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Avocado Chicken Salad

Avocado Chicken Salad – Take chicken salad to a new level with avocado!  It is naturally creamy without any mayo or sour cream.  Great for quick lunches, easy dinners and even picnics!

We are true avocado lovers in this house.  We could live on Guacamole if we had to.  It wasn’t until just a couple years ago that my son decided he liked avocados, but since then he has not turned back! 

If I am making the grocery list and ask if anyone needs anything, he immediately suggests avocados.  He makes avocado toast on the weekends and these Chicken Tostadas with a thick layer of avocado are always a must.

Chicken salad with avocados and no mayo

 


Needless to say, we always have a fridge full of avocados, so this chicken salad can be made almost any day of the week.  I do like to take a little help from the store and use a rotisserie chicken. It is just so much easier than cooking and shredding the chicken myself.  Plus theirs is always perfectly cooked and well seasoned, so I know it will be great every time.

And let’s talk about the elephant in the room. I don’t like mayo. So classic chicken salad isn’t my favorite, even though my family loves it.  But you add avocado, and I am 100% on board!  More things in life should involve avocados! 

Avocado Chicken Salad with no mayo or sour cream. All the ingredients in a bowl ready to mix

What’s In Avocado Chicken Salad

  • Shredded Chicken
  • Avocado
  • Tomato
  • Red Onion
  • Cilantro
  • Lime Juice
  • Salt & Pepper

I really like to use a rotisserie chicken for this because it is already seasoned and makes it super quick and easy! But any kind of chicken you like will work great. You can use leftover chicken, pre-cooked chicken, chicken strips….just about anything.

No mayo chicken salad with avocado

How to Make Avocado Chicken Salad

  1. Start by mixing your shredded chicken with 1 mashed avocado. This will help bind everything together and give it the classic creamy texture that everyone loves.
  2. Next you dice a second avocado and add it to the mix. I like to have little chunks throughout to give you a little different texture and really make it taste like avocado.
  3. I like to add finely chopped onion, tomato and cilantro to my chicken salad as well.
  4. A little lime juice is added to make sure that it doesn’t turn brown. It also just brightens up the flavor a little bit.
  5. Finally season with salt and pepper to your taste and serve.
  6. If you like things spicy, a little bit of hot sauce can be added as well. Or even just Sriracha when serving is delicious!

This avocado chicken salad should be made the day you are going to eat it.  No matter what you do to avocados, they will not last for more than a few hours after you cut into them. 

Toasted bread topped with chicken salad made with avocado and no mayo

How to Tell if Avocados Are Ripe

If you don’t frequently buy avocados it can be a little over whelming when you look at the giant bin of them at the grocery store.  How you pick really depends on when you want to use it.  If you want to use it that day look for one that is dark green in color.  When you pick it up, it will give a little when you gently squeeze it, it will still be firm and not mushy, but has a little give.  When you get home store it in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

If you just want them on hand to use later in the week you want to pick one that is much firmer. The brighter the green the skin is, the longer it will take to ripen. Avocados can ripen quickly, so when you get home just put it on your counter and check it every day to see when it starts to give.  Then you can place it in the fridge until you are ready to make something with it.

avocacdo chicken salad horizontal picture

Is Avocado Chicken Salad Creamy

Absolutely! It does have a slightly different texture than the traditional one made with mayo, but mashing most of the avocado really gives it the creamy texture that you know and love.

What To Serve With Avocado Chicken Salad

How To Serve Avocado Chicken Salad

They are great to take on a picnic as well. You can make the chicken salad and then just let people make their sandwich when it is time.  And you don’t have to worry about the mayo going bad, these will still be fresh and delicious!

  • Bun – a good ol’ hamburger bun works great!
  • Croissant – a buttery flakey croissant is so good with chicken salad.
  • Wrap – put it in your favorite tortilla or wrap and fold it up.
  • Lettuce – keep things low carb and healthier by serving it on a bed of fresh spinach, mixed greens or your favorite lettuce.
  • Stuffed Tomatoes – In the summer when tomatoes are super fresh hollowing out the inside and stuffing it with chicken salad is a great idea for a buffet or to feed a crowd.
  • Crackers – my family loves to enjoy it almost like a dip and serve on whole grain crackers.
close up avocado chicken salad

More Chicken Recipes

 

Yield: 4

Avocado Chicken Salad

Avocado Chicken Salad - Take chicken salad to a new level with avocado!  It is naturally creamy without any mayo or sour cream.  Great for quick lunches, easy dinners and even picnics!

Avocado Chicken Salad - Take chicken salad to a new level with avocado!  It is naturally creamy without any mayo or sour cream.  Great for quick lunches, easy dinners and even picnics!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups shredded chicken
  • 1 avocado, mashed
  • 1 avocado, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
  • 2 Tablespoons onion, finely chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato, finely chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

    1. In a large bowl combine chicken with the mashed avocado, mix until the chicken is coated. 
    2. Add the diced avocado, onion, tomato, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper to the bowl and fold until everything is blended. 
    3. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
    4. Serve on sandwich bread, a pita, hamburger buns, or even lettuce cups.



Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 278Total Fat 19gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 14gCholesterol 51mgSodium 191mgCarbohydrates 10gFiber 7gSugar 1gProtein 19g

Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.

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Erin S
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Deseree

Saturday 11th of April 2020

I love that you added avocado and eliminated any mayo or sour cream! I am going to make this and wrap it in lettuce for a delicious lettuce wrap for lunch!

Jacque Hastert

Saturday 11th of April 2020

I love anything with avocado! This is going to be made for lunches next week and I can't wait!

Catalina

Friday 10th of April 2020

This is my kind of lunch! I am sure that my family will love it too!

katerina @ diethood.com

Friday 10th of April 2020

I LOVE the avocado in this recipe! Can't wait to try this!

Allyson Zea

Friday 10th of April 2020

While I am allergic to avocado, my husband could eat this for every meal!

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