This creamy Mexican chicken salad (ensalada de pollo) is packed with juicy chicken, colorful veggies, and a delightful dressing. It’s super easy to make and can be adapted to your taste with the variety of add-in options.
An easy salad recipe that’s perfect for lunch or dinner and can easily be served with Pink Sauce pasta or smoked sausage with peppers and onions.
An Easy Mexican chicken salad for the family
When the warm weather hits, there's nothing quite like a refreshing and satisfying salad to hit the spot. And this my Mexican chicken salad recipe is sure to become a new favorite! Combining juicy chicken, veggies, and bold Mexican flavors, this cream chicken salad is sure to please!
Want more recipes like this? Try out this Mexican Tuna salad or Mexican Guacamole!
Recipe Highlights
- It's incredibly fresh and flavorful, thanks to the vibrant mix of ingredients like corn, red bell pepper, peas, carrots, pickled jalapeños and cilantro.
- Easily adaptable to suit your taste. Add extra toppings, swap out proteins, adjust the dressing or make it low carb by leaving out the potatoes.
- Nutritious and very satisfying and is perfect for meal prep lunches!
- Quick and easy to throw together, using mostly pantry staples.
Ingredients
For the salad
- Shredded chicken breast or thighs
- Mixed peas and carrots
- Red bell pepper
- Potatoes
- Corn
- Salt for boiling potatoes
For the dressing
- Mayonaise
- Mexican crema
- Pickled jalapenos and pickle juice
- Garlic
- Mustard
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- Mixing bowls
How to make Mexican salad
This is an overview of the recipe with step by step photos. Scroll down to end of post for a printable recipe card with the amount of ingredients and full recipe instructions.
Cook the potatoes till fork tender, then set aside to cool. Warm up the frozen peas and carrots on the stove top or microwave. Set aside to cool.
Transfer all the salad ingredients into a mixing bowl, mix the salad dressing ingredients together then pour it over the salad.
Mix till the salad is well coated with the dressing. Serve immediately or chill for an hour before serving.
What to serve with Mexican chicken salad
While this ensalada de pollo is delicious on its own, it also pairs well with things like:
• Tortilla chips or crushed taco shells for crunch
- Serve in flour tortillas or tortilla bowls or even shells for a chicken taco experience.
- A side of Mexican rice and/or refried beans
- Fresh avocado slices or guacamole
- Salsa or pico de gallo
- Pasta recipes including our Kielbasa pasta recipe.
Storage instructions
This salad keeps well thanks to the hearty ingredients. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
You can also prep the components separately and assemble salads when you are ready for easy grab-and-go lunches.
Helpful Tips
- We used store bought rotisserie chicken, you can also use seasoned boiled, baked or air fried boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Just dice or shred after cooking.
- Make extra dressing to have on hand for added moisture if eating leftovers.
- Customize with your favorite Mexican toppings or mix ins like avocados etc.
- You can substitute Mexican crema with sour cream or Greek yogurt.
FAQs
A zesty lime vinaigrette or creamy dressing like the one used in this recipe.
Stored properly in the fridge, it will keep for 3-4 days.
Yes, all the main salad ingredients are naturally gluten-free.
Absolutely, shredded pork or beef would work nicely too.
Romaine lettuce and cabbage are my top choices. While other vegetables like spinach or kale can be used, bear in mind that flavors will differ based on the vegetables used.
More recipes like this one
- Easy chicken chopped salad
- California Cobb salad
- Check out all our Home Cooked Recipes
If you're craving a tasty and healthy lunch or dinner, look no further than this crowd-pleasing Mexican chicken salad! With its fresh flavors and various mix-in options, it's sure to become a new weeknight staple. Give this easy salad recipe a try and let us know what you think!
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Mexican chicken salad recipe
Ingredients
- 4 Cups Shredded chicken (About 2 medium chicken breasts cooked see note 1)
- 3 medium potatoes (peeled and cubed)
- 12 ounce Frozen peas and carrots
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup canned corn (drained)
- 1 medium red bell pepper (diced)
- Cilantro for garnish
For salad dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup Mexican crema (substitute with sour cream)
- 1 teaspoons yellow mustard
- 2 Tablespoons lime juice
- ¼ cup diced pickled jalapenos
- 1 Tablespoon pickle juice
- 1 garlic cloves (minced)
Instructions
- Add salt to boiling water in a saucepan and cook potatoes until fork tender, about 6-8 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
- While the potatoes are cooking, warm up the frozen peas and carrots either on the stove top or microwave. Set aside to cool.
Make the salad dressing
- Combine the mayonnaise, yellow mustard, Mexican crema, mayonnaise, lime juice, pickled jalapeños and pickle juice, in a mixing bowl, then stir to combine.
Assembling the salad
- In a large mixing bowl, add the shredded rotisserie chicken, diced bell pepper, corn kernels, cooled potatoes, cooled peas and carrots.
- Add the dressing and toss till well combined.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- We used store bought rotisserie chicken, you can also use seasoned boiled, baked or air fried boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Just dice or shred after cooking.
- Make extra dressing to have on hand for added moisture if eating leftovers.
- Customize with your favorite Mexican toppings or mix ins like avocados etc.
- You can substitute Mexican crema with sour cream or Greek yogurt.
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