This Mexican Chicken Avocado Salad has all the essentials of a truly great salad – it’s jam packed with fresh, vibrant flavours, big, creamy chunks of avocado and irresistible Mexican grilled chicken. It’s like a giant salad version of Mexican Avocado Salsa – with the addition of chicken to complete the meal!
I’ve had a Giant Salad* almost everyday for the past month or so. Hopefully it’s more than just a phase and it becomes just a natural part of my lifestyle – that I crave a salad instead of pasta. Or cupcakes piled high with the fluffiest ever buttercream frosting. Or fall apart lamb shanks. Or cheese or potatoes in any shape or form.
OK. So that vision I painted of a holier-than-thou, new clean eating me is completely unrealistic. You know it, my mother knows it, and everyone who knows me knows it!
Having said that though, it dawned on me the other day that when I lunch with friends, more often than not I’ll order a salad. Interesting salads. I like bistros with interesting salads – more than the usual suspects.
And here is my latest addition to my Giant Salads* collection: Mexican Chicken Avocado Salad.
* The official definition of Giant Salad: flavour packed salads that are satisfying enough to have as a meal. No wimpy salads in my world!!
I always struggle with salad names when it’s something that I just created. Should I have called this a Mexican Inspired Chicken Salad Topped With Avocado Tomato Corn Red Onion Salsa and Drizzled with Lime Coriander / Cilantro Dressing? (Try saying that 3 times real fast after 3 glasses of wine!).
I wish I could just give my salads a name that will stick. Like Caesar Salad. “Mexican Salad” just seems so uninspiring – and really, what does that mean??
Well, this salad is inspired by Mexican Avocado Salsas. And I added Mexican seasoned chicken to make this a complete, satisfying meal. So I strung 4 key words together: Mexican Chicken Avocado Salad. I know it’s not exactly inspiring, and I feel like it thoroughly undermines the fabulousness of the salad.
Word-smithing is not my forte!
DOUBLE DUTY DRESSING AND MARINADE
I make this salad with a few more steps than the usual which is to dump everything in a bowl, drizzle and toss. The recipe starts off with a Lime Dressing which does double duty as both the dressing for the salad and salsa, and the marinade for the chicken.
I toss the avocado salsa with the dressing separately from the lettuce because otherwise the avocado kind of smears all over the lettuce. Which actually, there is no problem with that per se, but for this particular salad, I wanted to pile / pour that beautiful, juicy, avocado salsa all over those crunchy lettuce leaves. Rather than tossing it through the lettuce.
So really, that Lime Dressing does triple duty: chicken marinade, lettuce dressing and avocado salsa dressing!
Big, juicy, crunchy, flavour packed salads. Truly satisfying to have as a meal, loaded with lots of interesting flavours and textures. I could eat this Mexican Chicken Avocado Salad every day. It is SO GOOD!!! – Nagi xx
A fully loaded salad, satisfying to have as a meal! Crunchy lettuce topped with juicy, creamy avocado corn and tomato salsa, served with a gorgeously seasoned Mexican chicken. Drizzled with a lime dressing that does double duty as the chicken marinade. Makes 2 giant servings or 3 normal servings. Recipe video below (see how I scoop out avocado!)
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/4 cup olive oil (65ml)
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ tsp salt + black pepper
- 2 small chicken breasts, 400g/14oz (pound or split if thicker than 2cm / 4/5”)
- 1/2 tsp EACH chipotle powder (Note 1) and oregano
- 1/4 tsp cumin powder
- Salt & pepper
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 avocado, chunky dice (watch video to see how I do this)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- ¾ cup corn kernels (canned, drained)
- ½ red onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup coriander / cilantro, finely chopped
- 5 heaped cups cos / romaine lettuce, cut into bite size pieces
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Place Lime Dressing ingredients in a jar, shake well.
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Put 2 tablespoons of Dressing in a ziplock bag. Add chipotle, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper, mix/squidge bag. Add chicken, seal and massage to coat. Marinate 30 min – overnight.
