Avocado Chicken Salad

As someone who feels just meh about mayonnaise, I am always looking for other ways to make chicken salad. This Avocado Chicken Salad ditches the mayo and uses avocado instead for a just-as-creamy result. It's Paleo, Whole30, and low-carb friendly. What's not to love?

There are so many ways to customize this recipe to make it your own, too. You can add bacon, add veggies, or even switch up the flavor with hummus or pesto. Make a big batch to eat throughout the week for a protein-packed lunch that keeps you full and doesn't skimp on flavor.

Want more lunchtime favorites? Try this Avocado Tuna Salad and Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad!

Before You Get Started

Here are some things to note before you get started with this recipe:

• Use a rotisserie chicken to cut down on prep time. Remove the chicken from the bones and chop or shred it to use in this recipe. You can also use leftover pre-cooked chicken if you have it.
• Choose a ripe avocado that's soft enough for mashing but not too mushy.
• Prep your add-ins. If you plan on adding things like bacon or chopped veggies, prep them beforehand so you can toss everything together quickly.

How to cook chicken for chicken salad

When it comes to chicken salad, I have to be honest, I almost always use a rotisserie chicken to make things super quick and easy. I also often use leftover baked or grilled chicken - whatever I have on hand. However, if you are starting with raw chicken breast, here is the easiest way to prepare it.

• Add the chicken breast in a single layer to the bottom of a large pot. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with chicken broth or water until there is about a half-inch of liquid above the chicken breasts. Bring to a boil and then immediately turn down to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Then turn off the heat and let the chicken continue to cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Once it is cooked through, remove from the broth and let cool slightly. Use two forks to shred the chicken, or simply chop it into small pieces.

How to Make Chicken Salad with Avocados

1. Prep the Base

In a medium bowl, mash the avocado with lime juice using a fork until mostly smooth. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.

2. Mix Everything Together

Stir in cooked chicken, chopped red onion, cilantro, cumin, and red pepper flakes. Add more lime juice, onion, or cilantro if needed. Serve immediately or store in the fridge for later.

How to choose avocados

Assuming you will be using the avocados right away to make this chicken salad, you want to look for avocados with darker skin that are free from any large indentations or dents, which normally indicates it is bruised or overly ripe. When you feel the avocado, it should feel slightly soft to the touch but not mushy at all. When you open it up, the inside should be bright green, and the avocado should be tender. Here is a great guide for choosing avocados based on when you will be using them.

Recipe Ideas for Chicken Avocado Salad

Want to change things up? Here are some fun ideas to get started:

• Add spice: Make it spicy with some chopped fresh or pickled jalapenos. Red pepper flakes also work if you don't want to do any chopping.
• Add eggs: Hard-boil some eggs, chop them up, and toss them in the salad. This is a great way to get some extra protein in!
• Add crunch: Add every crunch and flavor with diced carrots, red onion, corn, pickles, or red peppers.
• Make it into guacamole: Make it guacamole-inspired by adding some diced jalapenos, onions, cilantro, and lime juice.
• Add sweetness: Add some sweetness with some dried cranberries, chopped apples, or dried cherries.
• Change the flavor: Switch up the flavor profile by adding some hummus, pesto, salsa, or harissa.
• Mix and match: For a mix between a traditional chicken salad and this avocado chicken salad, use half mayonnaise (or Greek yogurt) and half mashed avocado.
• Make it vegetarian: For a vegetarian version, use mashed chickpeas or chopped baked tofu instead.
• Swap the dressing: Use this avocado hummus as the dressing instead of just using avocados.

Tips for Making Avocado Chicken Salad

Here are some tips for making this chicken salad recipe:

• Swap with guacamole: If you can't find ripe avocados, consider using guacamole in place of the mashed avocado. This is also a great trick for meal prep since it makes it easy to pack in advance, since the packaged guacamole doesn't brown as quickly.
• Make it chunky: For a chunkier salad, don't mash the avocado as much and leave it in bigger pieces. This is especially delicious if you are using it on a salad.
• Don't be afraid to experiment! You can take this in so many different directions. Add black beans, corn, jalapeno peppers, red onion, and/or cilantro to take it in a Mexican direction. Add basil, roasted red peppers, and feta for a Mediterranean feel. Add Everything Bagel seasoning and sprouts to create the flavors of a really yummy avocado toast. There are so many fun options.
• Add bacon: Add crumbled bacon for a delicious salty element. Center-cut or turkey bacon will keep things lighter.

Ways to Serve Avocado Chicken Salad

There are so many different ways to enjoy this dish and ways to serve it. Here are some of our favorites.

• Needless to say, this makes an amazing sandwich layered between some toasted whole wheat bread and piled high with tomatoes, red onion, lettuce, and sprouts. It's also great in a low-carb or high-fiber wrap.
• For a low-carb option, hollow out some tomatoes and stuff them with the avocado chicken salad instead. Make sure to season the tomatoes with salt and pepper first so that the whole dish is super flavorful.
• Serve wrapped up in Bibb lettuce leaves or piled high on cucumber slices for a party or lunch.
• Grab some crackers, pretzels, or pita chips and use the avocado chicken salad as a dip with some freshly sliced veggies.
• Use it as a topping for a big green salad.

Storing Avocado Chicken Salad

Generally speaking, chicken salad will last 3-4 days in the fridge. However, since this version has avocado, it sometimes browns sooner, usually 1-2 days after preparing it, even with the lemon juice. If you want to prep it in advance, I recommend making everything except the avocado. Then simply mash the avocado and add it to the salad when you are ready to eat.