This Mexican Ranch Chicken Salad is full of tender meat, crunchy tortilla chips, beans, cheese, and fresh vegetables -- all tossed together in a creamy and zesty Salsa Ranch dressing. It's the perfect crowd-pleaser on a warm summer evening!
Course Lunch or Dinner
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword Chicken Salad, Mexican salad
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Total Time 15 minutesminutes
Servings 4servings
Calories 395kcal
Author Blair Lonergan
Ingredients
½cupRanch salad dressing(I used Bolthouse Farms Classic Ranch Yogurt Salad Dressing, but any brand will work fine)
½cupsalsa
1large head Romaine lettucechopped
1cupcrushed tortilla chips
2cupsshredded or diced cooked chicken(I like to use Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Ranch Chicken, which is included in recipe below)
1(15.5 oz)can red beans, rinsed and drained(black beans are a nice option, too)
In a small bowl, whisk together Ranch salad dressing and salsa. Set aside and refrigerate until ready to serve.
For the Ranch Chicken (use rotisserie chicken, leftover grilled chicken, or the Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Ranch Chicken below):
Place 2-3 lbs. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a slow cooker or pressure cooker.
Use 2 packets (1 ounce each) of dry Ranch dressing seasoning mix to season the chicken on all sides. Pour 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar and 1/2 cup of chicken broth over top.
Cover and cook in the slow cooker for 4-6 hours on LOW (or 2-3 hours on HIGH). In the pressure cooker, use the "poultry" or "high pressure" setting to cook the chicken for 10-12 minutes (or 20 minutes for frozen chicken breasts).
Allow chicken to rest and cool slightly before shredding with a fork. Leftovers freeze really well!
Assemble the Salads:
Divide lettuce evenly among four serving bowls.
Top with tortilla chips, shredded chicken, beans, cheese, corn, tomatoes, and green onions.
Drizzle each salad with about 2 tablespoons of Salsa Ranch dressing, or more to taste. Garnish with sliced avocado and fresh cilantro, if desired.
Notes
Cooking Just for Two? Cut the ingredients in half and assemble two salads instead of 4!