Healthy Avocado Chicken Salad

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  This Healthy Greek Yogurt Avocado Chicken Salad recipe has no mayo and is made with a handful of nutritious ingredients! It takes 5 minutes to prepare and is a great way to use leftover chicken! Perfect for a healthy lunch or light dinner! 

front view of an Avocado Chicken Salad sandwich


It’s starting to feel like summer, and with the change in the seasons also comes a change in the foods we crave! Light, fast, and fresh meals seem to be our norm in the warmer months, like this Avocado Chicken Salad!

This recipe comes together in mere minutes, is packed full of nutritious ingredients and is the perfect dish to pack for a picnic in the park – also try this classic chicken salad, cranberry chicken salad, and this egg salad – YUM! It is an all-time favorite savory recipe of mine. Whenever I make it I have a hard time letting it chill without sneaking bites from the fridge!

Avocado Chicken Salad on top of salad with arugula and tomatoes

Avocado Chicken Salad: Ingredients & Substitutions

There are a few ways you can tweak this recipe to make it your own! Here are a few that I have personally tested!

overhead view of the ingredients in this Healthy Avocado Chicken Salad recipe
  • Plain Greek Yogurt: All plain Greek yogurt varieties work excellently in this recipe, regardless of fat content. Obviously, a higher fat content will yield a richer, creamier chicken salad. You can also use sour cream in place of Greek yogurt. 
  • Fresh Dill.  Freeze-dried dill works well in this avocado chicken salad recipe. I always keep this Litehouse freeze-dried dill on hand in the winter when fresh dill is harder to come by so I can make this recipe (oh and this tzatziki sauce too)!
  • Onion powder. For a little extra crunch and flavor you can substitute 1-2 TBS of real onion for the onion powder. I cook for kids, so I opt for the powder instead!
  • Garlic powder. You can substitute fresh minced garlic for the garlic powder. 

Cooked Chicken

I recommend using cold, leftover, chicken to make this recipe. But if you don’t have any on hand you can simply boil 2 pounds of chicken breasts in chicken broth (with your favorite spices/seasonings) until fork-tender (see full directions in the recipe below). If you do this you must let the chicken cool before mixing it into the rest of the ingredients! So plan accordingly if you need to cook the chicken first.

overhead view of Avocado Chicken Salad in a bowl

How to make Avocado Chicken Salad

This healthy chicken salad recipe is a breeze to make, especially if you have leftover rotisserie chicken (or cooked chicken of any kind). It only takes 5 minutes of active prep (and then 30 minutes of chilling in the fridge). We’ll walk through the process together, and don’t forget to watch the video. 

Make the avocado sauce

To begin, make the avocado sauce. Start by mashing the avocado and then mixing it thoroughly with the Greek yogurt (or sour cream). 

two overhead photos showing how to make avocado chicken salad

Next, add the spices and fresh dill and stir to combine. 

two overhead photos showing how to make avocado chicken salad

Add Chicken

Next, add the cooked and chilled chicken to the avocado sauce. Stir until the mixture is homogenous (uniform throughout). 

Chill

Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours. Just be sure to cover it tightly to prevent air from getting to the avocado! Chilling really helps the flavors blend and deepen in this avocado chicken salad!

two overhead photos showing how to make avocado chicken salad recipe

Serve

There are many ways you can serve this healthy chicken salad! Here are a few suggestions: 

How to store avocado chicken salad

Store this avocado chicken salad recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Since there is avocado in this recipe it will likely turn brown if it’s not all consumed the day it’s made.

The greek yogurt & lime juice help preserve it’s color, but be forewarned that while it will still taste amazing, it might become an off-putting color by day two. To prevent this, drizzle extra lime juice over any parts of the salad exposed to the air, then tightly cover the surface with plastic wrap before putting the lid on the container. 

overhead view of a bowl of avocado chicken salad

Recipe FAQs

Can you freeze this recipe? 

No, this is one recipe I do not recommend freezing. It’s best when consumed the day it’s made or the next day.

How do you prevent the avocado from browning?

Store leftovers in an airtight container, drizzle extra lime juice over the surface of the chicken salad, then tightly cover the surface with plastic wrap before putting the lid on the container. 

Can I double this recipe?

Yes! This avocado chicken salad recipe doubles very well!

front view of an avocado chicken salad sandwich

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Healthy Greek Yogurt Avocado Chicken Salad Recipe

Laura
This Healthy Greek Yogurt Avocado Chicken Salad recipe has no mayo and is made with a handful of nutritious ingredients! It takes 5 minutes to prepare and is a great way to use leftover chicken! Perfect for a healthy lunch or light dinner! 
5 from 17 votes
Course dinner, lunch, Main Course, Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 115
Prep Time5 minutes
Chilling time30 minutes
Total Time35 minutes

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • In a large mixing bowl, mash avocado.
  • Add Greek yogurt and stir until combined.
  • Add dill, onion powder, garlic powder, lime juice salt, and pepper and stir until combined.
  • Add chicken to avocado mixture and stir until all the ingredients are combined.
  • Place in the refrigerator for at least 30-60 minutes for flavors to blend together.
  • Serve on a sandwich, in a wrap or over salad greens for a tasty lunch or dinner!

Video

Notes

How to cook chicken: 

  1. Put chicken breasts in a medium pot and cover with water or chicken broth by 2″. 
  2. Add spices of your choice (garlic powder salt, pepper, onion powder, herbs, etc.) and bring to a boil. 
  3. Boil for 20-30 minutes or until chicken can be easily shredded with a fork. 
  4. Remove chicken from water and shred. 
  5. Chill shredded chicken in the refrigerator until cool (at least 2 hours).

Ingredient Substitutions

  • Plain Greek Yogurt: All plain Greek yogurt varieties work excellently in this recipe, regardless of fat content. Obviously, a higher fat content will yield a richer, creamier chicken salad. You can also use sour cream in place of Greek yogurt. 
  • Fresh Dill.  Freeze-dried dill works well in this avocado chicken salad recipe. I always keep this Litehouse freeze-dried dill on hand in the winter when fresh dill is harder to come by so I can make this recipe )oh and this tzatziki sauce too)!
  • Onion powder. For a little extra crunch and flavor you can substitute 1-2 TBS of real onion for the onion powder. I cook for kids, so I opt for the powder instead!
  • Garlic powder. You can substitute fresh minced garlic for the garlic powder. 

How to store avocado chicken salad

Store this avocado chicken salad recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Since there is avocado in this recipe it will likely turn brown if it’s not all consumed the day it’s made.
The greek yogurt & lime juice help preserve its color, but to prevent browning, drizzle extra lime juice over any parts of the salad exposed to the air, then tightly cover the surface with plastic wrap before putting the lid on the container. 

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 115kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 12.6g | Fat: 5.6g | Cholesterol: 25.8mg | Potassium: 228.9mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.8g | Vitamin A: 55IU | Vitamin C: 4.4mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 0.5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Have a question? Leave a comment below!

The photos in this recipe were taken by the talented Jamie from Dishing Out Health. 

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product through a link you clicked on here, I receive a portion of the sale. Thank you for supporting JoyFoodSunshine! 




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Recipe Rating




14 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Very creamy and very good! For a healthier version of chicken salad, this is delicious!! Much creamier than I expected. This will be my go to chicken salad recipe going forward!!

  2. 5 stars
    This recipe has become a staple in our home. It’s simple, healthy and super tasty. I make it almost weekly now. 10/10 recommend.