Mexican Street Corn Chicken Salad 

Inspired by Esquites, my Mexican Chicken Salad is a flavorful, high protein recipe made with street corn, jalapeno, lime and cotija cheese.

My 5 ingredient chicken salad has always been a staple recipe for me, but sometimes I get bored and need to switch it up. One of my favorite ways to do so is with new flavour variations like this Mexican inspired chicken salad.

This Mexican chicken salad is loosely based on esquites, otherwise known as street corn. It's a popular snack in Mexico involving sauteed corn that's commonly topped with ingredients like chili salt, lime and cotija cheese. If you haven't tried it, you must! My Mexican chicken salad is not traditional at all, but is inspired by some of the delicious flavours you'd find in esquites.

Try this Mexican chicken salad in your next meal prep! It's such a tasty twist on a versatile meal prep staple.

Why This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved

1. Meal prep friendly. Chicken salads store very well and make a fantastic component of weekly meal prep.
2. High protein. Having meal prepped proteins throughout the week makes it super effortless to throw together balanced meals.
3. Fresh, flavorful and colorful. This Mexican chicken salad does not skimp on the taste. It's popping with lime, jalapeno and sweet corn.

Ingredients

Chicken breast. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts is our protein of choice in this salad. If you are looking to save cooking time, you can use a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken.

Corn kernels. Fresh, frozen or canned work. I typically use frozen as it’s the most budget friendly option.

Red bell pepper. For colour and crunch! Any colour works, but I like the sweetness of red bell peppers.

Jalapeno. This adds a nice kick of spice. I recommend fresh jalapeno for the best flavour. Just be careful to avoid touching your eyes when dicing the jalapeno.

Plain Greek yogurt. This is amazing in chicken salads because it allows you to add creaminess without too much fat. The extra boost of protein is also a bonus.

Mayonnaise. This adds a little bit of fat for that creamy flavour that can't be skipped.

Lime. A true staple in Mexican cuisine when it comes to adding acidity. We use the juice and zest in this recipe.

Cilantro. For freshness and flavour! If you really aren't a cilantro fan you can skip it, however I find it really adds a nice flavour to this Mexican chicken salad.

Cotija cheese. This is a traditional aged Mexican cheese. It’s a semi-hard cheese that can easily be crumbled on top of dishes such as elote and esquites. You can find it in the specialty cheese section at most grocery stores, but it can also be replaced with feta cheese for a non-traditional but still tasty variation.

The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below. 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

2. Season chicken breast with salt and pepper and place in a shallow baking dish. Cook for about 15-18 minutes, until chicken is completely cooked (it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F).

3. While the chicken is cooking, in a medium pan over medium heat add olive oil. Once hot add corn, red bell peppers and jalapeno. Let roast for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

4. Shred the chicken using a stand mixer, two forks or a hand mixer. (details below).

5. To a large mixing bowl, add shredded chicken, yogurt, mayonnaise, roasted corn mixture, lime zest and juice, paprika, chili powder, cumin, red onion, cilantro and cotija. Mix well. 

Substitutions and Variations

In all of my chicken salad recipes, I always use a combination of mayonnaise and plain Greek yogurt. This is a great combination to help create the classic creamy texture we love in a chicken salad while decreasing the added fat and increasing the protein. I personally find using both creates the perfect texture and taste as plain Greek yogurt alone can be slightly bitter, however the ratio you choose to use it up to you! Just ensure you have ¾ cup total.

Equipment

• Mixing bowl
• Stand mixer
• Baking dish
• Vegetable chopper (this isn't mandatory but it makes dicing the onions and celery much easier!)

Storage

Store leftover Mexican chicken salad in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Salad Recipes

I love these high protein salad recipes:

• Honey Mustard Chicken Salad without Mayo
• 5 Ingredient Shredded Chicken Salad
• Greek Chicken Tzatziki Salad
• Mexican Tuna Salad

📖 Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

4.93 from 14 votes

Mexican Chicken Salad

Inspired by Esquites, my Mexican Chicken Salad is a flavorful, high protein recipe made with street corn, jalapeno, lime and cotija cheese.

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr

Course: Lunch, Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Chicken, high protein, meal prep, salads

Servings: 5

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups corn kernels
• 1 cup red bell pepper diced
• ⅓ cup red onions diced (optional)
• ¼ cup jalapeno diced
• ½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 lime juice and zest
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ cup red onion diced
• ½ cup cilantro chopped
• 1 cup cotija cheese or feta

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• Season chicken breast with salt and pepper and place in a shallow baking dish. Cook for about 15-18 minutes, until chicken is completely cooked (until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F).
• While the chicken is cooking, in a medium pan over medium heat add olive oil. Once hot add corn, red bell peppers, red onions (if using) and jalapeno. Let roast for about 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Shred the chicken using a stand mixer, two forks or a hand mixer. (details below).
• To a large mixing bowl, add shredded chicken, yogurt, mayonnaise, roasted corn mixture, lime zest and juice, paprika, chili powder, cumin, red onion, cilantro and cotija. Mix well.

Notes

To shred your chicken: To easily shred your chicken once cooker, add the chicken breasts to the bowl of a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment and turn your mixer to the 'high' setting. This is my best tip for quickly shredding chicken, but you can always pull it together with two forks if you don't have a stand mixer.

*I have included an estimation of the nutrition information for this recipe below. However, always remember a recipe is so much more than just nutritional content and these numbers do not need to dictate your food choices. Please don't forget that both your body and soul need nourishment! The owner of this website is not liable for this estimation.

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5cups | Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 670mg | Potassium: 611mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1.606IU | Vitamin C: 51mg | Calcium: 193mg | Iron: 1mg

Did you know....rating and sharing recipes is one of the best ways you can support your favourite food bloggers? If you make this recipe, I would love if you clicked the stars below to leave a rating and/or sharing a photo on social media by tagging @nourishedbynic or using the hashtag #nourishedbynic!