Mexican chicken avocado salad - filling, satisfying, and, with full of flavors this easy wholesome dish will make you fall in love with salads.
If you are not a big fan of salads because you find them boring and not filling then try this healthy salad recipe. I am sure that this recipe will change your views on salads.
This chicken avocado salad is inspired by Mexican flavors such as Mexican rice, cilantro-lime rice, etc.. The spicy, tangy, crunchy, and meaty combination in this salad makes this dish flavorful and satisfying.
Ingredients you will need!
- Chicken - use skinless chicken breasts or boneless and skinless chicken thighs.
- Spices - chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika, and cumin powder are the main spices that bring out amazing flavors in the chicken.
- Salad base - use cucumbers, avocados, roasted corn kernels, spring mix, etc.
- Lime/lemon juice - you will need it to make the salad dressing. Also, drizzle some lime juice on the chicken while cooking for added tangy flavors.
- Olive oil - use cooking oil for roasting chicken and extra virgin olive oil for preparing the salad dressing.
- Garlic cloves - add finely minced garlic into the salad dressing.
- Fresh cilantro - use fresh leaves in the salad base and chop them finely to add in the dressing.
How to make a chicken avocado salad?
Cooking Chicken
Cut chicken breast in half along its length. It will reduce its cooking time and will be more flavorful. In a small mixing bowl combine dry spices like chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin powder with some salt, and black pepper. Then rub each piece of chicken breast with the prepared spice mixture evenly.
Then heat some oil in a large cast-iron skillet and place the chicken pieces without overlapping. Cook the chicken on both sides until well done. Once done let it cool before adding into the salad.
Salad Dressing
For making the salad dressing, in a small mixing bowl add extra virgin olive oil, lime or lemon juice, finely minced garlic, fresh chopped cilantro, and some salt. Mix well using a small whisk. Or, use a small mason jar to combine all the ingredients, close the lid and shake it to mix well.
Preparing Salad Base
In a large mixing bowl combine spring mix, corn kernels, diced cucumbers, and diced avocados. Gently toss everything well.
Finishing the Salad
Finally, cut the chicken into thick slices and add them to the greens mixture. Drizzle the prepared olive oil dressing and gently mix the salad. Salad servers or salad hands make it very easy to mix the salad ingredients.
Serving suggestions
- A large serving bowl of this salad is filling and sufficient for a wholesome lunch or dinner.
- You can serve this salad on the side of Mexican flavored soups such as black bean soup or lentil soup, turkey chili, etc.
- You can also add cilantro-lime brown rice or cilantro-lime quinoa into this Mexican salad for added fibers and carbohydrates.
Helpful Tips!
- Buy organic and pasture-raised chicken whenever possible. Remove the skin on the chicken pieces to reduce the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol. And, use boneless chicken for this recipe.
- Do not overcook the chicken else the meat will be hard and chewy in texture.
- Roast the corn kernels in the same pan after cooking the chicken. Drippings and seasonings from the chicken add flavors to the corn kernels. You can also use raw corn kernels if you want to avoid this step.
Recipe variations
- Skip the salad part and serve the cooked chicken breasts on the side of Mexican style brown rice. You can also add homemade guacamole into this menu.
- Summer barbecue grilling - marinate the chicken with the spices mentioned above in advance. Then cook them on an outdoor grill for the smokey taste. And follow all the recipe instructions for making the awesome grilled chicken avocado salad.
- Chipotle bowl: Add cooked black beans or pinto beans, cilantro-lime rice, a dollop of sour cream, guacamole instead of diced avocados and Mexican cheese blend to turn this salad into a Chipotle-style bowl.
FAQs:
How can you tell if the chicken is cooked?
Using a knife make a small incision on the thickest side of the chicken. If its center appears light pink in color this would mean you will need to cook the chicken a little longer. And, if it appears white then the chicken is fully cooked.
What can I do with leftover Mexican salad?
I recommend mixing greens, meat, and dressing just before serving the salad based on the number of servings. You can store leftover chicken and dressing and prepare a quick 'n fresh salad the next day. Storing leftover salad will make the salad greens wilt down from the salt in the dressing.
More Healthy Mexican Recipes
- One-Pot Mexican Chicken And Rice
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Mexican Tomato Brown Rice
- Air Fryer Corn
- Cilantro Lime Quinoa
- Homemade Healthy Guacamole
📖 Recipe
Mexican Chicken Avocado Salad
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Equipment
Ingredients
Cooking Chicken
- 2 chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon cooking oil
- salt and pepper
Salad Base
- 4 cup spring mix (or lettuce) or more
- 2 avocados peeled and diced
- 1 cup roasted corn kernels see notes
- ¼ fresh chopped cilantro
- 4 small cucumbers sliced
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes sliced optional
Dressing
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 small garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- salt and pepper
Instructions
Cooking chicken
- In a small mixing bowl prepare the spice mix with chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin powder, salt, and pepper.
- Cut the chicken breast in half along its length and evenly coat with the prepared spice rub.
- In a cast-iron skillet, heat some cooking oil on medium heat.
- Place chicken pieces in a single layer and cook for about 3 min. Then flip the chicken and cook on the other side for another 3 min or until well done.
- Let it cool and then slice or dice into bite-size pieces.
Salad Dressing
- In a small mixing bowl combine olive oil, lime juice, finely minced garlic, fresh cilantro, salt, and pepper. Mix well and keep aside.
Salad base
- In a large salad mixing bowl add greens, diced avocados, corn kernels, cucumber etc.
- Then add sliced chicken and prepared salad dressing to the salad base. Using two wooden spatulas or salad hands gently mix everything well.
Notes
- Cutting chicken breast in half lengthwise will help absorb more flavors while reducing cooking time compared to the whole thick piece.
- Grilled Chicken Salad: during summertime, you can also grill the chicken on the barbecue for awesome smokey flavors.
- You can use your choice of greens in the salad base, for example, use only lettuce or a mix of spinach, arugula, and kale, etc.
- If you want to save the salad for another day or meal prep then store the chicken, avocado, and salad dressing separately. Simply mix with the salad base or greens just before serving the next time you want to enjoy them.
Kim says
This looks perfect for an easy summer dinner! We love chicken salads, so this is right up our alley.
Jessica Kirk says
All my favorite ingredients put together in flavorful salad. Quick, easy meals in the summer are in high demand in our house and this will definitely be on the menu.