Guacamole Chicken Salad is a spin on the classic summer sandwich. 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 like 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.
Making Guacamole Chicken
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 super simple 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!
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 recipes.
Since it’s quarantine, we have a ton of canned chicken. I drain the liquid from the can before adding it to the bowl. Since the chicken is pretty salty, I only add a 1/4 tsp of salt to the bowl. If you are cooking the chicken yourself, you’ll want to add more salt.
The spice mix is a combination of garlic powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper.
You can add cilantro, but I didn’t have any at the time of shooting these photos, so this is what we got! But I’ve made it with cilantro and it of course goes well because ……well guacamole!
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!
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 regular sized avocados
- 1 12oz can of chicken drained or 1.5 cups chicken breast
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice
Instructions
- Add the drained chicken, diced onion, spices and lemon juice in a bowl and mash well.
- Refrigerate and serve cold as a salad, sandwich or dip!
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!
If you ever make a recipe, tag me on Instagram @monicanedeff.rdn I love seeing your creations and sharing them with the community! Please comment and give this recipe a star rating if you’ve made it as it greatly helps support this blog and my small biz, thank you! Happy cooking!
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!