Mexican Chopped Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
Chopped Mexican Salad with roasted peppers, corn, beans, and avocado, tossed in the most amazing cilantro lime dressing. So good as a side to cilantro lime chicken or grilled garlic shrimp.
Jump to:
- What Makes This The Best Mexican Salad Recipe
- Mexican Salad Recipe Ingredients
- How to Make Mexican Salad
- Mexican Style Salad Variations
- How to Serve Mexican Salad
- Storing Mexican Style Salad
- Mexican Salad Recipe FAQs
- Video: How to Make Chopped Mexican Salad
- You May Also Like
- Mexican Style Salad with Cilantro Lime Honey Dressing
What Makes This The Best Mexican Salad Recipe
This Mexican salad is the perfect combo of fresh and colorful ingredients that will add the perfect pop to your summer table. Made with fresh summer produce, such as corn, tomatoes, mango, and avocado, and tossed in honey-sweet cilantro lime dressing.
Not to mention, this Mexican side salad makes the best summer side dish and pairs so well with jalapeño turkey burgers or these spicy chicken and sweet potato kebabs. It’s sweet, light, and very citrusy tasting. If you’re serving anything spicy, this salad is your friend.
Mexican Salad Recipe Ingredients
- red bell peppers
- corn
- tomatoes
- mango
- avocado
- black beans
- cilantro
- lime juice
- orange juice
- garlic
- shallot
- honey
- olive oil
Tip! This salad also tastes great with an addition of red onions or chopped romaine lettuce.
Simple Mexican Salad Dressing
What’s amazing about this Mexican salad is that it doesn’t require much more as the ingredients are all so fresh and seasonal. So the dressing is very simple and ties everything together so well.
It consists of fresh lime juice, fresh orange juice, garlic, shallots, honey, and cilantro.
Tip! The key to this salad dressing is to use fresh citrus juice. It’s truly the best! If you end up with leftover dressing, simply store in an airtight container, refrigerated, for up to 3 days and use it over taco bowls, fresh salads, or as a marinade.
How to Make Mexican Salad
To make this salad, select quality, and really fresh ingredients. If possible, check out your local farmer’s market. It’s a great way to buy locally and support your local farmers.
- Step 1: First you want to start by roasting corn and bell peppers. Roasting brings out the natural sweetness of the vegetables and gives them a beautiful color.
For the bell peppers, set your oven to 425 F. Cut the bell peppers in half, clean out the seeds, and core. Rub with little olive oil and roast, cut side down, until soft and lightly brown, about 20 minutes.
- Step 2: In the meantime, on the stovetop, roast the corn in little olive oil over medium-high heat until charred and golden, about 4-8 minutes.
- Step 3: Next, prepare the Mexican salad dressing by whisking all of the ingredients in a bowl. Set aside.
- Step 4: Once the peppers have cooled enough to handle, scrape away the skin and cut into 1/2-inch dice.
- Step 5: Combine the roasted peppers, corn, and the remaining salad ingredients. Add the dressing and toss. Taste for seasoning and chill for about 15-30 minutes before serving.
Mexican Style Salad Variations
Try these ideas to make this recipe your own:
- Dressing: Feel free to swap out the cilantro lime dressing with any dressing you like best!
- Protein: Transform this side dish into a complete meal by adding chicken, shrimp, or ground beef.
- Herbs and Spices: Add even more flavor by incorporating herbs and spices such as cumin, garlic powder, and cilantro.
- Add Greens: Lettuce, spinach, or mixed greens are a great way to add extra nutrients and bulk.
- Tortilla Chips: Tortilla chips or tortilla strips add a nice crunch.
Storing Mexican Style Salad
Mexican chopped salad recipe is best enjoyed on the same day that it’s made. You can store the leftovers for 1-2 days in an airtight container, however, the avocado will oxidize and turn brown.
Mexican Salad Recipe FAQs
Mexican salad is made with roasted red bell peppers, corn, tomatoes, mango, avocado, black beans, and cilantro, and tossed in a cilantro lime dressing made with lime juice, orange juice, garlic, shallot, honey, cilantro, and olive oil.
I do not recommend adding chopped meat to Mexican salad, however, you can serve the Mexican salad alongside grilled chicken or shrimp.
You can make Mexican salad up to 1 day ahead of time. Hold off on adding the avocado just until ready to serve.
