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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!

chipotle chicken dense bean salad tossed in a large blue bowl with metal utensils next to fresh lime wedges and glasses of water
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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!

chipotle chicken dense bean salad in a large blue bowl next to lime wedges and blue plates

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.

chipotle chicken dense bean salad portioned out onto several blue plates next to metal forks and a yellow linen towel

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!

5 from 1 vote

Chipotle Chicken Dense Bean Salad

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!
Prep Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients 

For the 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
  • 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
    cubed grilled chipotle chicken thighs on a metal baking sheet lined with parchment paper and a knife on the side
  • 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
    an immersion blender is inside a tall glass container blending dressing
  • 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
    diced red and yellow bell peppers, cubed chipotle chicken, great northern beans, cubed avocados, corn kernels, and chickpeas in a large blue bowl
  • Pour dressing all over then toss to incorporate.
    diced red and yellow bell peppers, cubed chipotle chicken, great northern beans, cubed avocados, corn kernels, and chickpeas in a large blue bowl tossed together with dressing drizzled on top
  • Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Notes

The prep time is 4 hours because in my chipotle chicken recipe, you marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours. The prep time will be heavily reduced if you choose to not marinate the chicken as long or you use store-bought chicken strips and/or rotisserie chicken.
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Nutrition

Serving: 1serving (330 grams), Calories: 608kcal, Carbohydrates: 39g, Protein: 34g, Fat: 37g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g, Monounsaturated Fat: 20g, Trans Fat: 0.04g, Cholesterol: 112mg, Sodium: 406mg, Potassium: 1231mg, Fiber: 15g, Sugar: 3g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.

The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.

Photographs by Eat Love Eat

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1 Comment

  1. Haley says:

    Just made this today and it’s delicious! I added red onion and doubled the dressing. Thank you for the recipe!