Santa Fe Chicken Salad

This tasty Santa Fe Chicken Salad is a Chili’s copycat recipe, topped with crispy tortilla chips, and loaded with tender, spicy chicken and fresh veggies like tomatoes and avocado.

Finished off with a creamy Sante Fe sauce dressing, this hearty and filling salad is also easy to make!

Chili’s makes some of the best salads, and their Santa Fe Chicken Salad is definitely my favorite.

There’s so much flavor and so many amazing textures going on at the same time – it’s like a Tex-Mex party in your mouth!

You might also like my Tex-Mex Salad with shredded chicken, fresh corn, black beans, and taco ranch dressing.

I also have a perfect copycat of the famous Olive Garden Salad with homemade Italian dressing that you should definitely try!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

1. A Delicious Restaurant Copycat – Learning to make your favorite restaurant meals at home will save you lots of money! Instead of paying big bucks for take-out or hauling the whole family to a restaurant, just make Chili’s Santa Fe Salad at home tonight.
2. A Whole Meal Salad – Adding lean white meat chicken to any salad is a great way to turn veggies into a balanced meal. With seasoned pan-seared or grilled chicken and crispy tortilla strips, this salad will fill you up and leave you totally satisfied.
3. It’s Easy To Make – This recipe comes together quickly and easily, and completely from scratch! Dinner will be ready in just over half an hour.

Key Ingredients in Santa Fe Salad

• Chicken: I’m using chicken breasts to match what’s used in the original Santa Fe Chicken Salad recipe, but you could use boneless chicken thighs instead. Either way, cut the chicken into thin cutlets so that it cooks quickly.
• Salad Veggies: This salad starts with crunchy romaine hearts, diced red onion, juicy tomatoes, fresh cilantro leaves, and sliced avocado.
• Tortilla Strips: I’m giving you instructions on how to quickly fry white corn tortillas to make fresh chips, but if you prefer not to do this part, pick up some crispy tortilla chips meant for adding to salads or soups.
• Santa Fe Dressing: To make a flavorful creamy dressing, add taco seasoning, chipotle, cayenne, and lime juice to the perfect ratio of mayonnaise and Greek yogurt.

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

How To Make Santa Fe Chicken Salad

1. Prepare the Dressing: In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, taco seasoning, lime juice, salt, chipotle powder, and cayenne powder.. Whisk until combined and set aside.
2. Season the Chicken: Season the cutlets on both sides with salt and taco seasoning.
3. Cook the Chicken: Heat cooking oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F/74°C (check with a meat thermometer).

1. Rest and Slice: Remove the chicken from the pan and let it rest on a cutting board for 5 minutes before slicing it into strips.
2. Prepare the Salad: Reserve some of the diced tomatoes, onion, and cilantro for garnish. Then, in a large bowl, combine the romaine lettuce, the remaining diced tomatoes, the remaining diced red onion, and the remaining chopped cilantro. Add ¾ of the dressing to the bowl and gently toss the salad to combine.
3. Plate the Salad: Transfer the dressed salad to a serving plate. Top the salad with sliced chicken, and place the sliced avocado around the side of the plate. Sprinkle with the reserved tomato, onion, and cilantro, then drizzle with the rest of the salad dressing.
4. Serve: Just before serving, top the salad with prepared crispy tortilla strips. Instructions for making them from scratch are in the recipe card and further down the page.

Recipe Tips

• If you’re watching your sodium, I suggest making your own taco seasoning from scratch so that you can eliminate or reduce the amount of salt. Commercially available taco seasonings are generally pretty salty, or you can look for low-sodium versions.
• I’m plating this salad family-style on a platter, but you can also plate it into four separate portions on dinner plates instead.
• Add More! Shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese would be delicious on this salad. You can also add any other veggies that you enjoy, such as cucumbers, bell peppers, fresh corn kernels, or beans.
• This dressing is on the spicy side. If you would prefer it to be milder, reduce or omit the cayenne and chipotle powders from the dressing.
• Chicken is fully cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F/74°C.

How to Make Homemade Crispy Tortilla Strips

Tortilla strips are delicious on taco salads, chili, and soups like my Chicken Enchilada Soup. They take just minutes to make on the stove!

• First, slice white corn tortillas into strips. You can make as many as you want to!
• Then, fry the strips in 350°F/180°C oil for about 1 minute, or less, until they are lightly golden brown.
• Drain on paper towels, and season with salt while they’re still hot.

Storing Tips

Once the salad is made and dressed, it should be enjoyed right away.

If you would like to prepare the ingredients ahead of time, I suggest making the dressing and cooking the chicken, then storing both in the fridge for up to 2 days. You can also prep the veggies, but leave the avocado uncut until you’re ready for it (it will turn brown).

When you’re ready to eat your Santa Fe Chicken Salads, finish chopping the veggies and mix everything up fresh.

What To Serve With Santa Fe Chicken Salad

This recipe can serve four people as an entre, or a few more if you serve smaller portions, and also include some of these other favorite tex-mex side and main dishes:

• Mexican Rice
• Cilantro Lime Rice
• Air Fryer Jalapeno Poppers
• Sopapilla Cheesecake
• Mexican Fruit Salad

Recipe FAQs

Skip the restaurant wait list, and make Chili’s wonderful Santa Fe Chicken Salad at home instead! Everyone loves this filling salad with taco-seasoned chicken and crispy tortillas, so make sure to Pin the recipe to save it.