Southwest Chicken Orzo Salad Recipe

Refreshingly light and bursting with flavor, this easy salad is sure to become a weeknight favorite.

There’s nothing I love more than a nice pasta salad. While a classic caprese pasta salad never misses, I like to mix it up with more nontraditional combinations like corn and orange bell peppers to keep things interesting and bursting with flavor. Vibrant and herby, this orzo salad with honey cilantro dressing is the perfect one-bowl meal. And, not only does it come together in minutes, but it’s ideal for meal prepping, too.

You can watch a step-by-step video of this recipe on The Savvy Spoon Instagram here!

Here’s how you’ll make my Southwest Chicken Orzo Salad:

1. Combine the cooked orzo, shredded rotisserie chicken, bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, jalapeño, corn, cilantro, and mozzarella in a bowl.
2. Season with kosher salt and pepper and stir to combine.
3. In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients for the honey cilantro dressing while drizzling in olive oil. Add more oil if needed to thicken.
4. Add dressing to bowl with salad mixture and stir in.
5. Enjoy!

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Southwest Chicken Orzo Salad with Honey Cilantro Dressing

Refreshingly light and bursting with flavor, this easy salad is sure to become a weeknight favorite.

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Course Main Course, Salad

Cuisine American, Mediterranean

Servings 2

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the salad

• cooked orzo
• rotisserie chicken shredded
• orange bell pepper diced
• cherry tomatoes halved
• jalapeño minced
• sweet corn fresh or canned
• fresh cilantro
• mozzarella shredded
• kosher salt
• pepper

For the Honey Cilantro Dressing

• 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro
• 1 tbsp honey
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Instructions

 

For the salad

• Combine all ingredients into a large bowl and set aside.

For the Honey Cilantro Dressing

• Combine all ingredients in a food processor while drizzling in olive oil. Add more olive oil if needed to thicken.

To finish the salad

• Add dressing from food processor into the bowl with salad mixture. Stir to combine and enjoy!

Keyword bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, chicken salad, cilantro, mozzarella, orzo, rotisserie chicken, salad

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