There is no denying that the classic, mayonnaise-based chicken salad has been served to countless kids after school or taken to work to fill the role of a boring, plain lunch just to get people through the day. It has all the potential to be something better than what it is, but just seems to always fall short of expectations. Some people try to improve it with nuts or grapes or just about whatever they can find in the fridge, but it still ends up being mostly bland and relatively unhealthy. Today's recipe, Avocado Chicken Salad, is the answer you all have been looking for to make a chicken salad delicious and healthy! Using plain Greek yogurt and mashed avocado as the base dressing, this rich and creamy chicken salad is elevated to the max yet keeps macros and nutrition in check for Low Carb/KETO diets and anyone watching their bad fats, AKA mayonnaise, intake. Let's Get Cooking!
As you can probably imagine, this recipe is fairly simple and straightforward. I chose to use leftover rotisserie chicken, but you can certainly grill or bake some chicken breasts and roughly chop them into bite-sized pieces as well. Honestly, even canned cook chicken would work in a pinch if you are just feeling that lazy, but to each their own so use whatever chicken you have on hand or wish to make. Otherwise, the only other prep work for this Avocado Chicken Salad is the veggies. Finely dice some red onion and a jalapeno. Slice the celery stalks in half lengthwise then cut across the grain into small half-round slices. Peel the avocados and remove the seed. If you prefer a chunkier chicken salad, simply remove the flesh and cut into pieces. I ended up scooping my avocados and mashing them for a smoother base, but by all means make yours as you wish and prefer.
Once you have the chicken and other ingredients prepped, we simply just need to combine them all together in a large mixing bowl. Start with the avocados and mash them to your desired consistency or leave as small chunks.
Next, add the plain Greek yogurt and mix well with the avocados to form the base mixture. These two ingredients are essentially acting as the mayonnaise in normal chicken salad.
To prevent the avocados from turning brown too quickly, add the lime juice next. You can also go ahead and season with the garlic, salt, and pepper.
Once you have these first ingredients combined into a creamy, homogenous mixture, add the finely diced red onion and jalapeno. You can also go ahead and add the celery at this point as well.
Finish up this Avocado Chicken Salad with the chicken, of course, and be sure to give it a quick taste test for any additional salt or pepper.
Once you are happy with your Avocado Chicken Salad's flavor, cover it with a lid and refrigerate it for at least one hour or so. This will give time for all those flavors to combine and really make for the best chicken salad you will have ever tasted! If you are following a Low Carb or KETO diet, simply enjoy this as is with no bread or anything. You can toss in some freshly chopped cilantro to give it a boost of flavor and drizzle on some sriracha for a burst of color and a touch of spice! I ate mine both as is and, on some bread, and truly enjoyed both so no one has to worry about FOMO (fear of missing out) just because of their more restrictive diet. Otherwise, that pretty much wraps up this simple and delicious Avocado Chicken Salad. It's a great way to use up leftover chicken or just change up that boring old chicken salad you usually suffer through at work. It's full of good protein and all the healthy fats so your doctor can't even complain if you decide to make this a staple in your diet going forward...Just Keep Cooking!
AVOCADO CHICKEN SALAD
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