This avocado chicken salad is wonderfully creamy and satisfying. It's one of my favorite lunches (this Thai chicken salad is another one). The addition of eggs and bacon makes it rich and flavorful, and it's ready in 15 minutes!
I love having a salad for lunch. Summer, winter, it doesn't matter - I find salads incredibly fresh-tasting, versatile, and filling. I have a main-course salad for lunch at least once a week. This avocado chicken salad is one of my favorite lunches. I make a big bowl and dig right in! It reminds me of Cobb chicken salad, but it's easier, so I make it more often.
Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this salad. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Chicken breast: Cooked and shredded. I often used baked chicken breast or broiled chicken breast.
- Hard-boiled eggs: Chopped or sliced. The eggs add not just flavor but also a nice color to the salad.
- Avocado: I use one large avocado.
- Diced red onion: I use just a small amount to add flavor, crunch, and a pop of color. Too much can overwhelm the salad, but a small amount is perfect.
- Bacon: This is the secret ingredient! You don't need a lot - just two strips - and they add wonderful richness and smoky flavor.
- For the dressing: Olive oil, fresh lemon juice (it helps keep the avocado from browning), Dijon mustard (which helps the dressing emulsify), fresh garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper.
Variations
- Sometimes, I add a small amount of thinly sliced celery for added crunch.
- You can replace the red onions with thinly sliced green onions.
- If I don't have bacon, I sometimes use chopped deli meat such as ham or smoked turkey.
- Rather than whisking the dressing separately, you can simply assemble the salad, drizzle it with olive oil and lemon juice, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and gently mix.
- You can use this classic vinaigrette to dress this salad.
Instructions
Making this salad is so easy! Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps:
Your first step is to whisk together the dressing ingredients until they emulsify into a smooth, velvety dressing.
Add the salad ingredients to a large bowl. Pour the dressing on top and gently mix to combine.
That's it! Your tasty lunch is ready.
Expert Tips
- When making this salad, you should definitely use Haas avocado. It's creamy and flavorful, while other avocado varieties can be watery or fibrous.
- I also recommend that you pick a large avocado that's just ripe, not hard, but not too soft.
- When stirring the salad, be gentle so that the avocado chunks and eggs stay intact.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use shredded rotisserie chicken if you'd like. White or dark meat - both work, although my personal preference in this salad is for white meat. Make sure to remove the skin. Its texture won't work in a salad.
You can, but Dijon is highly recommended. It's creamier, less vinegary, and will work better to help the dressing emulsify. If you opt for yellow mustard, add a teaspoon of mayonnaise to the dressing.
Medium-boiled eggs would work better, but if you'd like to add soft-boiled eggs and let the yolk run into the salad, that's fine, too!
Serving Suggestions
I keep it simple and serve this salad in a bowl or a plate- there's really no need for a bun. But if you'd like, you could serve it on (or in) any of the following:
Storing Leftovers
You can keep this salad in an airtight container in the fridge, but I wouldn't try to keep the leftovers for longer than a day or so. The avocado will not stay fresh. It's best to finish this salad on the day you make it. I don't recommend freezing this salad.
More Chicken Salad Recipes
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15-Minute Avocado Chicken Salad
Video
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic - minced
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black peppeer
Salad:
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast - shredded; 10 ounces, from 2 medium chicken breasts
- 2 hard boiled eggs - chopped or sliced
- 1 Haas avocado - large, diced
- 2 tablespoons red onion - diced
- 2 bacon slices - cooked, chopped
Instructions
- Combine the dressing ingredients (olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper) in a small bowl and whisk until they emulsify into a smooth dressing.
- In a large salad bowl, add the chicken, eggs, avocado, red onions, and bacon.
- Add the dressing and stir to combine. Be gentle so that the avocado chunks and eggs stay intact. Serve immediately.
Notes
- You should definitely go with Haas avocado when making this salad. It's creamy and flavorful. Other avocado varieties can be watery or fibrous. Pick a large avocado that's just ripe, not hard, but not too soft.
- You can use shredded rotisserie chicken if you'd like. White or dark meat - both work, although my personal preference in this salad is for white meat. Make sure to remove the skin. Its texture won't work in a salad.
- You can keep this salad in an airtight container in the fridge, but I wouldn't try to keep the leftovers for longer than a day or so. The avocado will not stay fresh. It's best to finish this salad on the day you make it.
Nutrition per Serving
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Beth says
Such a simple recipe yet tastes amazing! I love how the dressing ties it all together. This will become part of my lunch rotation for sure.
Vered DeLeeuw says
I'm really glad you enjoyed this salad, Beth! It's definitely one of my favorite lunches.