A Tex-Mex salad blends fresh vegetables with bold southwestern flavors. This version pairs crisp romaine and colorful veggies with seasoned chicken, black beans, corn, avocado and cheese, all served in an edible tortilla bowl for a fun, satisfying meal.
We regularly make Mexican-inspired meals at home — quesadillas, tacos and burritos are family favorites. Because my kids love tortillas, I shape a large tortilla into a bowl and fill it with a Chicken Tex-Mex salad. The tortilla bowl makes the meal more playful and practical: it’s both the serving vessel and part of the dish.
I usually build this salad from pantry staples and fresh produce. Keeping basics on hand makes it easy to assemble a bright, balanced dinner any night of the week.
Ingredients
This Tex-Mex salad is full of vibrant ingredients that brighten any table. The list below covers the essentials; feel free to adjust quantities to taste.
- Romaine lettuce
- Cherry tomatoes
- Avocado
- Corn (canned or fresh)
- Black beans
- Limes
- Onion
- Cilantro
- Chicken breasts (or preferred protein)
- Corn or flour tortillas (for bowls)
- Sour cream or a tangy dressing
Protein options
Chicken is my top choice for this salad, sliced into strips and seasoned with Tex‑Mex spices. Other tasty options include ground beef, steak strips or grilled shrimp. For a vegetarian version, use extra black beans, grilled corn, roasted sweet potato, or cubes of pan-fried tofu — black beans in particular offer a good plant-based protein boost.
How to make a tortilla bowl
To form edible bowls, you’ll need four 10-inch tortillas and four oven-safe rounded bowls or ramekins that fit inside your oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F (180°C). Press each tortilla into an inverted oven-safe bowl so the edges drape, then bake for 10–15 minutes until the edges are golden and crisp. Remove carefully and let cool to set the shape.
While the bowls bake, prepare the chicken and salad: slice chicken breasts into strips and cook in a skillet with a little oil, chopped onion, Tex‑Mex seasoning and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the chicken is browned and cooked through. Meanwhile, wash and chop the romaine and combine it with black beans, corn, cherry tomatoes and chopped cilantro. Squeeze lime juice over the salad, season to taste and toss to combine.
Assemble by spooning the dressed salad into each tortilla bowl, topping with the warm chicken strips, sliced avocado and a dollop of sour cream. Finish with extra cilantro and a wedge of lime for serving.
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CHICKEN TEX MEX SALAD IN TORTILLA BOWL
Julia
Equipment
- oven-safe bowls or ramekins
Ingredients
Tortilla Bowls:
- 4 pieces 10-inch round flour or corn tortillas
Tex‑Mex Chicken:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons Tex‑Mex or taco seasoning
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 medium chicken breasts, cut into strips
- Salt and pepper, to season
Salad:
- 2 large romaine hearts, shredded
- 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup canned or fresh corn, drained if canned
- 15 small cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 small avocados, sliced (for topping)
- 4 tablespoons sour cream (for topping)
Instructions
Tortilla bowls
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (180°C). Place each tortilla over an inverted oven-safe bowl or ramekin and bake 10–15 minutes until crisp and golden. Let cool to set the shape.
Tex‑Mex Chicken
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high. Sauté the chopped onion for about 5 minutes until softened. Stir in Tex‑Mex seasoning and minced garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the chicken strips, season with salt and pepper, and cook 20–25 minutes until cooked through and golden on the edges. Keep covered and warm until serving.
Salad
- In a large bowl, combine shredded lettuce, black beans, corn, tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro. Add lime juice, season with salt and pepper and toss to combine.
- Place the tortilla bowls on plates. Divide the salad among four bowls, top each with warm chicken strips, sliced avocado and a spoonful of sour cream. Garnish with extra cilantro and serve with lime wedges.
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