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    Home » Recipes » Salads

    Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad

    Published: Feb 5, 2019 · Updated: Dec 17, 2020 by Katie | Wheat by the Wayside · This post may contain affiliate links, through which I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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    Chipotle Ranch dressing drizzled onto bbq chicken salad.

    Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad with crisp romaine, black beans, and sweet corn. Topped with a spicy chipotle Ranch Dressing. Make the famous Portillo's salad at home!

    southwest bbq chicken salad with chipotle ranch dressing on top.

    *Post updated 2/5/19, modified recipe and updated pictures. Original publish date 5/15/17

    If you live in the Chicagoland area, you've probably been to a Portillo's. Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad is one of their signature salads. Actually, I think it's been renamed to Chipotle Barbecue Chicken Salad but it's basically the same salad. Since going gluten-free we don't eat at Portillo's anymore, but that doesn't stop me from making one of their signature salads at home. This salad is a family favorite!  Whenever we used to get this salad, I always thought to myself, I can surely make this at home.

    Southwest Barbecue Chicken Salad has become a family favorite. Whenever someone requests salad in my house it's probably this salad or Buffalo Chicken Salad that they ask for. This vinaigrette is also at the top of our favorites list!

    Ingredients in Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad

    Salad ingredients laid out in bowls, beans, corn, lettuce, chips, chicken, and salad dressing.
    • Crisp, fresh romaine
    • Bbq chicken: Bake chicken breast, dice it, and then toss it in your favorite barbecue sauce.
    • Corn: either fresh from the cob, canned, or thawed from frozen.
    • Canned black beans: rinsed and drained.
    • Diced grape tomatoes
    • Sliced green onions
    • Tortilla Strips or crunched up tortilla chips
    • Cheddar cheese if you like cheese!
    • Chipotle Ranch Dressing: make this by mixing a little sauce from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo with your favorite ranch dressing.

    This salad is all about layers of crunch and flavor! Spicy, zippy ranch, sweet bbq chicken and corn, and zesty green onions! All topped with those crunchy tortilla strips. It's hard to pick a favorite part! That's what makes this salad so yummy!

    Making the Salad

    A salad prepared without the dressing.  Dressing and some ingredients on the side.

    The best thing about salads, especially for family dinners, is that everyone gets what they want. I chop up all the salad ingredients, put everything out in bowls, and then let everyone build their own salad. The leftovers make a perfect lunch!

    Pouring chipotle ranch dressing over a southwest bbq chicken salad piled high on a plate.

    Do you ever try to make your favorite restaurant salads at home? Let me know what you've made down below in the comments!

    southwest bbq chicken salad ready for chipotle ranch dressing

    Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad

    Katie | Wheat by the Wayside
    Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad with crisp romaine, black beans, and sweet corn. topped with a spicy chipotle ranch dressing. Make the famous Portillo's salad at home!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Total Time 20 mins
    Course Salad
    Diet Gluten Free
    Servings 8 Salads
    Calories 396 kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark.

    Ingredients
      

    • ¾ cup ranch dressing
    • 1-2 teaspoon chipotle in adobo sauce, more/less to desired taste
    • 2 cups cooked chicken, diced
    • ½ cup bbq sauce
    • 2 heads romaine lettuce, sliced thin
    • 1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
    • 1 cup corn kernels
    • 1 cup green onions, sliced
    • ½ cup grape tomatoes, sliced
    • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, optional
    • 1 package tortilla strips, or crushed tortilla chips

    Instructions
     

    • Mix together the ranch dressing and adobo sauce. Start with 1 teaspoon of adobo sauce, taste and as more as desired.
    • Toss the diced chicken with barbecue sauce. Prep remaining ingredients and set aside in bowls.
    • To make the salads, layer lettuce, black beans, corn, green onions, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, and chicken.  Top with dressing and add an extra drizzle of bbq sauce, if desired.  Top with tortilla strips and enjoy!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 396kcal
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and star rating below!

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    1. Kathy

      February 14, 2019 at 7:16 am

      5 stars
      This salad looks great! Perfect summer meal. And a nice winter treat to remind me of summer. I’ll be adding these ingredients to my grocery list!!

      Reply

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    Katie Olesen headshot.

    Hi, I'm Katie! I'm the blogger behind Wheat by the Wayside. I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2018 and have been following a strict gluten-free diet ever since. The goal of WBTW is to share tried and tested, easy, and delicious gluten-free recipes to give you confidence in the kitchen! 

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