This dreamy Mexican Salad Recipe is the tastiest way to load up on veggies and legumes! Packed with all the good stuff - fire roasted corn, black beans, creamy avocado, crunchy tortilla strips, and roasted pepitas, then tossed in a creamy Mexican dressing. Add chicken or steak if you want a complete lunch or dinner. It is a colorful bowl that just feels good to eat!
This is one of our many Vegetable Side Dish Recipes that you'll want to make on repeat!
Out of all our salad recipes, this is the one I actually want to sit down and eat for dinner all by itself - especially if I've got some leftover steak or grilled chicken to toss on top. But honestly, I first fell in love with it as a side salad next to a plate of enchiladas, tacos, or carnitas. It just works with everything!
It is our quest to make sure every one of the salad recipes we share is actually worth eating so be sure to check out all the ones in our collection. We also include this on our collection of Game Day Recipes because we think it's a great way to add a vegetable to any of your Mexican-themed game day spreads!
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Why this recipe is great
- Incredibly delicious: Life is too short for boring salad, and this one has the perfect mix of flavors and textures to keep things exciting!
- Versatile: We have a combo we love, but it's easy to swap in whatever you've got on hand or your favorite add-ins. Easy to make it your own!
- Fast: A little chopping is all it takes, and in just 15 minutes you've got a fresh, colorful salad on the table. We use a couple strategic shortcut items to shorten the prep time.
Mexican salad and dressing ingredients
Grab a few ingredients from the produce section, along with a couple pantry items and you can whip this together in no time.
- Lettuce: Romaine or romaine hearts are hearty enough to stand up to all the toppings and dressing.
- Tomatoes: The juiciness and sweetness of cherry tomatoes make them our preference, but any tomato will work.
- Onion: Red onion is great because it has just enough bite without it being too much.
- Corn: Fire roasted corn (we find it in the freezer section) is the perfect shortcut item. All the work is done just add it to the salad.
- Black Beans: Canned black beans are the easiest option.
- Cheese: We prefer a freshly grated creamy cheese.
- Tortilla strips: They are the perfect texture to add some crunch.
- Avocado: Creamy and ripe avocado
- Cilantro: This fresh herb adds a fun pop!
- Pepitas: These Mexican pumpkin seeds are nutritions and delicious!
- Milk: Any milk of your choice, even buttermilk are good options.
- Mayonnaise: We like the naturalness of full-fat mayonnaise, but sometimes I use half greek yogurt.
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro gives an herby pop!
- Japaleno: A mildly spicy and flavorful addition.
- Lime: This makes the dressing! Do not use jarred or substitute. Fresh lime juice is the best!
- Tomatillos: Look for medium sized ones that are firm. Remove the husks and rinse before using.
- Spices: Classic ranch flavors help create a rich dressing with garlic powder, dried chives, dried basil, parsley flakes, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
Helpful kitchen tools
How to make Mexican salad recipe
Gather the ingredients, make the dressing, and then assemble for a crowd favorite.
Make the salad dressing by tossing everything into a blender or food processor and blending until smooth.
Just keep the speed on low to medium-low - otherwise, you'll whip in too much air and end up with a frothy dressing (not the texture we're going for!)
Once the juicy cherry tomatoes, red onion, avocado, shredded cheese, and crisp romaine lettuce are all prepped, layer them along with corn kernels, into a large salad bowl.
Right before serving, give it a good toss with enough dressing to coat - just don't go overboard.
Variations and substitutions
- Try this Jalapeno Honey Lime Dressing (cilantro lime vinaigrette) for a bright twist without any dairy.
- Mix things up with pinto beans instead of black.
- Cheese options include cotija cheese, colby jack, cheddar, queso fresco, or a Mexican cheese blend.
- We like to use already roasted corn from the freezer section, but if you don't have access to that, this pan roasted corn recipe is delicious or even fresh corn.
- If you don't have tortilla strips, crumbled tortilla chips are a good switch.
- For even more veggies try chopped bell pepper, zucchini, cucumber, or radishes.
- Green onions can be used in place of red onions.
What to serve with
This salad works great on it's own or as a side dish for any of these Mexican recipes:
How to store
Store all the components separately in the fridge, except for the tortilla strips -they're fine at room temp. The dressing will keep for about 2 weeks, so you can make it ahead. Just wait to dice the avocado until you're ready to serve, since it browns fast.
FAQs
A Mexican chopped salad like this one is pretty versatile, but the basics are usually the same: chopped lettuce, juicy tomatoes, hearty black beans, shredded cheese, creamy avocado, roasted corn, crispy tortilla strips, and a vibrant, zesty dressing to bring it all together. Simple, colorful, and loaded with flavor.
Absolutely! There are a few easy ways to kick up the heat. Add extra jalapeños to the dressing, toss in some pickled jalapeño slices, or roast fresh jalapeños or serranos, slice them thin, and sprinkle on top.
Tips & tricks
- Dice the avocado just before serving to ensure that it doesn't brown.
- When making the dressing, keep the machine on a lower speed or else the dressing gets frothy.
More salad recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Recipe
Tasty Mexican Salad Recipe (with easy dressing!)
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1 cup mayo or ½ mayo and ½ greek yogurt
- ½-1 cup milk or buttermilk
- Juice of one lime about 3 tablespoons
- ½ small jalapeno seeds removed if desired
- 2 tomatillos
- ½ bunch cilantro
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried chives
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Pinch black pepper
Salad
- 1-2 romaine hearts chopped - about 6 cups
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes sliced
- ½ cup black beans drained
- ¼ cup roasted corn thawed
- 1 avocado diced
- ¼ cup red onion diced
- ¼ cup cilantro leaves only
- ¼ cup pepitas
- 1 cup monterey jack or pepper jack cheese shredded
- Tortilla strips optional
Instructions
Dressing
- Place ingredients for dressing in a blender and blend for 30 secs to 1 minute until evenly combined. Pour into a jar and store in the fridge until ready to use.1 cup mayo, ½-1 cup milk or buttermilk, Juice of one lime , ½ small jalapeno, 2 tomatillos, ½ bunch cilantro, 1 teaspoon dried parsley, 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon dried chives, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, Pinch black pepper
Salad
- Assemble the salad by placing the romaine at the bottom of a serving bowl. Top with the rest of the ingredients.1-2 romaine hearts, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, ½ cup black beans, ¼ cup roasted corn, 1 avocado, ¼ cup red onion, ¼ cup cilantro, ¼ cup pepitas, 1 cup monterey jack or pepper jack cheese, Tortilla strips
- Dress and toss the salad at the time of serving.
Notes
- Dice the avocado just before serving to ensure that it doesn't brown.
- When making the dressing, keep the machine on a lower speed or else the dressing gets frothy.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
Misty says
This recipe is super easy and perfect as a side dish or a snack!