This chipotle chicken salad with avocado is fresh, creamy, and full of contrasting textures that leave you craving more. It is the perfect way to make use of a leftover chicken in the fridge or a rotisserie chicken. The mild heat of chipotle peppers plays perfectly against the cooling creaminess of the avocado.
This is actually making use of a grilled chicken salad recipe I've already published, but I didn't discover this delicious adaptation until I began re-purposing leftovers. I loved this version of the recipe so much I thought it deserved its own feature.
Ingredients you will need
- Cooked chicken - Use leftover chicken or grab a rotisserie chicken from the store.
- Celery
- Green Onions
- Red Onion - Feel free to substitute another onion or shallots.
- Cilantro - You want fresh, not dried cilantro.
- Chipotle Pepper in Adobo sauce - This is typically found in the Mexican food aisle of the grocery store.
- Adobo Sauce - This is the sauce coating the chipotle peppers.
- Mayo
- Lime Juice - Fresh squeezed or bottled works fine.
- Ripe Avocados - Make sure the avocados have blackened and are slightly soft to the touch.
How to Make it
Preparing a chicken salad is pretty easy once the chicken is cooked. All of the ingredients get added to a large bowl and mixed together. It is really as easy as that! Taste for salt and adjust as needed.
Mixing chicken salad isn’t an overly difficult process, but I find a good, flexible, spatula is perfectly suited for the job. A silicon spatula like the one in this kitchen tool set is perfect. Its flexibility allows for gently combining ingredients without excessive mashing.
Once the chicken salad is ready the avocados can be sliced in half. Remove the pit and the skin and then load up with the chipotle chicken salad and enjoy.
Tips and Tricks
- Lightly coat the cut avocados with lime juice to prevent browning if they aren't being eaten immediately.
- Add a few splashes of your favorite hot sauce to bring some heat to the party.
FAQs
Yes! Chicken salad is actually best when made a day prior because the flavors have time to meld together. This is a perfect recipe to make in advance and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to enjoy!
It is best to leave avocado unpeeled until you are ready to use it. However, you can successfully store it in the refrigerator if you prevent oxygen from reaching its surface, which will turn it brown. The best way to do this is to lightly rub the avocado with lime juice then wrap it tightly with plastic food wrap.
More Chicken Salad Recipes
Chipotle Chicken Salad with Avocado
Ingredients
- 4 cups Shredded cooked chicken
- 1 rib Celery diced
- 2 Green Onions chopped
- ¼ cup diced Red Onion
- ¼ cup chopped Fresh Cilantro
- 1 Chipotle Pepper in Adobo sauce minced
- 2 teaspoons Adobo Sauce
- ¾ cup Mayo
- 1 tablespoon Lime Juice about half a lime
- Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste
- 3 Avocados
Instructions
- Shred the chicken and place in a large bowl.
- Add vegetables to the bowl with chicken.
- In smaller bowl add wet ingredients and seasonings and combine thoroughly.
- Pour mayo mixture over shredded chicken mixture and toss to evenly coat.
- Right before serving cut the avocado in half and place a healthy portion on each half of the avocados.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published July 31, 2015 on FoxValleyFoodie.com.
Mimi of MimiAvocado
Beautifully peeled avocado halves, stuffed with deliciousness! I'm sharing your post on our family farm FB page today http://www.CaliforniaAvocadosDirect.com
Fox Valley Foodie
Thanks so much! I really appreciate that!