Learn to make my Spicy Southwest Salad Chick-Fil-A Copycat Recipe! The Chick Fil A Southwest Salad is a colorful and healthy dish full of fresh flavors. Get the scoop on the calories in the Chick Fil A Spicy Southwest Salad, nutrition facts with and without the creamy salsa dressing, and more! This Chick-Fil-A Southwest Salad is perfect for dinner, or meal prep it for healthy weekday lunches.
I can’t get enough of this combination of marinated grilled chicken, mixed greens, ripe grape tomatoes, cheese, black beans, peppers, and roasted corn. My inspiration for this recipe, the Chick Fil A Southwest Chicken Salad, really ticks all the boxes.
I’m going to do a Spicy Southwest Salad Chick Fil A review, but no worries if there’s no Chick-Fil-A in your area. This copycat recipe captures the flavors of one of the best Chick Fil A salads so you can DIY.
I mean, sometimes you might want this salad on a Sunday, when this fast food chain is closed. Or maybe you don’t have time to drive to Chick-Fil-A on weekdays. Whatever the issue is, this spicy southwest salad can still be yours.
Jump to:
- 📋 Chick Fil A Southwest Salad Calories
- ⭐ Chick Fil A Southwest Salad Nutrition
- 🥗 What’s on a Chick-Fil-A Spicy Southwest Salad?
- 💡 Does Chick-Fil-A marinate their chicken in pickle juice?
- 🥬 Is a Chick-Fil-A Spicy Southwest Salad healthy?
- 🥣 Chick Fil A Creamy Salsa Dressing Recipe
- 🔪 How to Make Chick-Fil-A Southwest Salad
- 🌡️ How to Store Southwest Chicken Salad
- 💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
- FAQs
- 👩🏻🍳 Other Chick-Fil-A Salad Copycat Recipes
- The Disclaimer…
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
📋 Chick Fil A Southwest Salad Calories
What are the Chick Fil A Spicy Southwest Salad calories? Here’s a table showing the Chick Fil A Southwest Salad Calories with Dressing and Chick Fil A Southwest Salad Calories no Dressing. The tortilla strips and chili lime pepitas are included, subtract 150 calories if you leave them off.
| Chick Fil A Southwest Salad Type | Chick Fil A Southwest Salad Calories with Dressing | Chick Fil A Southwest Salad Calories no Dressing |
|---|---|---|
| With Cold Spicy Grilled Filet | 690 | 400 |
| With Cold Grilled Filet | 690 | 400 |
| With Nuggets | 840 | 550 |
| With Grilled Nuggets | 720 | 430 |
| With Chick-Fil-A Chick n-Strips | 890 | 600 |
| With Chick-Fil-A Filet | 840 | 550 |
| With Spicy Filet | 860 | 570 |
| With Warm Grilled Filet | 690 | 400 |
| With No Chicken | 590 | 300 |
Calorie information was correct at the time of writing and is subject to change. You can find the calorie info for my copycat version in the recipe card below.
As you may have noticed, the creamy salsa dressing that comes with the southwest salad is 290 calories per packet. You can cut a lot of calories from your meal by skipping the dressing or using a low calorie dressing. Choosing a grilled filet to top your salad can save you 50-200 calories compared to other chicken options.
⭐ Chick Fil A Southwest Salad Nutrition
Here is the nutrition information for Chick-Fil-A Southwest Salad with a grilled filet:
| Type of Salad | Calories | Fat (g) | Saturated Fat (g) | Cholesterol (mg) | Sodium (mg) | Carbohydrates (g) | Fiber (g) | Sugar (g) | Protein (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dressing and Toppings | 690 | 49 | 10 | 100 | 1570 | 29 | 8 | 8 | 33 |
| Dressing, No Toppings | 540 | 38 | 9 | 100 | 1465 | 19 | 6 | 8 | 28 |
| No Dressing, with Toppings | 400 | 18 | 5 | 75 | 940 | 27 | 8 | 7 | 32 |
| No Dressing, No Toppings | 250 | 7 | 4 | 75 | 835 | 17 | 6 | 7 | 27 |
Nutrition information was correct at the time of writing and is subject to change. Nutrition info for my copycat Chick Fil A salad is in the recipe card at the end of the post.
🥗 What’s on a Chick-Fil-A Spicy Southwest Salad?
What’s in the Chick Fil A Southwest Salad? Here are the ingredients:
- Spicy grilled chicken breast
- Mixed salad greens
- Grape tomatoes
- Monterey Jack and shredded cheddar cheese
- Roasted corn
- Black beans
- Poblano chiles
- Red bell peppers
- Tortilla strips
- Chili lime pepitas
- Creamy salsa dressing
Specific quantities of ingredients are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post! Our homemade version has everything in the original with some small modifications to the pepitas and the dressing.
