Mexican Street Corn Chicken Salad
10 minutes · 4 servings · no cook
This one’s a lifesaver on a busy night — ten minutes, no stove required, and it still delivers a serious protein punch. Smoky, tangy, a little creamy from the dressing, with crunch from the tortilla chips on top. It tastes like something you’d order out, minus the drive-thru.
Ingredients
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp salt
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
For the salad:
- 2 cups fire-roasted corn, thawed if frozen
- 2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
- ½ cup red onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- ¼ cup cotija cheese, crumbled
For serving:
- 4 cups mixed salad greens
- ¼ cup tortilla chips, crushed
Instructions
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lime juice, olive oil, chili powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Build the salad base. In a large bowl, mix the corn, chicken, red onion, cherry tomatoes, cilantro, and cotija cheese.
- Toss. Pour the dressing over the salad mixture and toss until everything is evenly coated.
- Plate. Divide the mixed greens among plates and top with the corn and chicken mixture.
- Finish. Sprinkle with crushed tortilla chips right before serving for the best crunch.
Protein Per Serving
Approximately 42g of protein per serving.
Coach’s Tip
Keep the dressing and the salad separate until you’re ready to eat — it holds up so much better that way, and it means you can prep this on a Sunday and have real, satisfying lunches ready to go all week. If you want to stretch it further, black beans or diced avocado are easy additions that only make it better.
Make It Your Own
Swap in feta if cotija isn’t on hand, use rotisserie chicken to save even more time, and canned or frozen corn works just as well as fresh. Want more heat? Add sliced jalapeños.
Strong feels good.