Avocado Chicken Salad with Bacon is a twist on the classic chicken salad recipe made with ripe avocados, bacon, pumpkin seeds, and red onion. Such a delicious packable meal, and one that is perfect during warmer weather. Paleo and Whole30 approved!
Chicken salad continues to be that one “go-to” dish that is on repeat on my house in the summer! A day spent on the boat? Pack this salad for lunch. A night at the baseball fields? Definitely packing this salad for dinner. Headed to the pool on a Saturday evening with friends? You’ve guessed it, pack this salad!
Another reason….. Sometimes it’s just too darn hot to eat hot food during the summer. This room temperature or chilled salad over a bed of greens, in a wrap, or in a sandwich is exactly the kind of dinner I want on a summer evening!
Most people I know love a classic Chicken Salad recipe, you know the one: chicken, grapes, pecans, celery, and mayonnaise. It goes perfect with a bowl of greens, in a wrap, as a sandwich or slider, or maybe even with a fork out of the bowl. If I’m being honest, that is not my favorite meal since I don’t like mayo. This recipe has similar versatility, but is WAY BETTER my friends! So years ago I created a version that would have a creamy consistency without mayo, and absolutely LOVED the avocado with crunchy and salty bacon.
How to make Avocado Chicken Salad with Bacon:
We’ll start by gathering up our ingredients:
- raw chicken breast (or pre-cooked chicken like a rotisserie)
- avocado
- red onion
- cumin
- salt
- bacon
- pumpkin seeds
- cilantro for garnish (optional)
- lime juice
You can pre-cook the chicken and shred, or use a rotisserie chicken for ultimate ease! Cook the bacon to desired crispiness and chop into pieces. Mash the avocado with lime juice, salt, and cumin. Now add in the red onion, chicken, bacon, and pumpkin seeds.
Stir to combine and add cilantro!
Another wonderful thing about this recipe is that it’s soooooo easy!! Especially if you already have some prepared chicken on hand, this can easily come together in 10 minutes with bacon cooking time.
Serving and Storing:
There are several ways to eat this. On a hot summer night, you might not be in the mood for a hot dinner. This can be spooned onto some sandwich bread or wrapped in a pita. For any of my Paleo and GF friends, you can serve this over some greens. It’s also easily transportable for a picnic or gathering with friends. This is my “go-to” dinner for spending an evening at the pool!!
This will last in the fridge for only about 1 day, as the avocado will start to brown and it won’t be as fresh.
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Avocado Chicken Salad with Bacon
Ingredients
- 3 large avocados
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 tsp cumin
- 2 chicken breasts* cooked or 2.5 cups of shredded chicken
- 5 strips of bacon
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 tsp sea salt + more to taste
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Begin by cooking your bacon to your liking. Mine generally takes about 5 minutes per side on Medium-Medium high heat. Drain any excess fat with a paper towel, set aside.
Mash up your avocado with a fork in a large bowl. Add lime juice, cumin, and sea salt.
Mix in shredded chicken, bacon, pumpkin seeds, and onion.
Salt to taste. Serve over greens, in a wrap, or on bread as a sandwich.
Recipe Notes
*To cook my chicken, I place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
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