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Make your chicken salad healthier and more delicious with this Guacamole Chicken Salad recipe! Combine tender chicken with creamy guacamole and savory bacon to make this protein-packed lunch that comes together in about 15 minutes!
This avocado chicken salad is mayonnaise-free and great for Paleo, low-carb, keto, and Whole30 diets, plus it’s so easy to make! Save yourself time and effort by using canned chicken and store-bought guacamole. Just pay attention to the ingredients to ensure they fit your dietary needs. One serving of this salad can have up to 26 grams of protein, which is balanced by healthy fats and fiber to make a nutritious and well-balanced meal.
If you like mayo-free salad recipes, you will love my Hummus Tuna Salad and Greek Yogurt Shrimp Salad!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Completely Mayo Free: This chicken guacamole salad uses guacamole as the creamy binding ingredient instead of mayonnaise. The avocados in guac are an excellent source of healthy fats and fiber, and can help lower bad cholesterol and promote good digestion.
- Ready in Less Than 15 Minutes: Since this recipe uses canned chicken and prepackaged guacamole, it comes together in almost no time. Perfect for a busy week when you don’t have time to meal prep!
- Paleo, Low-Carb, and Keto Friendly: This chicken salad is great for a variety of low-carb diets like Paleo, Keto, and Whole30. Just be sure to check your ingredients to ensure they fit the parameters of your specific dietary needs.
Ingredients
- Bacon: Crispy bacon adds a little crunch and extra flavor to your chicken salad. Just be sure to use a nitrate-free and sugar-free bacon, like Applegate.
- Guacamole: While homemade guacamole is delicious, I love using a store-bought guacamole to keep things simple. Check the ingredients for your guac to be sure it’s sugar-free with no preservatives and a short list of ingredients. Wholly Guacamole and Trader Joe’s have excellent guacamole!
- Chicken: Another shortcut for this keto chicken salad recipe is using canned chicken. Don’t write off canned chicken because it’s a great source of protein, especially when you use a brand without added sugar or preservatives. Sprouts organic canned chicken is my go-to, but Keystone and Wild Planet also make great canned chicken. If you prefer to use fresh chicken, make my Instant Pot shredded chicken to keep things quick and easy.
- Lettuce: Add a little extra crunch to your chicken salad with your favorite lettuce. Iceberg and romaine lettuce work best for this recipe.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations & Dietary Modifications
- Add More Veggies: Add a little more crunch and flavor to your salad by mixing in diced bell peppers, cucumbers, celery or red onions.
- Add Complex Carbs: Add some pinto beans, refried beans, or black beans to your guacamole chicken salad for more fiber and energy.
- Make It Spicy: Cut up a few jalapeños for some added spice. You could also add your favorite hot sauce or some red pepper flakes to spice it up.
- Skip the Bacon: You don’t have to use bacon in this salad. If you decide to skip it, I recommend adding a little smoked paprika, smoked sea salt, or a little bit of soy sauce to capture a similar smoky, umami flavor without the bacon.
- Use Avocados: Instead of buying guacamole, smash two small avocados in a small bowl and mix with salsa for a faster homemade guacamole.
How to Make Guacamole Chicken Salad
Meal-prep has never been easier than this 15-minute avocado chicken salad! All you need to make it is a mixing bowl. If you’re using bacon, be sure to preheat your oven to 350°F!
- Step 1: Cook the Bacon. Place 3 strips of nitrate-free bacon on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Bake the bacon in your preheated oven at 350°F for 10 minutes, or until it turns crispy. Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool completely.
- Step 2: Combine Chicken and Guacamole. Open your canned chicken and drain the liquid, then pat the chicken dry. Add it to a mixing bowl with the guacamole and gently fold until the chicken is evenly coated with guac.
- Step 3: Add Bacon and Lettuce. Break your bacon into small pieces and sprinkle them into your salad. Then add in your finely chopped lettuce and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Don’t Overmix: Gently mix the chicken and guacamole and stop once the chicken is coated. Mixing them for too long or with too much force will break the chicken down and change the texture.
- Bake Your Bacon: I prefer baking my bacon in the oven rather than pan-frying it. It’s simpler and less messy, and I find the bacon crispier when done this way. Just be sure to line your rimmed baking sheet to keep cleanup quick and easy.
- Prevent Browning: Avocados oxidize (turn brown) when exposed to oxygen. One way to decrease the amount of oxidation that occurs is to place a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the chicken salad. Gently press it into the salad and around the edges to limit the exposure of the avocado to oxygen. The acidity from lime juice, which is already in guacamole, also helps reduce oxidation.
- Storing: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freezing is not recommended.
Serving Suggestions
This chicken salad with avocado instead of mayo makes for the perfect protein-packed lunch. It comes together in less than 15 minutes and tastes amazing. You can enjoy it as a dip, a wrap, a sandwich, or just eat it with a fork! This is sure to be one of your new favorite lunches, especially during busy weeks when you don’t have time to meal-prep.
- I love a chicken salad wrap for lunch! These 3-ingredient gluten-free tortilla wraps are great for this chicken salad. For a low-carb option, try my cauliflower tortillas! You can also use a whole grain sandwich bread that’s higher in fiber to make a chicken salad sandwich.
- Turn this avocado chicken salad into lettuce wraps using romaine or butter lettuce to keep the recipe more compliant with your dietary needs.
- Add a little sweet treat to your lunch with these Paleo-friendly, gluten-free carrot cake bites.
Guacamaole Chicken Salad Recipe FAQs
The best way to know if any ingredient is compliant with your dietary needs is to check the label and ingredients. You’ll need sugar and nitrate-free bacon to be Paleo or Whole30 compliant. Some brands, like Applegate, mark their packaging “Whole30 Approved” as well.
This guacamole chicken salad is already so easy, but you can make preparation go even faster by cooking your bacon a day or two in advance. Break it into bits and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
More Healthy Chicken Salad Recipes
Meal Prep
Healthy High-Protein Chicken Salad
Low Calorie
Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad
Low Calorie
Greek Yogurt Buffalo Chicken Salad
Meal Prep
Apple Chicken Salad
If you tried this Guacamole Chicken Salad recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below.
Guacamole Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 3 slices Bacon, or turkey bacon
- 1 cup Guacamole, store-bought or use 2 small avocados smashed
- 15 ounces Canned White Chicken in water 98% fat free, or a Rotisserie chicken
- 2 cups Iceberg Lettuce, shredded, or lettuce of choice
- Optional Additional Vegetables, Tortillas, Wraps or Bread
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a medium baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
- Place the bacon on the baking sheet. Bake at 350 F 10 minutes or until crispy. Remove the bacon from the oven and cool while you prepare the chicken salad.
- Place the chicken and guacamole in a mixing bowl. Mix together then divide the mixture into 4 meal prep containers. It’s ~1 cup of the mixture each.
- Break the bacon into bits and sprinkle evenly over each chicken mixture. Add the lettuce and your optional sides (as desired).
Video
Notes
- Bake your bacon in the oven to reduce mess and effort, and to make it crispier. It only takes 10 minutes to bake, and you can skip all the splattering grease!
- Gently mix your chicken salad until the chicken is evenly coated with guacamole. Don’t overmix it or the chicken will break down, and the texture will change.
- Keep your avocado salad from browning by placing a sheet of plastic wrap directly on the salad and gently pressing down the edges. This helps limit the exposure to air and slows oxidation.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