The equipment you need for this salad include a good knife, a stovetop grill pan, and (if meal prepping) large salad containers. Get containers with separate lidded dressing cups to make transport easy. It’s also helpful to have a mini chopper to blend the dressing.
💡 Does Chick-Fil-A marinate their chicken in pickle juice?
According to Chick-Fil-A, their original Grilled Chick-Fil-A Chicken Sandwich was marinated in pickle juice and seasonings. In 2019, they changed their marinade recipe but won’t officially confirm or deny whether it still contains pickle brine.
🥬 Is a Chick-Fil-A Spicy Southwest Salad healthy?
"Healthy” always depends on what your needs are. The Chick-Fil-A Spicy Southwest Salad, without modifications, is rather high in calories and sodium. That said, it offers a variety of veggies and adequate lean protein. You can make it much lower in calories and sodium by choosing a different dressing.
🥣 Chick Fil A Creamy Salsa Dressing Recipe
I gave my own spicy spin to the original Chick-Fil-A southwest salad dressing. Here’s what you need to make it:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Sour cream
- Fresh lime juice
- Cumin
- Ancho chili powder (use regular chili powder if you want to cut back on the heat)
- Garlic powder
- Chipotle in adobo sauce (from a can)
🔪 How to Make Chick-Fil-A Southwest Salad
Get specifics in the recipe card at the bottom of the post! Here’s a summary:
Marinate Chicken
- Mix dill pickle juice, minced garlic, olive oil, paprika, chili powder, and pepper in a bowl.
- Cut chicken breasts into 4-4 ounce (113 gram), ½-inch thick pieces (1.27 cm). Pour the marinade over the chicken breasts.
- Let the chicken marinate in the fridge for about 12 hours. Flip the chicken occasionally so all sides have contact with the marinade.
Make Southwest Salad Dressing
- Put the oil, sour cream, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and chipotle in adobo in a mini chopper. Blend until smooth.
- Put the dressing in the fridge until serving time. You can thin it with a bit of oil or milk if it thickens too much.
Make Spicy Southwest Salad
- Spray a stovetop grill pan with cooking spray. Lift the chicken out of the marinade and grill for 8-10 minutes per side over medium heat.
- Check the chicken with a meat thermometer to ensure it reached a safe temp of 165F (74C). Add more grilling time if needed.
- Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before slicing into thin strips.
- Halve the grape tomatoes lengthwise. Chop the poblano and red pepper into ½-inch dice (1.27 cm).
- Divide the salad greens between four salad containers or bowls.
- Top with the tomatoes, black beans, corn, poblano pepper, bell pepper, cheese, and chicken.
- Drizzle with salad dressing and garnish with tortilla strips and pepitas right before serving.
🌡️ How to Store Southwest Chicken Salad
You can keep leftover spicy southwest salad in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Keep the salad dressing and tortilla strips separate until right before serving.
💭 Expert Tips from a Dietitian
This is a level 2 recipe (transition or weight maintenance). This spicy southwest salad is under 500 calories without the dressing. With the dressing, this salad is 583 calories per serving.
The Chick-Fil-A Spicy Southwest Salad is healthy compared to most American fast-food options. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t bump up the nutrient density even more when we make it at home.
Our version of this salad is a little lower in calories than Chick-Fil-A's version with dressing and toppings. Additionally, I’ve added a larger volume of veggies to help keep you full. Another benefit of the homemade southwest salad is that it is free of ultra-processed foods.
If you have higher energy needs, feel free to add some additional toppings, such as some more crushed tortilla chips or nuts. Another idea would be to add a serving of bread or crackers on the side.
To make a southwest salad under 500 calories with the dressing, skip the tortilla strips and pepitas. You should also swap out the cheese for a low-fat version. One more thing you could do to make it lower calorie is use plain nonfat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream in the dressing.
FAQs
The carbs in my Chick Fil A Southwest Salad copycat (with dressing) is 27.8 grams. To make it keto diet friendly, you should make your Chick Fil A Southwest Salad no beans no corn. You can add additional chicken if you’d like more filling protein.
At the time of writing, the cost of the Spicy Southwest Salad at Chick-Fil-A is $9.69 in my area. Prices are subject to change, and may vary by Chick-Fil-A location.
According to Chick-Fil-A, they do not have a dedicated space to prepare GF foods, so they cannot guarantee that cross-contact didn’t occur. The Chick Fil A Spicy Southwest Salad with a grilled filet doesn’t have gluten-containing ingredients. However, it could have had contact with gluten during preparation.
“Healthiest” for you always depends on what your needs are. An option that may be good for those looking to lose weight are the salads with a grilled filet and honey mustard dressing or the light balsamic vinaigrette. I’d also recommend the fruit cup, side salads, applesauce, grilled nuggets, and milk.
