We’re eating this healthy chicken salad for lunch all summer long and I bet you will too! AVOCADO CHICKEN SALAD skips the heavy dressing in favor of creamy, dreamy avocados! This recipe is quick, simple, and packs in so much flavor from the lime and cilantro.
I am a total sucker for an easy lunch.
You see, we homeschool, which means that my kids are here all day every day.
Which is nice and all, except for that it also means that I have to feed them. Three meals a day. Every day. Forever and ever amen. #sendhelp
I get burnt out on cooking, so through the week they’re on their own for breakfast and I keep lunch as simple as possible.
Enter this avocado chicken salad recipe!
It’s the perfect quick lunch, especially on a hot summer day.
We love how creamy the avocado gets, the vibrant color of the salad, and addition of lime and cilantro to brighten things up.
How to make this avocado chicken salad recipe:
You’re going to want to start with ripe avocados, which is probably the trickiest part of this recipe. 😉 Am I the only one that has trouble with avocados going from too hard to too soft in a matter of minutes?
Dice up your avocado and add it to a mixing bowl with some cooked shredded chicken (rotisserie chicken is perfect for this!), red onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and a little garlic powder.
I also add in a dollop of mayo to make this salad nice and creamy. You could also use Greek yogurt or sour cream, but that will change the nutrition info accordingly.
Stir everything together – no need to be gentle. As you stir, the avocado will break down a bit and start to coat the chicken. It makes this perfectly creamy!
How to serve low carb chicken salad:
You’ve got a couple of options here:
- Lettuce Wraps: The old faithful of the low carb world. 😉 I like romaine.
- Low Carb Tortillas: I’m partial to Mission brand for tacos and Ole Extreme for making wraps.
- Low Carb Crackers: Spoon a little chicken salad on a cracker and eat it like a dip.
- Your Fork: That’s right – just go at it with a fork. No shame, friends.
- Tomato: Hollow out the center of a tomato and fill it with this healthy chicken salad!
Plenty of options to fit any mood or diet.
I’ve been hesitant to include recipes featuring low carb tortillas on this site, because I know some people are pretty strict keto. I’m not, however, and regularly eat low carb tortillas now that they’re so widely available – Walmart carries them and most other large chains do as well.
Curious your thoughts – more recipes showing how to use low carb tortillas or not?
More easy low carb lunch recipes:
Deviled Egg Salad: We love this one in a lettuce wrap!
Corn Dog Muffins: My kids beg for these and there is zero corn!
Cauliflower Mac and Cheese: Stir in some smoked sausage and it’s a meal!
Ranch Grilled Chicken: We always double this when we cook it for dinner so I can use the leftovers for lunch!
Loads more low carb lunch recipes here!
Avocado Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
- 2 medium avocados
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a mixing bowl and mix well to break down the avocado.
- Serve immediately.
- To store, press plastic wrap tightly onto the surface of the salad to keep the avocado from browning. Store in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.
Janice Morgan says
I’ve used the frozen in guacamole and it tasted the same. Just let it thaw first.
Kim says
Love it! It was easy to make. The taste was great. the only changes I made was to use can chicken and a low carb spinach wrap.
Karly Campbell says
Thanks for sharing, Kim!
Kim says
Mmmmm mmmm good!
Irene Hazenberg says
How can I make this gluten free recipe?
Karly Campbell says
This recipe is gluten free, so long as you don’t use the low carb tortillas as a wrap.
Sherry Houston says
Yes please, I also would like recipes with low carb tortillas. Thank you. I’ve been off a low carb diet for awhile and its time to get back. Just discovered your site and thank you for all the wonderful recipes!!
Karly Campbell says
Thanks, Sherry! I’ll keep that in mind!
Hope you do well with low carb!
Kimberly Brewer says
Yes. I would like some low carb tortillas wrap recipes.
I appreciate you sharInf your recipes, I subscribed to your emails.
Thank you very much.
Karen says
Just started Keto and found this recipe. So glad I did. It’s easy to make before work for lunch and tastes amazing . Ate it the fork way accompanied by an egg. Can’t wait to try more recipes. Thank you x
Karly Campbell says
Hi Karen! So glad you like the recipe! 🙂
Karly Campbell says
So glad you like the recipe, Karen! 🙂
Megan says
You think a chopped boiled egg would be good in it? I make a “egg salad” with just chopped boiled egg and avocado on toast it is delish
Karly Campbell says
Yes, for sure! 🙂
Carol says
If you want some avacado and don’t have avacado on hand, walmart sell Holly Molly guacamole, at the end of the produce isle. It’s in personal size small tubs. Sold in both regular, or spicy.
Karly Campbell says
Haha, I think you mean Wholly Guacamole? Yes, it’s yummy, but will change the nutrition and flavor of the salad, so just keep that in mind.
Danni Simmers says
Can you freeze this recipe if vacuum sealed?
Karly Campbell says
I’m really not sure, never tried.
Dianne says
I think the avocados would turn to soup.
Karly Campbell says
You can buy frozen avocado chunks and they hold their shape fine, but we’ve only ever used them in smoothies. Not sure how much it would change the texture once mashed up.
Krista Grieger says
You just cook the chicken right? I got some chicken breasts. I’ll cook it it and shred it. I’m excited to make this tomorrow for lunch.
Karly Campbell says
Yes, you’ll want to use cooked chicken and shred or dice it. 🙂
Paul Robertson says
We produce Cilantro Pesto commercially. I combined the chicken, avocado , and mayo with two tablespoons of Cilatro pesto….delicious! There is a little Serrano pepper in our pesto and it gives a little spice to the receipt.
Gail says
What can I use instead of cilantro? My husband hates cilantro
Karly Campbell says
Parsley would also work, or just leave it out altogether.
Gail says
Thanks so much
Farrah says
I’m not a fan of Mayo so I did use the sour cream instead. I also put 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese and dash of cayenne pepper to give it extra flavor. This dish turned out so yummy. This is defined my go to and will always have some in the fridge. Thank you for this recipe!
Karly Campbell says
Sounds delicious with the cheddar! 🙂
Anca says
Can you please tell me if its 220 calories per serving as a full tortilla or a half? I weight my food and I’m not sure how many grams I can eat. Thank you
Karly Campbell says
The nutrition information only includes what is listed in the ingredients, so no tortillas are counted.
Kim says
this is delish!
Lisa Cavazos says
What can I use instead of mayonnaise
Karly Campbell says
Sour cream would work well.
Jose Rodriguez says
greek yogurt? substitute
Cheri says
I made a few substitutions. I used a can of chunk chicken breast that I shredded up. I used dried minced onion instead of red onion. After mixing it all up thoroughly, I put it inside a low carb tortilla wrap. DELICIOUS!!!
Nicole says
Jalapeno for a little kick in good. Thanks for sharing! I also used a rotisserie chicken help make a delicious lunch.
Jaye Brandon says
Bacon would be good in this too for a keto diet
Karly Campbell says
Yes, that’d be delicious!