Guacamole Chicken Salad is a spin on the classic summer recipe. No mayonnaise here, just creamy avocado!
This recipe is perfect for on the go meals, especially packed lunches since you can eat it cold on a sandwich, build it into a salad or have it as a dip with chips.
Sandwiches are the go-to packed lunch option, and it makes sense – they’re easy to put together and filling! So variety is key before you start getting sick of the same old turkey and cheese sammie day after day.
Hence, you gotta try this recipe! It’ll upgrade your packed lunch game like no turkey and cheese sandwich could.
A Spin on a Classic Recipe
Traditional chicken salad is made with mayo, but in this recipe, the avocado replaces the mayo. You get the same creaminess from the avocados!
Since this chicken salad is made with avocado, I find the usual add-ins in chicken salad like walnuts and raisins don’t go well, which is why I put a Mexican twist on it with the guacamole. I adapted my simple 4 ingredient guacamole recipe and gave it a kick with some spices.
But don’t worry if you don’t like spicy things! I can’t withstand much spice….I always go for a 2 out of 5 on level of spiciness at restaurants, so this has more of a hint of spice! But of course, as always, adapt the recipe for your taste buds!
If you also love a good classic chicken salad recipe, give my cranberry walnut chicken salad recipe a try. It’s more of a tradiontal recipe, but also has Greek yogurt for creaminess – not just mayo!
Steps & Instructions
This recipe is a – throw all the ingredients in a bowl and mash well – kinda recipe aka super easy and super simple! In my opinion, the best kind of recipe.
Since it’s quarantine, we’re stocked up on canned chicken. I love having canned proteins on hand like canned chicken, salmon, beans, etc. It makes for quick meals. You can use canned chicken in so many different ways, but I’d say chicken salad is probably what comes to mind most often.
I always drain the liquid from the can before adding the chicken to the bowl. Since the chicken is pretty salty, I only add a 1/4 tsp of salt to the recipe. However, if you’re cooking the chicken yourself, you’ll want to add more salt.
I wanted to give this chicken salad some spice, so we got jalapeno and cayenne pepper for spice. Onion, garlic and paprika blend so well, so all together you got one flavorful chicken salad recipe!
Serving Suggestions
You can eat this straight outta the bowl if you’re feeling it. Put it on crackers, make it into a sandwich or a melt with cheese, or a bowl with beans and rice and your favorite veggies – so many ways!
My go-to is a sandwich with a slice of tomato, lettuce and onion – just like a classic chicken salad sandwich but guac style!
Storage Tips
As you’re probably familiar with guacamole, food with avocado turns brown with time as it’s exposed to the air. To prevent it from turning brown, place saran wrap over the container and press the saran wrap so that it touches the salad.
This will limit air exposure and keep it as fresh as possible. Most prepared food can be eaten within a week. However, with this recipe, I’d recommend eating it within 4 days for optimal freshness.
Guacamole Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 2 large avocados
- 12oz can of chicken drained or 1.5 cups chicken breast
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 seeded and minced jalapeno
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- cilantro for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients in a bowl and mash well with a potato masher or fork.
- Refrigerate and serve cold as a salad, sandwich or dip!
- Garnish with extra jalapeno and cilantro if desired.
Notes
- If cooking your own chicken instead of using canned chicken, more salt will be needed than 1/4 tsp since canned chicken is very salty.
- Add more or less spice as needed for your taste buds!
- When storing, place saran wrap on top and press it into the salad so that it reduces oxygen exposure and delays it from turning brown.
Love this recipe. . . easy to make and adds variety to what I often consider a “boring” meal. . .lunch.
Lunch can get a bit boring! Glad you found this helpful in adding variety!