These Jalapeño Chicken Salad Sandwiches are loaded with texture, flavor, and the perfect amount of spice! They have chopped chicken, smoky diced jalapeños, crisp red pepper, creamy avocado, tangy red onion, and a jalapeño popper-inspired dressing that coats it all.
Jalapeño Chicken Salad Sandwiches
With summer and Cinco de Mayo right around the corner, there’s no better way to celebrate both than enjoying these flavor-packed Jalapeño Chicken Salad Sandwiches!
They’re everything you love about jalapeño poppers and chicken salad, all mashed up into one addicting, crave-able meal.
How to make Jalapeño Chicken Salad
- Chop salad ingredients. The rotisserie chicken, red onion, red pepper, cilantro, and avocado are all chopped or diced. Drain the jalapeños and add them in.
- Prep the dressing. Stir the mayo, sour cream, seasonings, honey, and fresh lime juice together until smooth, and then pour over the chicken salad.
- Toss and serve. Everything gets gently tossed together and enjoyed! See below for some serving suggestions.
Jalapeño Chicken Salad serving suggestions
- Our favorite way to enjoy this salad is on a good, buttery croissant with a few pieces of lettuce!
- It’s also great on regular toasted bread.
- For a low-carb option, make lettuce wraps! Pile this Jalapeño Chicken Salad on some butter lettuce leaves or Romaine lettuce.
- Serve it up inside an avocado.
- Add a few spoonfuls of this chicken salad on some mixed greens or arugula and toss to combine.
- Enjoy as is. This chicken salad is also great straight from the bowl or spooned onto crackers.
Rotisserie chicken
Using rotisserie chicken makes this salad come together so quickly. It also becomes an even more flavorful meal because the rotisserie chicken is seasoned.
If you aren’t purchasing a rotisserie chicken, you can make your own rotisserie chicken and then use leftover meat in these sandwiches. Alternatively, you can use leftover grilled chicken or any other leftover chicken; just make sure to chop it into bite-sized pieces to use in this recipe.
Storing leftovers
This recipe is best the same day it’s made. With the fresh avocado and creamy dressing elements, it’s not a salad that sits well for a long time. While it’s fine to make it a few hours in advance, I wouldn’t recommend making it too far ahead — the avocado will begin to turn brown and become mushy.
If you make this salad without the avocado, it will store well for 2-3 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Use any leftover jalapeños in one of these recipes:
Jalapeño Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/2 cup sour cream (light or fat free can be used)
- 3/4 cup good quality mayo
- 1/2 teaspoon roasted garlic powder, ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon EACH: freshly squeezed lime juice, honey
- Salt and Pepper
Chicken Salad
- 3 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
- 1/4 cup canned, diced jalapeños, drained (feel free to increase amount of jalapeños to desired spice levels!)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro (measured after chopping)
- 1/3 cup finely diced red onion
- 1 cup chopped avocado (~1 large avocado)
- 1 cup finely diced red pepper, (~1 pepper)
- For serving: croissants or bread and lettuce, pepper-jack cheese if desired (See Note 1)
Instructions
- DRESSING: In a medium-sized bowl, add the 1/2 cup sour cream, 3/4 cup mayo, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste (I add 1/4 teaspoon of each). Stir until smooth.
- CHICKEN SALAD: Cube or shred the chicken; measure 3 cups and place in a large bowl. Add the 1/4 cup diced jalapeños, 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro, 1/3 cup diced red onion, 1 cup chopped avocado, and 1 cup finely diced red pepper.
- COMBINE: Pour the dressing over the chicken and salad ingredients. Gently stir with a wooden spoon until ingredients are combined.
- ASSEMBLE: Make your sandwich! Toast bread or slice open a fresh croissant. Top with lettuce and a few scoops of the jalapeño chicken salad. If desired, add on some slices of pepper-jack cheese. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Serve on regular toasted bread (we like ciabatta with this mix).
- Try it on lettuce wraps! Pile Jalapeño Chicken Salad on some butter lettuce leaves or Romaine lettuce, roll it up, and enjoy.
- Serve this chicken salad inside an avocado.
- Add a few spoonfuls of this chicken salad on some mixed greens or arugula and toss to combine.
- Enjoy as is. This chicken salad is also great straight from the bowl or spooned onto crackers.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
We had this tonight it was so delicious! I wouldn’t change a thing! Next time I’ll try it on a lettuce wrap.
I’m so glad you guys loved these Jalapeño Chicken Salad Sandwiches! I love them in a lettuce wrap! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂
Another fantastic recipe, thank you for sharing your amazing dishes. I just made this and tasted it and I love it, Waiting for my husband to come home so we can eat. My husband loves all your dishes and is glad I found your site and that makes me happy too.
What a sweet compliment! Thanks so much Cindy! 🙂 And I’m so glad you guys loved this Jalapeño Chicken Salad Sandwiches!
a great way to amp up this classic sandwich, I like it, thank you!