Video: How to Make Chopped Mexican Salad
You May Also Like
If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how you like the recipe in the comments below.
PrintMexican Style Salad with Cilantro Lime Honey Dressing
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Chop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Description
Chopped Mexican salad with roasted peppers, corn, beans, and avocado, tossed in the most amazing cilantro lime dressing. So good as a side to grilled chicken or shrimp.
Ingredients
- 2 red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, stem/seed core removed
- 1 1/2 cups frozen or fresh corn
- 2 large tomatoes, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1 large ripe mango, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 2 large avocados, peeled, pitted, and cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
- Olive oil
Cilantro Lime Dressing
- 3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 3 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. finely chopped shallot
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 1 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and fresh black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and put the pepper halves on the baking sheet, cut side down. Drizzle with olive oil and rub to coat. Roast until the peppers are soft and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
- While the peppers are roasting, in a medium skillet over medium-high heat roast corn in little bit of olive oil until slightly charred and golden, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
- When the peppers are done roasting and cooled enough to handle, scrape away the skins and cut into 1/2-inch dice.
- In a small bowl, whisk lime juice, orange juice, garlic, shallot, honey, cilantro, and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- In a large salad bowl, combine bell peppers, corn, tomatoes, mango, avocados, and black beans. Add the vinaigrette to your taste and mix well. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and chill for 15-30 minutes, covered, in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 281
- Sugar: 11.7 g
- Sodium: 214 mg
- Fat: 17.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 29.9 g
- Protein: 6.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This Mexican Salad was first published in 2014. Updated with new images in June 2019.
thanks for the salad
Hi!! I can’t find ripe mangoes. Do you recommend anything as a replacement?
Possibly pineapple could work?
I buy the frozen cut up mangos-they work perfectly
defrost in minutes and you can’t tell the difference in the salad!
To be healthy, I like your recipe, That is good idea. Thank you for sharing! Wish you all the best!
With warmer months upon us, easy and fresh meals is what summer is all about.
I’ve made this multiple times and I love it!
Amazing recipe! very flavorful. Thank you for sharing!
Thank you!
I have made this salad about 5 times now, absolutely love it and it’s a huge crowd pleaser!
So happy to hear that! Thank you for feedback Leisha!
Sounds great! Did not see jicama in the list of ingredients.
This salad does not have any jicama
Made this tonight & we all loved it! So delicious & refreshing. Went perfect with the enchiladas I made. My husband who usually doesn’t care for beans told me that he actually liked the beans in this! Note: The only thing I different was that I did not include the jicama. Next time I hope I can find one so that I can try it.
Do you Would this salad pair well with salmon?
I think roasted salmon would pair well, either on the side or topped.
I have that chopper, too! I agree it is great! I’m excited to try this salad tomorrow! Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you!
I made this salad for Super Bowl Sunday and the salad was very good got great reviews the dressing is fantastic!
Thank you Dianne! So happy to hear that.
We enjoyed this salad tonight. My kids had never tired jicama before and it was a hit. Easy and delicious!
Sooooooo goood!! The whole family love it. All 21 of us!! Differently going to make it again it for the whole family!
Thank you Susan! So happy to hear you enjoyed the salad.
I’m so glad I found this recipe. It is absolutely DELICIOUS AND SO FLAVORFUL! The dressing is a must. Paired it with chicken seasoned with smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and thyme. The salad really went well with the spicy chicken, can’t wait to try more recipes!
Thank you Chrissy for your review. So happy to hear you loved the salad.
Hi Katya! I made the Chopped Mexican Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing this evening using all fresh ingredients from my herb garden and our local farmers’ market! WOW! Delicious! I’m working my way through your recipes and all are WINNERS!! The best parts are how healthy & fresh they are, they taste great, and the presentation is lovely! Thank you!
Do you think this would be good if I tossed quinoa into it? I’d imagine it would be fine, but I wanted to ask anyways. Thanks!
That’s a great idea! I would think any grain would work if you want to make it a little more fulfilling. Let me know how it works out!
I made it with the quinoa – it is SO GOOD. I made extra dressing to account for it, but WOW. It is so summery and light, I love it! Thanks!!
This makes me so happy! Food should be a love language. No words needed but you feel the love 🙂
Looks great!
This is perfection in a bowl! Pinning to try soon!
It makes a great salsa too!
This looks great! I’ll add it to my list to try! xo
Thanks dear! Super easy and delicious!