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Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in skillet over medium low, cook chicken to taste (2cm / 4/5” takes around 8 minutes), getting a nice brown crust on it. Rest 5 min then slice.
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Add 2 tablespoons of coriander into Dressing, shake.
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Place avocado, corn, tomato and onion in a bowl. Add remaining coriander, drizzle with a bit of Dressing, toss gently.
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Place lettuce in a bowl, drizzle with a bit of Dressing, toss.
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Assemble Salad: Place lettuce on a serving platter. Top with Salsa and sliced chicken. Drizzle with remaining Dressing. Serve.
1. Chipotle Powder is irritatingly difficult to find here in Australia!! It is a brilliant seasoning - it's like smoked paprika on steroids. More complex, more flavour, VERY Mexican (it's actually ground dried smoked jalapeños). I get mine from Firework Foods (online Mexican store), at some fruit & veg stores like Thomas Dux, sometimes from Harris Farms, stores that carry Herbies spices, and ethnic stores. SUBSTITUTION: Australia and non US- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, pinch each of chilli powder, coriander, cumin. US - 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp chili powder (i.e. what the US knows as chili powder which is not just pure ground chili).
2. Nutrition per serving, assuming 3 servings.
First published May 2017, post refreshed May 2018 - no changes to recipe.
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Mexican Chicken Avocado Salad recipe video!
LIFE OF DOZER
When Dozer gets booted out of the house….. (and the reason the window isn’t closed is because he’d beat the glass with this heavy paws)
I’m making this tonight for the upteenth time. I thought I’d let you know I have great success quadrupling this recipe to feed a group lunch. It’s a big hit in my church office where I work, and I’ve made it several times for my pastors, coworkers, family. Everyone loves it and it’s so easy and flavorful. I think it’s safe to say at this point, this will be a dish we make for many years to come. Thanks for a fantastic recipe! It’s brought a lot of people joy around here. 🙂
I really liked this recipe, the dressing really seals the deal on this one. As others have suggested, I doubled the dressing with great results. Thank you for this recipe Nagi.
Glad you enjoyed this Fritzwilliam!! Thanks for sharing your feedback! N x
Do you have any recipes using Kecap Manis?
This salad is our FAVORITE!! We started making it last summer and it is a now a staple. We have it at least once a week in the warmer months. The only thing we have added is black beans and we make extra dressing.. LOVE IT!!
I’m so pleased you enjoyed this Tawna! Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback! N x ❤️
Made this today and it was fantastic – perfect for summer! Didn’t have any honey so had to use agarve syrup and my advocados weren’t properly ripe but apart from that it was tremendous! For the chipotle powder I ground some chipotle flakes with a wee bit of salt(the flakes aren’t dry enough to grind otherwise) and the smell was incredible. The smoky mild heat of the chipotle with the zing of lime and then the sweetness from the syrup really made a fab dressing and marinade. I marinaded the chicken overnight and 4 minutes each side on medium high was perfect – it came out charred but juicy.
To the previous poster who said it was a little more work than they wanted to do – I used tinned sweetcorn & frozen chopped coriander(which I highly recommend if you can get it). This saves a lot of time and the whole salad can be prepped & dished twice over in the time the chicken is cooked.
Excellent salad Nagi – I can move onto another of your recipes now! 🙂
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed this Jason, thanks for letting me know! N x
This recipe is what I was looking for or at least the end product. It is a little more word than I am willing to do but I am going to save it for the future. Besides I don’t have any chipotle seasoning, yet.
Hi Chris! Glad you thought it was worth the effort! 🙂 N xx
Since we had salad for lunch I decided to make everything leaving out the lettuce. I just poured the remaining dressing over the sliced chicken in the end. This chicken was one of the best chicken marinades/recipes I have had! So we had Chicken and the avocado salad with a side of green beans! WONDERFUL! Nagi, I can’t say enough about your recipes! ❤️
I’m so pleased to hear that Diane!! Thank you so much for letting me know! N xx
I love this recipe, I’ve made it several times now, love the dressing and marinade. Great recipe, thanks so much!
