Avocado Chicken Salad

Creamy chunks of avocado are combined with tender pieces of chicken in a fresh and slightly spicy dressing to make this Avocado Chicken Salad.

Avocado enthusiasts will love this dish but even if you’re not wild about the creamy green fruit, I encourage you to give this recipe a try. My family hasn’t always loved avocados, but they went crazy over this chicken salad recipe.

After my boys decided they loved guacamole a few years ago, the Roasted Garlic and Bacon Guacamole and the Pomegranate Guacamole have been on regular rotation.

(Side note, don’t knock that Pomegranate Guacamole until you’ve tried it, my friends. It’s incredible!)

We almost always have avocados in the house these days, because I buy as many as possible every time they’re on sale. I do my best to use them before they are overly ripe, but occasionally we wind up with several ripe avocados that need to be used asap.

There are worse problems to have than an overabundance of avocados, right? Whenever this happens, I take the opportunity to do what I do best: have some fun getting creative in the kitchen.

This Avocado Chicken Salad was the fortunate result of having a few too many avocados in the house along with a rotisserie chicken that was begging to be made into a salad for sandwiches.

When we tried Avocado Chicken Salad for the first time, we couldn’t believe how great it turned out! 

Everyone in my family opted to eat their chicken salad in a different way, so we can vouch that it’s delicious however you consume it.

My boys enjoyed Avocado Chicken Salad on top of toasted slices of sourdough bread. I ate my chicken salad with a handful of multi-grain crackers and Sean opted for eating it lettuce wrap style.

The Avocado Chicken Salad would also be tasty in a wrap or on top of a garden salad. Another time we made this recipe, we ate it layered in between a couple slices of bread for more traditional chicken salad sandwiches.

How To Make Avocado Chicken Salad

To make this recipe, combine bite-size pieces of chicken and avocado in a medium size mixing bowl. Stir together mayonnaise, Cholula or other hot sauce of choice, salt, pepper, and fresh lime juice. That’s it!

I love to serve this Avocado Chicken Salad with a little chopped cilantro on top. The herb adds a wonderful fresh flavor that goes well with the spice and creaminess in the recipe. If you’re not a cilantro fan, parsley is also a wonderful garnish.

The hot sauce is optional, however it adds a depth of flavor and very little heat. I highly recommend trying it. The lime juice and the hot sauce combine for a terrific flavor combination.

Chicken Salad Recipes

Chicken salads are one of our go-to lunch options around here. They’re delicious, versatile, easy to make and a great use for leftover cooked chicken or store-bought rotisserie chicken.

I often find myself making these recipes on hot summer days when I want to cook a homemade meal without turning on the stove or oven.

If you like this Avocado Chicken Salad recipe, you might also enjoy 5 Minute Ranch Chicken Salad. It’s one of my most frequently eaten fast and easy lunch recipes and I love it as a chicken salad sandwich, in a wrap or eaten a top of a garden salad of fresh raw veggies. It would also be a fantastic hearty dip for raw veggies!

Then there’s Cashew Chicken Salad, a recipe I created when I had a craving for a certain chicken salad served at a favorite restaurant. It has sweet juicy red grapes, crunchy roasted cashews and a little lemon juice that gives the chicken salad a bright tangy flavor.

Another of my favorites is this Chicken Salad Wrap. Eaten on a homemade or store bought tortilla and with plenty of tang, it’s a great option for a packed lunch, picnic or quick meal at home.

For chicken salads without mayonnaise or other creamy dressings, check out Chinese Chicken Salad with Ginger Sesame Dressing and Fuji Apple Chicken Salad.

Avocado Recipes

For more avocado recipes you might enjoy, check out this Bacon, Bleu Cheese, and Shrimp Chopped Salad, and this Fresh Corn Dip with Avocado and Bacon. This Avocado Cream Sauce is a favorite for dipping grilled chicken or for topping burgers.

For an avocado centered dinner idea, how about Taco Stuffed Avocados with Chipotle Cream? or these Low Carb Spicy Tuna Stuffed Avocados?

How to Tell if Avocados are Ripe

If you don’t buy a lot of avocados, it can be tricky to figure out which ones to select from the produce bin.

If you’ll be eating or using the avocados in a recipe the same day, aim to buy them ripe. If you won’t be using them for a couple of days, look for avocados that are not yet at peak ripeness. A ripe avocado can become overly ripe within as little as a day!

A ripe avocado will be a little firm but yield when gently squeezed. Under-ripened avocados are rock hard while overly ripe avocados will feel soft and mushy. If you buy avocados that aren’t yet ripe, simply leave them on the countertop for a few days or until they ripen.

Rotisserie Chicken Recipes

Who doesn’t love rotisserie chicken? Tender and savory and conveniently available at many grocery stores, rotisserie chicken is such a great starter for lots of quick and easy meals.

You can use any cooked chicken for this chicken salad recipe, but I happened to have rotisserie chicken on hand and it worked like a dream.

For more ways to use rotisserie chicken, check out Southwest Chicken Salad, BBQ Chicken Nachos and Strawberry Chicken Salad with Warm Vinaigrette.

Kitchen Tip: I use this knife and this bowl to make this recipe.

Avocado Chicken Salad

5 from 13 votes

Creamy chunks of avocado are combined with tender pieces of chicken in a fresh and slightly spicy dressing to make this Avocado Chicken Salad.

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Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 10 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients 

• ▢ 3 cups cooked chicken, chopped into 1/2″ pieces
• ▢ 2 large avocados, cut into 1/2″ pieces
• ▢ 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• ▢ 1-3 tablespoons Cholula hot sauce, adjust to taste
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• ▢ 2-3 teaspoons fresh lime juice, about 1 small lime
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro or parsley

Instructions

• Combine the chicken and avocado in a medium size mixing bowl. In a small bowl or large glass measuring cup, stir together the mayonnaise, hot sauce, salt, pepper, and lime juice. 
• Add the dressing to the chicken and avocado and stir well to coat. Serve on sandwiches, on toast, on lettuce, or with crackers. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro or parsley before serving. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate if not eating immediately. This salad will keep nicely in the refrigerator for a few days. Enjoy.

Notes

I use a rotisserie chicken to make this recipe most of the time. However, any leftover chicken will work nicely.

I add the full 3 tablespoons of Cholula hot sauce in the recipe and there is almost no heat at all. It simply adds a nice depth of flavor to the salad. If you’re leery of that, start with just a small amount and taste as you add it until it is the right amount for you.

Nutrition

Calories: 325kcal · Protein: 17g · Fat: 28g · Saturated Fat: 5g · Cholesterol: 63mg · Sodium: 209mg · Potassium: 147mg · Vitamin A: 75IU · Calcium: 10mg · Iron: 0.9mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @barefeetkitchen or tag #barefeetkitchen!

{originally published 6/25/18 – recipe notes and photos updated 2/12/21}