While you may only need four ingredients for a chicken salad — cooked chicken, mayonnaise, onion, and celery — consider swapping out one of the classics to add a decadent and refreshing twist to your next batch. Instead of stirring in mayo, try incorporating smashed avocado for a delicious creation. This powerhouse of nutritious fats is the perfect replacement for mayo because it’s incredibly creamy. Texturally speaking, ripe avocados are super smooth, which is ideal for complementing the crunchy pieces of vibrant onion and celery found in most recipes. Avocado also provides a fun, springy, light green color to the salad, and flavor-wise, a subtly nutty yet rich and buttery taste that’s unique and fresh.
To swap out mayo, start by choosing ripe avocados that are slightly soft to the touch to make a rich, smooth base. Once the skin and pits are removed, replace equal parts mayo with smashed avocado (you’ll need about one avocado per cup of shredded chicken). If you’re on the fence about going all in, use part mayo and part avocado — try half of each — before stirring in the chicken and chosen mix-ins.
Unique ways to make and serve an avocado-based chicken salad
The options are limitless when choosing add-ins for your avocado chicken salad. Use chopped nuts like pecans to complement the avocado’s nuttiness and add a subtle textural contrast. For a sweet and salty riff, stir in a handful of succulent, juicy grapes that provide pops of moisture and flavor. Dried fruits — think cranberries or cherries — also work as a quick fix to add a tart, acidic complement that cuts through the salad’s decadent base. Another idea: Incorporate different spices and herbs, like a sprinkle of spicy, warm cumin, fresh herbaceous cilantro, and a squeeze of lime, for a lively dish with Mexican-inspired flavors.
Regardless of how you customize your meal, you’ll want to pick the ideal way to serve your new creation. To really double down on the green fruit’s flavor, try making chicken salad-stuffed avocados, where every scoop includes a bite of fatty avocado and savory protein. For a more traditional take, serve it on a croissant. The buttery flavor complements the lush taste of the avocado, while the flaky layers are perfect for piling on the salad. Crackers are another satisfying, salty, crispy vessel for scooping up mounds of this scrumptious, quick meal. For an easy lunch idea, place a hefty serving of the avocado chicken mixture on top of bright, crunchy romaine lettuce to create a twist on simple chicken lettuce wraps, where the decadent salad coats each leaf.
