Chopped Chicken Salad (2024)

Chicken Marinade:

• boneless skinless chicken breasts –if you wanted to make just chicken for the main dish, this marinade is excellent.
• soy sauce
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• garlic cloves– if you don’t have cloves, use garlic powder instead.

Salad Ingredients:

• chopped lettuces – romaine baby green, and spinach
• bacon – chopped and cooked; to save time you could grab a bag of the real bacon bits from the grocery store.
• cherry or grape tomatoes – slice in half or use whole, you can also use whole tomatoes, cut into chunks
• blue cheese crumbles
• avocados
• red onion – the red onion really adds a nice little bite to the salad. I like to slice it very thin so that it doesn’t overpower the salad.

Cilantro Lime Dressing:

• limes – or ½ cup of store bought lime juice.
• plain Greek yogurt – adds a little more tanginess and makes for a healthy salad dressing.
• mayonnaise – if you can’t eat mayo, just leave it out, the dressing will be a bit thinner, but still delicious.
• fresh cilantro – rinse the cilantro well and shake off the water; stems and leaves can be used
• honey – maple syrup can also be used if needed.
• salt and pepper

Substitutions and Variations

• Dressing: this chopped salad would also taste delicious with a creamy avocado dressing or homemade ranch dressing.
• Tex Mex:add black beans, sweet corn, crushed tortilla chips, fresh tomatoes, sour cream, and use cheddar cheese instead of blue cheese.
• BBQ Chicken:instead of the marinade, grill the chicken using bbq sauce.
• ​Rotisserie chicken: if you were low on time, you can use rotisserie instead of grilled chicken, but the flavor will not be the same.
• Asian chopped chicken salad: use myChinese chicken salad and dressing recipe. Add other ingredients such as edamame, shredded carrots, and mandarin oranges.
• Autumn chopped chicken salad:go with ingredients like craisins, pecans, and chopped apples with a balsamic vinegar based dressing.
• Cabbage: swap the lettuce for crunchy cabbage.

Step 1: In a large bowl or Ziploc bag, combine the oil, lime juice, salt, pepper, garlic, and soy sauce.

Step 2: Add the chicken breasts and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.

Step 3: Grill the chicken over medium low heat for 7-10 minutes on each side (internal temp should reach 165°F.)Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, then slice.

Step 4: Add the chopped lettuce to the plates.Top with the juicy chicken, a tablespoon of blue cheese crumbles, half of an avocado, sliced tomatoes, a few red onion slices, and 2 tablespoons of crumbled bacon.

Recipe Tips for Chopped Chicken Salad

• For meal prep, store this delicious salad in a small mason jar with the dressing at the bottom or on the side.
• Don’t skip the marinating time. This is the best way to infuse flavor and tenderness into chicken.
• As a better presentation for guests, add the salad to a big bowl and then allow them to drizzle the dressing on themselves.

Fun Fact

The original chopped chicken salad was allegedly created at the La Scala in the 1950s. – Chef Billy Parisi

How long does chicken avocado salad last?

Keep leftovers in an airtight container for 2-3 days. If you know you will have leftovers or are using this in rotation for weekly meal prep, store the salad and salad dressing separately to keep it from getting soggy.

Can I use other marinades for the chicken?

Yes! If you have a chicken marinade recipe that you love, feel free to use that.

• Peach Burrata Salad

• Big Mac Salad

• Chicken Bacon Ranch Layered Salad

• Creamy Grape Salad

Chicken Chopped Salad with Cilantro-Lime Dressing

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Grilled chicken, bacon, avocado, and blue cheese top a bed of greens. This is the best chicken chopped salad! It can be made in advance and is perfect for parties and gatherings.

Ingredients

Instructions