 minutes and turn the poblano over. Roast another 7 minutes. Remove the poblano and continue roasting the red bell pepper for another 10 minutes. Allow them to cool, then chop them into small pieces.
- Heat the olive oil in a small cast iron skillet over medium high heat until it's shimmering. Add the fresh corn kernels and cook them until they begin to char, about 6 to 7 minutes. Be sure to stir occasionally.
- To assemble our copycat Chick-fil-A Southwest salad, mix the Romaine lettuce and the spring mix together in a large bowl. Take out 4 plates and place two cups of greens on each plate for the base.
- Sprinkle the two cheeses on top of the greens, then add the charred corn, roasted peppers, and the black beans. Place 4 grape tomatoes on each plate and sprinkle on the chili lime pepitas and the tortilla strips. Add half of a sliced chicken breast on top. When ready to serve, drizzle the salads with the creamy salsa dressing.
Notes
- How to Make Chili Lime Pepitas: ½ cup pepitas (roasted and salted), 1 teaspoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder, and 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the pepitas and chili powder, and stir until toasty, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the lime juice, and let them cool on a baking tray.
- The total time doesn't include time for the meat to marinate in the fridge.
- Taste the dressing and adjust it to your taste preferences.
- For maximum freshness, add the chili lime pepitas, tortilla strips, and creamy salsa dressing just before serving.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Ronika
Would the chicken taste the same if i used almond milk? or another non dairy milk?
Emma Fajcz
Unsweetened almond milk or another non-flavored, non-dairy milk should definitely work! Let us know how it goes, Ronika.
Sabrina Moncado
Dressing tastes exactly like the original. Used different brand’s for mayo and hot sauce. Used regular paprika instead of smoked. Turned out fantastic!
Emma
We're glad you enjoyed the dressing, Sabrina!
Randi
I made this for the first time today; it was incredible!!!
Emma
That's wonderful to hear, Randi! Thanks for making our recipe!
ROSIE CABALLERO
How can I make this healthy?
Emma
This salad is already quite nutritious, but if you want to make it extra healthy, drizzle the salad with CFA's chili lime vinaigrette (recipe in our CFA side salad blog post) or with oil and vinegar instead of the dressing. Omit any toppings you don't want to have, like the tortilla strips. Enjoy!
Shannon E
Soooo Good! Taste just like the original salad! And the dressing is spot on! Creating a big batch so I can keep it in the refrigerator.
Emma
Thank you so much, Shannon! We are so glad that you enjoyed the salad!
Maria P
Thank you for the perfect recipe! My husband and I really enjoyed this delicious salad and the chicken was so moist and flavorful! A number of my friends and family asked for the recipe after I shared a photo online.
Emma
Wow! That's so wonderful to hear that you and your husband enjoyed the salad so much, Maria! Thanks for sharing our recipe with your family and friends, too.
Ashley
I haven't tried the salad recipe as a whole-BUT-I have been searching for a recipe for the creamy salsa dressing and y'all nailed it!!! I made it for the first time today and didn't have cilantro on hand and it was still AMAZING. This is the closest version I've tasted to the real deal. I cannot wait to make it again and add in fresh cilantro. Thank you for cracking the code on my favorite Chickfila dressing!!!!
Emma
You are so welcome, Ashley! We're honored that you enjoyed the salsa dressing so much!
Alex
The tortilla chips and sour lime pepitas add crunch. The chicken is chewy and flavorful, and the tomatoes are juicy and soft. The creamy lime flavor of the dressing with the cilantro and spices blend well together. This is divine!
Emma
Thank you for your kind comment, Alex!
Beth
This salad is packed with spicy chicken, creamy dressing, cheese, and peppers. The dressing is perfect for this salad, and the chicken is succulently juicy from the brine. I really enjoy the dressing's limey, creamy taste with a hint of spice. The chili lime pepitas definitely add an extra layer of flavor. The combination of these flavors is an invitation to keep digging in!
Emma
I'm glad that you enjoyed it, Beth!