Avocado Chicken Salad

Some lunches need a plan. This one needs a bowl and about fifteen minutes.

Jump to:

• Why You Will Like This Avocado Chicken Salad
• What You Need to Make Avocado Chicken Salad
• Avocado Chicken Salad
• How to Make Avocado Chicken Salad Step by Step
• Storing and Keeping Avocado Chicken Salad Fresh
• Tips and Variations for Avocado Chicken Salad
• Common Questions About Avocado Chicken Salad
• Recipes You May Like
• Final Thoughts

I made this avocado chicken salad for the first time on a Tuesday in July, when our apartment was too warm to turn on the stove. There was leftover rotisserie chicken in the fridge, one avocado with maybe a day left in it, and half a cucumber rolling around the drawer. I mashed the avocado with Greek yogurt and lemon juice, stirred everything together, and honestly? I ate three forkfuls standing at the counter before I even sat down.

This avocado chicken salad skips the mayo completely. The avocado does the creamy work, the yogurt keeps it light, and the lemon keeps everything bright and green. No cooking at all if you start with chicken you already have.

Sarah packs it for school with crackers on the side. Alex piles it on toasted bread and calls it a sandwich. I usually eat mine straight from the bowl over a handful of greens.

If you like this one, you will probably want my creamy chicken salad for easy summer lunches too. That is the classic version I learned from my mom as a teenager, and it still gets made in this kitchen every summer.

Why You Will Like This Avocado Chicken Salad

• Fifteen minutes, start to finish. No stove, no oven, no waiting.
• No mayo needed. Mashed avocado and Greek yogurt do the whole job.
• 27 grams of protein per serving. It actually keeps you full until dinner.
• Creamy with a little crunch. Soft avocado, tender chicken, cold cucumber bites.
• One bowl to wash. That is the part I love most on a weeknight.
• Works six different ways. Sandwich, wrap, lettuce cup, cracker dip, salad topper, or spoon.

Prep time is 15 minutes. Total time is 15 minutes. It serves 2 generously, and it doubles without any trouble.

What You Need to Make Avocado Chicken Salad

Everything here is simple and easy to find at any grocery store.

• 1 large ripe avocado, about ½ cup mashed
• 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 cups shredded chicken
• ½ cup diced cucumber
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1 ½ tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

A few notes from my own testing.

The avocado has to be truly ripe. It should give a little when you press near the stem. A firm one will stay lumpy no matter how long you mash, and I have made that mistake more than once.

Rotisserie chicken is my shortcut on weeknights. Poached or baked chicken breast works just as well, and so does leftover roast chicken from Sunday.

No Greek yogurt? Sour cream works. Plain regular yogurt works too, though it makes the mix a little looser.

Fresh dill or cilantro can stand in for the parsley. Sarah picks out the parsley anyway, so I sometimes leave it out and add a bit more green onion instead.

Print

How to Make Avocado Chicken Salad Step by Step

Mash the Avocado Dressing

1. Cut the avocado in half, take out the pit, and scoop the flesh into a medium bowl.
2. Mash it with a fork until it is mostly smooth. You want about ½ cup. A few small lumps are fine and honestly nice.
3. Stir in the Greek yogurt, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, and garlic powder. Mix until it looks creamy and pale green.

This is the whole dressing. No blender, no whisk, no separate bowl to wash.

Add the Chicken and the Crunchy Bits

4. Add the shredded chicken, diced cucumber, sliced green onions, and chopped parsley right into the same bowl.
5. Season with salt and pepper. Start with about ¼ teaspoon of salt and go from there.

Try to shred the chicken into pieces roughly the size of your thumbnail. Big chunks slide out of a sandwich, and I learned that the hard way over Alex's lunchbox.

Toss and Taste

6. Gently stir until every piece of chicken is coated in the avocado dressing. Go slow so the cucumber stays crisp.
7. Taste it. Add another squeeze of lemon if you want it sharper, or more salt if it tastes flat.

