🌶️ What Makes This Recipe So Good
Mexican chicken salad is one of my very favorite dishes from my time in Texas and California, and I’m so happy it’s so easy to recreate literally anywhere. There’s practically no prep, and if you use precooked rotisserie chicken, there’s not even any need for cooking. Just dump it all in a bowl and stir! There’s SO MUCH amazing flavor in this simple chicken salad recipe. The mayo and sour cream make it super tangy, with bursts of peas, carrots, corn, and green beans in every bite. All of that is made even better with fresh cilantro, diced jalapeños, and bright jalapeño brine for extra zest. This is a great dish for potlucks, cookouts, tailgates, meal prep, light lunches, easy dinners – you name it! Serve it dip-style with chips or crackers, or sandwich-style on a croissant or roll, or even just by the scoop with a side of Mexican rice and refried beans.
👩🏼‍🍳 Chef’s Tips
If you plan to use frozen mixed vegetables in your Mexican chicken salad, be sure to defrost them overnight first! If you add them to the salad while they’re frozen, they’ll give off a lot of liquid as they thaw. That liquid will make your salad dressing super runny, and can make the mayo and sour cream separate. For canned mixed veggies, drain and rinse them really well before using them. Canned produce usually contains added salt, and all that extra salt can throw off the flavor of the dish. Rinsing the vegetables removes most of it, which lets you control how much salt you end up with in your dish. If you’ve made any of our other creamy dips or salads, you’ve heard me say this plenty of times already. What?! It makes a difference! Let the prepared salad rest at least 15 minutes (though an hour in the fridge would be even better!). Letting it rest gives the ingredients time to meld, which makes the flavors way more vibrant and deep.
đź«› Recipe Variations
Mexican chicken salad (or ensalada de pollo) is honestly really flexible. I love it like it is, but you can absolutely make it your own!
If you want to go flavor crazy, you can add in a little chicken taco seasoning. Replace some of the mayo with my cilantro lime dressing or even just a mashed avocado. Chop up some boiled yellow potatoes and add them in with the veggies. Use fresh vegetables, or frozen peas and carrots along with green beans and grilled corn or air fryer roasted corn.
🌮 More Mexican-Style Chicken Recipes We Love
Instant Pot Chicken Tacos Burrito Suizo with Shredded Chicken and Pinto Beans Baked Chicken Tacos Chicken Fajita Casserole Instant Pot Salsa Chicken (Only 3 Ingredients) Achiote Chicken Mexican Chicken and Rice Bake Creamy Chicken Enchiladas Easy Cheesy Salsa Chicken