🙌🏻 Love hearing that Crissy! N xx
Hi there i was wondering how far ahead you can make this if i’m prepping for a dinner party thanks 🙂
I have salad for lunch everyday. As this is a recipe for three people, would it keep well in the fridge for three days or so?
HI Heather! Salads leaves never keep well after dressing them but if you keep the components separate and the avocado from browning, definitely yes! N xx
Nagi, I’m having friends from Boston come to town and was thinking of making this as part of a 3 course meal. Seafood Soup starter, then this salad to follow with a main. Do you think a seafood tomato bisque, then this salad but instead of chicken , a shrimp/prawn Mexican salad and then the main.l Would shrimp go well with this salad? Already cooked shrimp or raw to marinate? If marinate, how long? Can you suggest a main dish to compliment the soup salad.
Oooh fabulous! I would toss the shrimp in the dressing like I do with the chicken then cook in a stinking hot skillet for 2 minutes, no more, keep them nice and juicy. 🙂 What kind of main are you after? Do you want to stick with seafood theme or white meat or red? Big thing to share or individual plates? Formal or informal? 🙂
Oh that sounds fab. Will try. I think I’m going to stick with seafood. Possibly a sea bass?
Oh you made it to Eataly. Love that place. Enjoy your trip.
Did you see this salmon side recipe? It’s my cheating show off dinner party dish – cheating because it’s so easy but everyone always oohs and ahs when I put it in the middle of the table! 😉 https://www.recipetineats.com/baked-parmesan-crusted-salmon-with-lemon-cream-sauce/
Can I marinated salmon with it??
Oooh YES! 20 minutes max 🙂
What is “cos” lettuce?
Hi Judy! It looks kind of like iceberg lettuce in a football shape!
In North America, we call it Romaine Lettuce. I have to say this is probably the most amazing salad I’ve ever had. From the dressing…which is like something I want to cover every food group I ever eat from now on, to the balance of flavors….the sweet of the honey/corn balances out the strength of the red onion, the cilantro/coriander plays on the lime….this is going to be my “go to” salad. The avocado and chicken fills you up. What a great healthy meal. Thanks Nagi. 😍😍
Oh wow! I’m so happy to hear that Steven, thanks so much for letting me know! And thanks for interpreting Aussie into American 😉 N xx
Oh my goodness this is my new favorite salad recipe. The marinade turns the chicken into such juicy tender chicken. I ended up using boneless thighs as my family prefers dark meat. My fam are also not big tomato fans so when I made the salsa, I put the tomatoes on the side, and I double the salad dressing as well as one of your other readers. Yummy…thanks for sharing with us!
I’m so pleased you enjoyed this so much Liz! N x
As in my husband’s words ” pretty damn good”! I will be making this again. Thank-You.
That’s so terrific to hear Barbara! Thank you for letting me know – N xx
This was amazing but I had to double the dressing as I like my salads drenched in sauce, slowly going through your recipes!!! Thank you for providing me with some yummy food
So fantastic to hear that Lay, thanks for letting me know! N xx
Just made this tonight. Where has this recipe been all my life???? It was delicious!!
WHOOT! I’m so pleased to hear that Tammy, thanks so much for letting me know! N xx
I LOVED this salad!! I also used it to make a wrap. So good!
WHOOT! So pleased to hear that Nicole! N xx
I love these salads. Beautiful to look at and very tasty and fresh. Pinned.
Is coriando the same thing as cilantro? Or, is that 1/4 cup required of each?
Hi there! Coriander is what cilantro is called in much of the world outside of America! I use both in the recipe ingredients list, then either/or throughout. 🙂 N xx
Actually, coriander is the seed produced from cilantro. If you grow cilantro, let a bit go to seed. Save them. Grind them up into coriander powder. Use when you saute shrimp or other seafood. Can use in or on deviled eggs, potatoes, and more. So good.