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southwest chicken bowl with avocado ranch dressing
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5 from 6 votes

Southwest Chicken Bowl with Homemade Avocado Cilantro Ranch Dressing

These healthy Southwest Chicken Bowls start off with a homemade chipotle marinade for the chicken. Turn the griddle chicken breasts into a Southwest salad bowl, or substitute the lettuce for some Mexican rice for a Southwest chicken rice bowl. Delicious and packed with flavor!
Prep Time2 hours 10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time2 hours 25 minutes
Course: Griddle Recipes, Main Course, Salad
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: chicken breasts on griddle, griddle chicken recipes, southwest chicken bowl, southwest chicken salad, southwest chipotle chicken
Servings: 3 people
Author: Neal

Ingredients

  • 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced in half lengthwise
  • 2 tbsps your favorite cooking oil *I use and recommend avocado oil
  • 1 can black beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 can Southwest-style corn drained
  • 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
  • 1 lime
  • Cotija cheese
  • 1 green bell pepper sliced
  • ½ onion sliced
  • chopped romaine lettuce *Or substitute cooked Mexican style rice for a rice bowl

For the Southwest Chicken Marinade:

  • 3 chipotle peppers in Adobo *3 individual peppers and a spoon of sauce from the can
  • juice of 1 large orange
  • juice and zest of 1 lime
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tbsp garlic powder
  • ½ tbsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp paprika

For the Avocado Cilantro Ranch Dressing:

  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup ranch dressing *I recommend a refrigerated variety like Litehouse or Marzetti's
  • juice of 1 lime
  • ½-1 avocado
  • 1 jalapeno seeded and chopped
  • 1 green onion chopped
  • handful of cilantro *Adjust to your preference
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Add all marinade ingredients to a blender cup or food processor and blend until smooth. Marinade will be thick like a paste. Add the marinade and the chicken breasts to a gallon size zip top bag and mix so that all of the chicken is coated. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
  • Preheat griddle until it reaches about 375 degrees F.
  • Add about 1 tablespoon of cooking oil to the griddle and spread it around with your spatula. Add drained Southwest corn to the heated oiled griddle in a thin layer. Allow the corn to char and toast a bit (about 4-5 minutes). Then, add the warm corn to a medium bowl with black beans, juice of 1 lime, diced jalapeno, chopped cilantro, and crumbled Cotija cheese. Mix well to combine and set aside.
  • Make the avocado ranch dressing by combining all dressing ingredients in a blender cup. Blend until smooth, then refrigerate until ready to serve.
  • Add about 1 tablespoon of your favorite cooking oil to the heated griddle surface and spread it around with your spatula. Place the marinated chicken breasts on the oiled griddle, making sure that each breast is fully in contact with the griddle surface.
  • Cook the chicken breasts on the first side until about half-way cooked through and a nice crust develops (about 5 minutes). Flip chicken to the second side and continue to cook until done. After about 4-5 minutes, use an instant read probe thermometer to probe each piece of chicken, and remove each piece when it reaches 165 degrees F internal temp. Transfer cooked chicken to a cutting board to rest.
  • While chicken is cooking on the griddle, add the sliced bell peppers and onions to the griddle. Saute until done to your liking. *I cooked mine to a "tender crisp" since I was adding them to a salad bowl.
  • After about 10 minutes of rest time, slice the chicken breasts against the grain.
  • Make your Southwest chicken bowls. Start with a bed of chopped romaine lettuce (or cooked rice). Add the black bean and corn salad and the sautéed peppers and onions. Top with sliced chicken and the avocado ranch dressing. Add your favorite Mexican toppings (salsa, diced tomatoes, sour cream, pico de gallo, etc) and serve.

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