Southwest Avocado Chicken Salad

Southwest Avocado Chicken Salad… it’s the most delicious chicken salad you’ve ever tasted!  With avocados, chicken, bacon, red onions, corn, cilantro, Jalapenos, and an amazing Southwest dressing!  This creamy and hearty dish is not only super tasty but it’s good for you as well!

Southwest Avocado Chicken Salad

In honor of Cinco De Mayo and all things Mexican I’ve got THE most delicious Southwest Avocado Chicken Salad recipe for you today! 

Just when you thought chicken salad couldn’t get any better… it totally does! 

Yep, this is most definitely not your ordinary chicken salad – oh no, not only does this bowl of yumminess have 2 ripe avocados but it has 6 pieces of crispy bacon as well!!  Mind blowing – right!???

This easy chicken salad is proof that God loves us!!  Not that we need more proof, but if we did…

It’s creamy and hearty and sooo good I just want to eat it with a gigantic spoon.  And you better believe that happened – I mean look at it!!

Are avocados good for you?

Why is it that we love avocados so much?  For sure it has to do with the fact that avocados are extremely high in fat (the good fat though), and fat is sooo satisfying – isn’t it?

If you’re wondering whether avocados are good for you… the answer is like so many things in life – “absolutely, in moderation.”  Many nutrition experts consider it a super food and when combined into dishes like this chicken salad recipe they provide many great health benefits.

Some avocado nutrition facts for your reading pleasure:

• There are about 320 calories in an average avocado.
• There are only about 3 net carbs in a medium avocado, because most of the carbs come from fiber (one avocado provides about 9 nine grams of fiber).  Because of this, avocados are considered very low on the glycemic index - meaning they won't spike your blood sugar. 
• Most of the calories from avocado come from fat: one avocado has around 20 grams of fat, but it's mostly monounsaturated fat which is healthier.
• Avocados are a great replacement for fat in baked goods (like my double chocolate protein cookies) and the perfect choice for swapping out the dairy in smoothies, dips and dressings.
• A whole avocado is also a good source of vitamin K, vitamin C, folate, vitamin E, riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid.

How to make Avocado chicken Salad:

Mix up the dressing.  Add the Greek yogurt, extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne and the juice of one lime in a large bowl.  Then fold in your cubed or shredded chicken breast.

Next add the rest of your ingredients to the bowl:   chopped avocados, crumbled bacon, diced red onions, canned or frozen and thawed corn, rough chopped cilantro, and finely chopped Jalapenos and fold all the ingredients together.  

It’s nice if some of the avocado gets mixed in well – this makes it even creamier.  But I like to make sure there are still some nice chunks left also.

And that’s a wrap my friend!  Or a sandwich if you prefer!:D

And now it’s time for you to whip up some of this Southwest Avocado Chicken Salad!  You can use it for meal prep and turn it into salad bowls, wraps, lettuce wraps, sandwiches or even add in some pasta for a new take on pasta salad.  Mmmm!

Or you can pull a Holly and just devour it with the biggest spoon you can find!LOL

I know you will absolutely love this quick and easy, delicious and satisfying avocado salad as much as I do!

If you are looking for some creative ways to use chicken and avocado, then check out these chicken salads:

• Sprouted Grain Chicken Pesto Sandwich
• Grilled Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad
• Lighter Curried Chicken Salad With Cashews
• Mango Avocado Quinoa Chicken Salad
  

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Yield: 8 servings

Southwest Avocado Chicken Salad

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Southwest Avocado Chicken Salad… it’s the most delicious chicken salad you’ve ever tasted!  

Prep Time 15 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the Chicken Salad:

• 2 pounds cooked chicken breast, cubed or shredded (Rotisserie chicken)
• 2 ripe avocados, chopped into 1 inch cubes
• 6 pieces of cooked bacon, chopped
• ½ cup red onions, finely chopped
• 1 cup sweet corn, canned and drained or frozen and thawed
• ⅓ cup cilantro, rough chopped
• 3 jalapenos, seeds and membranes removed and finely chopped

For the Dressing:

• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne (optional)

Instructions

1. Mix together all the dressing ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Add the cooked chicken and mix well.
3. Fold all the ingredients together until everything is evenly coated in dressing. It’s nice if some of the avocado gets mixed in well – this makes it even creamier.  But I like to make sure there are still some nice chunks left also.
4. Serve over lettuce or as lettuce wraps, as a sandwich or a wrap, or mix in some pasta for a new take on pasta salad.

Notes

• Use rotisserie chicken, cook your own chicken breast seasoned with salt and pepper, or use well-drained canned chicken.

• For a healthier salad, you can use uncured turkey bacon which has less fat.

• For a gluten free version, eliminate the bread and service this salad over a bed of lettuce.  Many Greek yogurts are gluten free but be sure to confirm that yours is.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

8-10 ounces
Amount Per Serving Calories 347Total Fat 20gSaturated Fat 4gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 84mgSodium 250mgCarbohydrates 11gFiber 4gSugar 2gProtein 29g

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Mexican Chicken Casserole
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