Southwestern Chicken Cobb Salad: A southwestern spin on a classic cobb salad–crisp romaine is topped with corn, avocado, tomatoes, peppers, grilled chicken. Served with cheese quesadillas in place of croutons and completed with a Cilantro Lime Dressing. 

People often ask me how I get my kids to eat healthy.

And I always answer them with the same 3 Things.

3 Ways to Encourage Healthy Eaters

1. I get kids in the kitchen cooking with me. From picking out a new vegetable to try, to chopping, to mixing, to trying produce raw verses cooked. Even to letting them get creative with recipes (this can be disastrous–but they have fun and learn!)
2. Make healthy eating fun. This can be turning a banana into a healthy sundae, making  a healthy dip for fresh produce to adding a favorite food to a dish they may be skeptical to try.
3. I don’t give them choice. Sounds harsh! But in reality I just mean I stock a pantry and fridge full of healthy options. They don’t have processed chips and cookies to choose as a snack, they have homemade granola bars, fruit, or nuts to choose from. I also make one meal. If the kids don’t like it, they get to make themselves a plain bowl of oatmeal–not very enticing, but does keep them from starving and feeling forced to eat something they genuinely don’t like. PS the same rule goes for the parents!

So let’s talk a little bit more about tip #2: Making Healthy Eating Fun.

There are all sorts of ways to make eating healthy fun. I mentioned  few, but let’s expand this idea a bit.

• At times, I make a healthy soup and then top with a cheesy crouton–because who can resist cheese?!
• Other times I might sneak in a few veggies into a smoothie and call it a Frankenstein Smoothie, or sneak flax seed into a decadent tasting oatmeal–like this Hot Cocoa Oatmeal.
• One of my best tips to getting kids to eat more salads, is to add an element they can’t resist. I love to put fries on a Buffalo Chicken salad–which honestly, is one of my kid’s favorite meals of all time.  And recently, I hit the jack-pot by adding cheese quesadillas to my Southwestern Cobb Salad.

Southwestern Chicken Cobb Salad

The kids and my husband LOVE cheese quesadillas, so they thought to have this on top of a salad was, and I quote, The coolest thing EVER!

Well if a cheese quesadilla was going to get them excited about eating salad, who was I to argue. Okay, it got me excited too!

This tex-mex cobb salad is truly spectacular.

It is filled with fresh produce, from diced avocados, crisp romaine hearts, baby peppers (hint: they are sweeter and tiny, so kids seem to love them in my experience), corn, black beans, fresh tomatoes, and grilled chicken. Then it is finished with a light and fresh lime and cilantro dressing that marries all these flavors together perfectly.

Tips on Mexican Cobb Salad:

• Make this Cobb Salad meatless, by adding more beans and omitting the chicken.
• If you don’t like cilantro–make a homemade ranch dressing and add a bit of homemade taco seasoning for a Homemade Southwest Ranch Dressing.
• Add any veggies or beans your family likes to this Cobb Salad. Leave out the corn, add more corn, add fresh tomatoes or omit the tomatoes. You get the idea.
• Make your cheese quesadillas with corn tortillas for a Gluten Free Southwestern Cobb Salad.
• You can leftover Rotisserie Chicken or 3 Ingredient Taco Meat for an even easier version of this Mexican Taco Cobb salad as well.

So make up this Southwestern Chicken Salad and I bet your kids will be begging to eat their veggies.

Check out this Harvest Cobb Salad or Cajun Cobb Salad for additional fun spins on Cobb Salad Recipes.

Southwestern Chicken Cobb Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

A southwestern version of a chicken cobb salad with black beans, corn, tomatoes, tex-mex chicken, and a cilantro lime dressing. 

4.5 from 2 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: Cilantro Lime Dressing, Southwestern Chicken Cobb Salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 325kcal

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Ingredients

• For the Salad:
• 8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
• 1 head Romaine
• 1 cup black beans cooked (or canned--rinsed and drained)
• 1 cup frozen corn defrosted
• 1 large tomato diced
• 1 avocado diced
• 1 cup mini peppers sliced
• 2 large whole wheat tortillas
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese grated
• For the Dressing:
• 3 Limes--zested and juiced
• 1/4 cup olive oil or avocado oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
• 1/2 cup fresh minced cilantro
• 2 tablespoons sour cream or Greek yogurt optional

Instructions

• Preheat grill or broiler to medium high.
• Pound chicken out to 1/4 inch thickness.
• Rub taco seasoning over raw chicken.
• Grill or broil chicken for 4-5 minutes per side, or until chicken reaches 165 degrees.
• Set aside to rest.
• While grilling chicken, place one tortilla on indirect heat on grill. Top with shredded cheese and remaining tortilla. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until cheese is melted.
• On a large platter, lay out the romaine hearts. Top with the beans, tomatoes, corn, peppers and avocado. Slice the chicken and top salad with cooked meat.
• Slice quesadilla into wedges and serve alongside salad.
• For Dressing:
• Whisk all ingredients together and serve with salad.

Nutrition Facts

Southwestern Chicken Cobb Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing

Amount Per Serving

Calories 325 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 15g 23%

Saturated Fat 3g 15%

Cholesterol 36mg 12%

Sodium 710mg 30%

Potassium 934mg 27%

Total Carbohydrates 27g 9%

Dietary Fiber 10g 40%

Sugars 1g

Protein 19g 38%

Vitamin A 143.2%

Vitamin C 25.8%

Calcium 4.6%

Iron 13.9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.