This heavenly, Buttery Corn and Chicken Salad is everything. It’s crunchy, spiced, salty, fresh, rich and even a little sweet.
Loaded with spiced and buttered sweet corn, juicy grilled chicken, creamy avocado, salty feta and sweet dates… topped off with super crunchy corn chips, it’s literally everything.
This one might have a few more ingredients than my usual recipes but don’t get scared! It’s still super easy to make and comes together in less than 30 minutes so do not panic ok? Ok. Good talk.
Scroll past the recipe if you’re looking for tips, substitutions, questions, etc. and details on how to make this recipe, but if you want to get straight to it, here’s my recipe-ish…
Buttery Corn and Chicken Salad
Ingredients
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tsp chili powder
For the dressing:
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 jalapeño seeded and chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro loosely packed
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup oil
For the corn:
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup red onion finely diced
- 2 cups fresh corn kernels*
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp thyme
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- Pinch cayenne
For the salad:
- 2-3 romaine hearts chopped
- 1 avocado chopped
- 1/3 cup feta crumbled
- 1/2 cup dates chopped
For Serving:
- Corn chips
- Chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges
Instructions
Make the dressing:
- Add the garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, honey, cumin, salt and oil to a blender.
- Blend until completely smooth.
- Set aside.
Make the chicken:
- Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper and the chili powder.
- Grill until cooked through and set aside.
Make the corn:
- Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a skillet. Add in the onion and the corn.
- Cook, stirring often, until the onion and corn slightly soften and lightly brown, 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, thyme, smoked paprika, cayenne and a big pinch salt and pepper and mix well.
- Cook 1 more minute then remove to a plate to cool.
Make the salad:
- Add the romaine to a large bowl.
- Add in the avocado, feta and dates.
- Toss with the dressing.
- Top with the chicken, corn, a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and a handful or corn chips.
- Serve with fresh lime wedges.
Notes
my pro tips for making the best buttery corn and chicken salad
Chips – corn chips are one of my favourite easy ways to add crunch to a salad. Crack the bag and dump them on but make sure you do it right before serving so they don’t get soft. Max crunch is our goal here. If you don’t have any Fritos on hand you can easily sub in tortilla chips.
Dates – fresh, plump dates are the best, but if yours have been sitting around in the cupboard for a little too long you can soak them in some boiling water for a few minutes to bring them back to their former glory. Drain, dry and chop.
Prep – you can make this ahead if you’re thinking about taking it along to a bbq, but I would recommend you bring along the dressing and chips and assemble before serving. Bonus points if you can borrow the host’s bbq and grill the chicken on site. I’m a big lover of hot chicken on a cold salad, but cooking it ahead and serving it cold is delish too.
recipe substitutions and variations
Use different greens if you don’t have romaine. Baby spinach or field greens or even iceberg all are good choices.
Swap the cilantro for basil if you’re a cilantro hater. Basil and corn are heavenly together.
Mix up the protein by using grilled shrimp or steak. Make it vegetarian by using black beans instead.
Tex-Mex version – add in some black beans, chopped tomatoes and cotija cheese. Use tortilla chips instead of corn chips.
Spicy version – leave the seeds in the jalapeño in the dressing and add some sliced jalapeños (pickled or fresh or both) to the salad.
what to do with leftover buttery corn and chicken salad
This salad really is best served fresh, but…
Store in the fridge in an airtight container for 1-2 days. Leave the corn chips off and add before serving. The romaine will wilt, but it’s still tasty. For meal prep use baby spinach or even kale instead of romaine.
what to serve with this…
My favourite way to serve this is with 5 Layer Dip and ice cold Mexican beer as a starter.
Make this to serve as an easy meal for your next barbecue patio dinner. Make some palomas to serve with.
Bring it to a picnic, bbq, or any summer party. I like to keep the dressing and chips separate and assemble right before serving.
questions?
Can you use canned corn? you sure can. Not quite the same but still really good.
Do you have to use chicken breasts? nope. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are lovely and you can make things even easier on yourself by chopping up a rotisserie chicken.
Can you make it vegan? yes! Leave out the cheese. Use plant-based butter and add in some black beans or crispy tofu instead of the chicken.
If you like this easy Buttery Corn and Chicken Salad Recipe let me know what you think in the comments below and please find and follow me on Social Media! And if you like it I think you’ll also like my: Buffalo Ranch Dressing as an extra little spicy drizzle on top, Buffalo Chicken Thighs or Crispy Spicy Chicken Tenders are a great option if you’re not up for grilling today, and these Loaded French Fries – Taco Style would be an amazing, hearty starter for a party.