That taste step matters more than people think. Avocados vary a lot, and lemon is what wakes the whole bowl up.

Serve Your Avocado Chicken Salad

8. Eat it right away, or chill it for up to an hour before serving.

Pile it on toasted sourdough, a croissant, or a soft sandwich roll. For something lighter, spoon it into lettuce cups or serve it with crackers, pita chips, and cut vegetables for dipping. It is also really good rolled into a wrap with extra greens, or spooned over a plain green salad.

Storing and Keeping Avocado Chicken Salad Fresh

This one tastes best the day you make it. That said, leftovers do keep.

Store the salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Press a piece of plastic wrap right onto the surface before you seal the lid, so less air touches the avocado.

Give it a stir before you serve leftovers. The lemon settles and the top layer can look a little dull.

There is no reheating here. Avocado turns strange and grainy when warm, so keep this one cold. If the salad seems dry on day two, stir in a spoonful of yogurt and a fresh squeeze of lemon.

Tips and Variations for Avocado Chicken Salad

Ever open the fridge and want the same thing but slightly different? Here is what I do.

• Add bacon. Two slices, cooked crisp and crumbled in. Donald requests this every single time.
• Make it spicy. A little diced jalapeño or a few dashes of hot sauce.
• Swap the protein. Canned tuna or chickpeas both work if you are out of chicken.
• Go herby. Dill instead of parsley makes it taste closer to a diner chicken salad.
• Add crunch. Diced celery, red onion, or a handful of toasted sunflower seeds.
• Serve it warm weather style. Scoop it into halved tomatoes or a hollowed cucumber boat.

Two things to watch out for. Do not mash the avocado in advance and leave it sitting, because it browns quickly without acid. And go easy on the vinegar if your lemon is very juicy, or the salad ends up sour.

For a lighter plate alongside, my creamy cucumber salad is what I usually put next to it.

Common Questions About Avocado Chicken Salad

How Do You Keep Avocado Chicken Salad From Turning Brown?

Acid is the answer. The lemon juice and red wine vinegar in this recipe slow the browning quite a bit. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the salad before refrigerating, so air cannot reach it. An extra squeeze of lemon on top helps too. It may darken slightly, but the taste stays fine.

How Long Does Avocado Chicken Salad Last in the Refrigerator?

Up to 2 days in an airtight container. Day one is best by a wide margin. By day two the color fades and the cucumber softens, though it still tastes good. I would not push it past that, mostly because of the chicken.

What Is the Best Chicken to Use for Avocado Chicken Salad?

Rotisserie chicken wins for me. It is already cooked, already seasoned, and shreds easily while still slightly warm. Poached chicken breast is the leanest option and stays very tender. Leftover roasted chicken thighs give the richest taste. Whatever you use, shred it small.

What Can You Serve With Avocado Chicken Salad?

Crackers, pita chips, toasted bread, croissants, or lettuce cups. On the side, I like cut carrots and peppers, a simple green salad, or kettle chips when the kids are home. It also travels well for lunchboxes and picnics if you keep it cold.

Recipes You May Like

• Creamy Classic Tuna Salad if you want the same fast lunch idea with pantry ingredients.
• Creamy Burrata Salad With Fresh Avocado and Tomatoes for another avocado dish that feels a little special.
• Healthy Greek Pasta Salad when you need something to bring to a potluck.

Final Thoughts

Mash one ripe avocado with yogurt, vinegar, lemon, and garlic powder. Stir in shredded chicken, cucumber, green onion, and parsley. Season, taste, eat. That is the whole thing.

I keep coming back to this avocado chicken salad because it solves the noon problem without asking anything of me. No stove, no planning, no sad desk lunch.

Give it a try this week and tell me how you serve yours. I would love to know if you are team sandwich or team lettuce cup.

Save this one to Pinterest so it is there the next time you have a lonely avocado on the counter.