Home > Dinner > Avocado Chicken Salad Avocado Chicken Salad August 8, 2019 | 8 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Avocado Chicken Salad is loaded with fresh corn, creamy avocado, seasoned chicken, crispy bacon, tangy red onion, and the best basil vinaigrette! For other fun variations on chicken salads, be sure to try our famous chicken salad recipe, pineapple chicken salad, or this honey mustard chicken salad. The Best Avocado Chicken Salad As you see from the list above, we love chicken salad here on Chelsea’s Messy Apron. And this Avocado Chicken Salad, is a new favorite to add to the collection! It’s made a whole lot healthier, without any mayo or sour cream. I’m using one of my favorite dressing recipes that I shared last year with this Caprese salad. It’s made with fresh basil, shallots, lemon, garlic, olive oil and several other healthful ingredients. Ingredients Chicken Breast: Main part of the salad, gives protein. Olive Oil and Chicken Seasoning: Makes the chicken tasty. Avocado: Makes the Avocado Chicken Salad creamy and adds good fats. Bacon: Gives a crunchy and rich taste. Red Onion: Adds a bit of a sharp taste and crunchiness. Corn: Brings in a sweet taste and juicy feel. For the Basil Dressing: Garlic and Shallot: Start off the dressing’s taste. Basil Leaves: Gives a fresh, green flavor. Red Wine Vinegar and Lemon Juice: Makes it tangy. Olive Oil: Helps mix everything smoothly. Honey: Adds a little sweetness to the salad. How To Make Chicken Avocado Salad Prepare Chicken: Cut and flatten chicken breast. Season with olive oil, salt, pepper, and chicken seasoning. Cook in a skillet or grill until done. Let it rest, then chop. Cook Bacon: Cook bacon until crispy, then crumble it. Grill Corn: Brush corn with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill until lightly charred. Let it cool, then cut off the kernels. Make Dressing: In a food processor, mix garlic, shallot, basil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil until smooth. Assemble Salad: In a large bowl, combine chopped chicken, diced avocado, crumbled bacon, corn kernels, and diced red onion. Drizzle with dressing and toss everything together. Enjoy your Avocado Chicken Salad. STORAGE How To Store Leftover Chicken Salad Keep the ingredients separate: Store cooked chicken, bacon, corn, and dressing in individual airtight containers in the refrigerator. Add avocado and assemble: When ready to eat, dice the avocado and mix with the other ingredients. Consume quickly: The salad is best enjoyed fresh, ideally within a day or two, as the avocado browns. What To Serve With Avocado Chicken Salad A few sides that would pair well, potluck style: Fruit Salad Recipe Strawberry Salad Orzo Pasta Salad Roasted Brussel Sprouts Ambrosia Salad FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Avocado Chicken Salad 5 from 3 votes - Review this recipe This Avocado Chicken Salad is loaded with fresh corn, creamy avocado, seasoned chicken, crispy bacon, tangy red onion, and the best basil vinaigrette! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Avocado Chicken Salad 5 from 3 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe This Avocado Chicken Salad is loaded with fresh corn, creamy avocado, seasoned chicken, crispy bacon, tangy red onion, and the best basil vinaigrette! Course Dinner, lunch, Main Course, Salad Cuisine American Keyword avocado chicken salad Prep Time 20 minutes minutes Cook Time 15 minutes minutes Total Time 35 minutes minutes Servings 2 -4 servings Chelsea Lords Calories 542kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $6.82 IngredientsChicken Avocado Salad▢ 1 large (or 2 small) chicken breast (~1 and 1/2 pounds)▢ Olive oil and chicken seasoning (we use Mrs. Dash chicken seasoning)▢ Fine sea salt and freshly cracked pepper▢ 1 cup avocado, diced (~1 medium)▢ 4-5 slices center-cut bacon cooked and crumbled (depending on personal preference, we like 4)▢ 1/3 cup red onion diced (~1/2 small red onion) Note 1▢ 1 cup corn (~1-2 cobs)Basil Dressing▢ 1 small garlic clove minced▢ 1 tablespoon shallot minced▢ 1 cup packed basil leaves coarsely chopped▢ 1 and 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar▢ 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice▢ 1/4 cup olive oil▢ 1 teaspoon honeyUS - Metric USMetric InstructionsPREP CHICKEN: Halve the chicken breast(s) horizontally and pound the pieces to even thickness (don't want the chicken super-flat, just an even thickness so it will cook evenly). Drizzle each side with olive oil, salt, pepper and chicken seasoning. Flip pieces and repeat -- oil, salt, pepper, seasoning.COOK CHICKEN IN SKILLET: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook for 4-5 minutes until golden and browned and then flip. Cook until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F; carryover heat will bring it to 165 degrees, about 4-5 more minutes depending on size/thickness of chicken. ALTERNATIVELY COOK IN GRILL PAN OR ON GRILL: Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat (about 400 degrees F.) Generously oil the grill (I drench a rolled-up paper towel in vegetable oil and, holding it with tongs, rub it over the grill grates. Don't skip this step.) (Grill pan: brush 1 tablespoon oil over the pan) Place the prepared chicken on the grill. Grill for 8-10 minutes, flipping once, or until chicken juices run clear and internal temperature is at 160 to 165 degrees F. (at 160 degrees, carry-over heat will take it to 165 degrees F). Tent chicken with foil and let stand for 5-10 minutes before chopping into bite-sized pieces.CORN: Heat a grill pan to high heat or preheat grill to medium heat (400 degrees F). Shuck corn and discard silks. Drizzle corn with olive oil and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Rub the oil and salt/pepper into all sides of the corn. Place the corn on the heated grill over direct heat. Grill corn about 10-12 minutes total, rotating every 3-4 minutes until bright yellow and lightly charred (Alternatively, cut raw kernels off the cob). Let grilled corn cool completely before cutting it off the cob.DRESSING: In a food processor, pulse the garlic and shallot a few times. Add the basil and pulse until finely chopped. Add the red wine vinegar, fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste (I use about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper). Pulse a few times and while running, drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until smooth. (Avoid pulsing the mixture too much, as sometimes oil can have a metallic reaction with the processor blades and alter the taste of the dressing.)ASSEMBLE: Add cooked and chopped chicken, diced avocado, crumbled bacon, corn, and diced red onion to a large bowl. Drizzle dressing right on top and toss to combine. Enjoy immediately. Salad doesn't sit well and is best eaten the same day. Recipe NotesNote 1: To take away the "bite" of red onions, submerge diced them in a bowl or cup of ice-cold water. Let the onions sit for at least ten minutes (stir 1-2 times) and then thoroughly drain and add to the recipe. Nutrition FactsCalories: 542kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 285mg | Potassium: 687mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 945IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
Thank you for getting us through summer veggie season with so many fresh, flavorful recipes! This is our favorite for corn. I appreciate the simple technique suggested for grilling corn also!! Reply