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This protein-packed, fiber-rich chipotle chicken dense bean salad is going to be your new favorite lunch (or dinner)! Spicy chipotle chicken, crunchy vegetables, and rich beans covered in a creamy dressing make for a hearty and flavorful salad that won’t get soggy!

Trendy or Classic: Dense Bean Salad
Dense bean salad came across my social media feed this past summer and all of a sudden, beans were cool again. I have always loved beans because of how nutritious they were, especially in the fiber department. I love adding them to soups, like my white bean soup and also my slow cooker chili. In addition, they’re also a great way to bulk up dishes (hence the name dense bean salad) and also a great replacement for meat (see: black bean burgers). What can’t beans do?! They’re so versatile and I love that they’re getting their moment.
My version of dense bean salad contains the best chipotle chicken, crunchy and colorful veggies like yellow and red bell peppers, creamy avocado, and two types of beans. The creamy dressing that coats this entire bean salad is what finishes out the salad to be oh-so-good. Do not skip it!
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Make this your own! Add in additional vegetables, different beans, swap in proteins, add cheese — the list goes on! This dense bean salad is a very versatile dish.
- Use shredded chicken. If you don’t have time to make the chipotle chicken, use rotisserie chicken and shred it! It brings wonderful flavor to the salad.
- Make it a true salad or rice bowl. Add in your favorite greens if you really want to make this a true salad. I would suggest that if you’re making this for meal prep, keep the greens separate and mix them into your own serving when you’re ready to eat. Same with white rice or brown rice.
- You can eat this chilled or at room temperature! I LOVE this chilled as I feel it gives the vegetables extra crispness in bite, but room temperature is fine too.
Types of Beans to use
Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and great northern beans are used in this recipe but feel free to use whatever beans you like. A great alternative to great northern beans are pinto beans. Kidney beans and black beans can be used here too.
Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions
Making ahead for meal prep: toss everything together and evenly distribute and portion out into containers with lids. Keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Allow to come to room temperature before eating or eat it straight out of the refrigerator!
Storage instructions for leftovers: store in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before eating or eat it straight out of the refrigerator!
Chipotle Chicken Dense Bean Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 recipe for chipotle chicken, or about 1 ½ cups diced or shredded chicken
For the spicy chipotle dressing:
- ¼ cup (56 g) mayonnaise
- ¼ cup (59 ml) olive oil
- Juice of 1 lime + zest
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce + a little bit of the liquid
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the rest of the dish:
- 15 ounce (425 g) can of garbanzo/chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 15 ounce (425 g) can of great northern beans, rinsed and drained
- ⅔ cup (109 g) corn kernels
- 3 ripe avocados, diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper, diced
Instructions
- Make the recipe for the chipotle chicken and chop into 1" cubes and set aside.1 recipe for chipotle chicken
- Make the dressing: in a tall container, add all the ingredients for the dressing then take an immersion blender and blend until smooth.¼ cup (56 g) mayonnaise, ¼ cup (59 ml) olive oil, Juice of 1 lime + zest, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 1 clove garlic, 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce + a little bit of the liquid, Salt and pepper
- Put together the salad: In a very large bowl, add chickpeas, great northern beans, corn, avocados, bell peppers, and chicken. Gently toss to evenly distribute ingredients.15 ounce (425 g) can of garbanzo/chickpeas, 15 ounce (425 g) can of great northern beans, ⅔ cup (109 g) corn kernels, 3 ripe avocados, 1 medium red bell pepper, 1 medium yellow bell pepper
- Pour dressing all over then toss to incorporate.
- Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Notes
Nutrition
Photographs by Eat Love Eat
Just made this today and it’s delicious! I added red onion and doubled the dressing. Thank you for the recipe!