Most individuals could fit food from Chick-Fil-A daily into an overall healthy diet, but it really depends on what you’re ordering. The grilled nuggets and salads (with certain dressings) are OK as dietary mainstays for most people. A daily meal of a fried chicken sandwich, waffle fries, and large soda will probably crowd out more nutritious options.
👩🏻🍳 Other Chick-Fil-A Salad Copycat Recipes
Here are a few more Chick-Fil-A copycat salads to try:
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The Disclaimer…
All recipes on this website may or may not be appropriate for you, depending on your medical needs and personal preferences. Consult with a registered dietitian or your physician if you need help determining the dietary pattern that may be best for you.
The nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. It will differ depending on the specific brands and ingredients that you use. Calorie information on food labels may be wildly inaccurate, so please don't sweat the numbers too much.
For more information on how the three recipe levels may help with a weight management goal, refer to my overnight oats no sugar post. Let's get cooking!
📖 Recipe
Spicy Southwest Salad Chick-Fil-A Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
Southwest Chicken Marinade:
- ½ cup dill pickle juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ancho chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Spicy Southwest Chicken Salad:
- 1 lb boneless and skinless chicken breasts 454 grams
- 8 cups mixed salad greens
- 1 cup grape tomatoes
- 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (113 grams)
- 1 cup frozen roasted corn, thawed
- 15 ounces canned black beans, drained (425 grams)
- 1 poblano pepper
- ½ medium red bell pepper
- ½ cup tortilla strips (for garnish)
- ¼ cup pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) (for garnish)
- cooking oil spray of choice
Spicy Southwest Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (fresh squeezed)
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon ancho chili powder (or regular chili powder)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons chipotle in adobo sauce, finely chopped (use peppers and sauce)
Instructions
Marinating the Chicken:
- Mix the marinade ingredients (dill pickle juice, minced garlic, olive oil, paprika, chili powder, and pepper) in a bowl.
- Cut chicken breasts into 4-4 ounce (113 gram), ½-inch thick pieces (1.27 cm). Pour the marinade over the chicken breasts.
- Let the chicken marinate in the fridge for about 12 hours. Flip the chicken occasionally so all sides have contact with the marinade.
Making the Spicy Southwest Salads:
- Spray a stovetop grill pan with cooking spray. Lift the chicken out of the marinade and grill for 8-10 minutes per side over medium heat.
- Check the chicken with a meat thermometer to ensure it reached a safe temp of 165°F (74°C). Add more grilling time if needed.
- Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes before slicing into thin strips.
- Halve the grape tomatoes lengthwise. Chop the poblano and red pepper into ½-inch dice (1.27 cm).
- Divide the salad greens between four salad containers or bowls. Top with the tomatoes, black beans, corn, poblano pepper, bell pepper, cheese, and chicken.
- Don't add the salad dressing, tortilla strips, or pepitas until right before serving.
Making the Spicy Southwest Dressing:
- Put the dressing ingredients (oil, sour cream, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, and chipotle in adobo) in a mini chopper. Blend until smooth. You could also just whisk the dressing together. Thin dressing with milk or oil if needed.
- To serve, drizzle the dressing over the salads and top with tortilla strips and pepitas.
Terrified Amateur says
Tastier than fast food? You betcha, Summer! Far more nutritious too. Just look at those gorgeous colors! You draw from such a palette, though unlike a painter, your creation delights more than just one of the senses.
Count me among Villagio's biggest fans, though the Dolce Bites I discovered recently are even better, if you can imagine it. Of course, they might be a local-to-my-region specialty.
Which state is missing? Hmm... Delaware is an obvious choice. No, scratch that. You're on the East Coast too, and you're sure to have visited something smack dab between the Philly and DC/Baltimore metros. Alaska's too obvious. How about Wyoming? Nah, you've probably been to Yellowstone. What's left? North Dakota?
Summer Yule says
Haha, you've mentioned it! The answer is Alaska. It's funny because I wanted to move to Alaska when I was in high school and here I am in my 40s and it's the only state I've yet to make it to!
We made sure to travel through lower 48 states we've missed in the past on our last loop through the country. In North Dakota we checked out the Enchanted Highway 🙂
I love Villagio tomatoes but I don't know if I'll be getting them again for a while. We're aiming to shop only once per month for now. As an alternative, I'm trying out a produce home delivery service and I have no idea what they are going to send!
Brian Hardin says
Fantastic salad-chipotles in adobo and cotija cheese add whole new dimensions and make the dish totally unique!
Summer Yule says
Thank you! Cooking at home allows me to add the delicious things that don’t typically end up in fast-food fare!
Summer Yule says
Update 3/27/20: Just wanted to say that I wrote this post prior to the coronavirus outbreak in our area. As much as I adore cotija, I would not advise visiting multiple stores to find it at the present time. Stay safe! 🙂