Avocado Chicken Salad (Printable)
Shredded chicken and avocado tossed with crisp vegetables and lime-garlic dressing — ready in 30 minutes.
# What You'll Need:
→ Proteins
01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or diced (about 2 medium breasts)
→ Vegetables & Fruits
02 - 2 ripe avocados, diced
03 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
04 - 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
05 - 1 small cucumber, diced
06 - 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
→ Dressing
07 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
09 - 1 clove garlic, minced
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
11 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
→ Optional Add-ins
12 - 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
13 - 1/4 cup sliced almonds
# Steps:
01 - Dice the avocados, halve the cherry tomatoes, finely chop the red onion, dice the cucumber, and chop the fresh cilantro. Shred or dice the cooked chicken breast into bite-sized pieces.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the shredded chicken, diced avocados, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped red onion, diced cucumber, and cilantro.
03 - In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, fresh lime juice, minced garlic, salt, and ground black pepper until well blended.
04 - Pour the dressing over the salad ingredients and gently toss until everything is evenly coated, being careful not to mash the avocado.
05 - Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese and sliced almonds over the top if desired, then toss lightly to incorporate.
06 - Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The creamy avocado coats everything like a built in dressing so you never feel like youre eating a sad desk salad.
- It comes together in the time it takes to drink a glass of iced tea and change out of your work clothes.
02 -
- Avocado browns fast, so if you are making this more than thirty minutes ahead, press plastic wrap directly against the surface of the salad and squeeze out every bit of air.
- Tossing too aggressively turns this into guacamole with chicken in it, which is still delicious but definitely not what you were going for.
03 -
- Dice the avocado last of all the ingredients so it spends the least amount of time exposed to air before getting coated in lime juice.
- A rotisserie chicken from the deli section will save you fifteen minutes and actually tastes better in this salad because the seasoned skin adds depth to the meat.