This mouthwatering Mexican chicken salad isn’t your average, run-of-the-mill chicken salad.
Oh no, it’s so much more. Between the shredded chicken, creamy avocado, and medley of colorful veggies, it’s a fiesta in a bowl!
Add a zesty jalapeño-lime crema, and it’s not to be missed.
Every bite is absolutely bursting with South-of-the-Border flavors. It’s so good, you’ll want to eat it right from the mixing bowl!
Why You’ll Love This Mexican Chicken Salad
Spicy-Creamy Taste: This stuff is freaking delicious! The creamy mayo, tangy lime juice, and hint of jalapeño spice are perfect together. It’s borderline addictive.
Versatile Serving Options: You can serve this salad by itself or with tortilla chips. Pile it onto tostadas, or fill your sandwiches with it. It’s the perfect all-occasion snack.
Quick & Easy: Make this chicken salad with pre-cooked rotisserie chicken to save time. The whole thing comes together quickly and requires minimal kitchen skills.
Customizable Ingredients: Tailor this recipe to suit your specific tastes. Add the veggies you like, change up the spices, or make it as mild or spicy as you can handle.
Ingredients
- Cooked Chicken: Make it fresh, or buy a rotisserie chicken from Walmart and shred it. Either way works just as well.
- Small Potatoes: Most people don’t think of putting potatoes in chicken salad. Trust me, though! Add these tender, creamy spuds to yours, and you’ll never go back.
- Mixed Veggies: I used carrots, peas, and corn, but you can throw in whatever you like.
- Avocado: Select one that’s fully ripe for the best and creamiest texture. It also adds good, healthy fats to the salad.
- Red Onion: Chop it finely so it doesn’t overpower the other ingredients. It adds a sharp, pungent kick to help balance the salad’s richness.
- Cilantro: For the bright, citrusy flavor most of us associate with authentic Mexican recipes.
- Green Onions: They provide a mild, crisp, earthy flavor and a subtle oniony taste. They also add a bright pop of color that looks lovely in the salad.
- Jalapeños (optional): I like to throw a few slices over at the end for garnish, but you can leave them off. It’s tasty either way.
- Dressing: A blend of mayo, sour cream, lime, pickled jalapeno brine, and zesty spices. It’s spicy, tangy, and full of your favorite Southwestern flavors.
How to Make Mexican Chicken Salad
Move over tacos and burritos – Mexican chicken salad is the new game in town.
Trust me, once you try this recipe, it’ll become a regular in your meal rotation. And believe it or not, it’s ready for the fridge in just 15-20 minutes.
1. BOIL. Cook the diced potatoes for 5 minutes, add the carrots, and cook until both are fork-tender. Turn off the heat and add the peas and corn.
2. COOL: Drain the veggies and run them under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside in the colander to drain well.
3. MIX. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a large bowl.
4. COMBINE. Add the cooled veggies, chicken, avocado, red onion, cilantro, and green onions. Mix until well coated.
5. CHILL. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
6. SERVE. Serve chilled, and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Mexican Chicken Salad
Are you looking for a refreshing lunch option, a crowd-pleasing potluck dish, or a quick and easy dinner? This Mexican chicken salad has you covered.
Serve it on tostadas for a crunchy bite, scoop it up with tortilla chips for the perfect game-day snack, or stuff it in a sandwich for a lunch that’s anything but boring.
Just check out these tips before you start, then let’s get cooking!
- Use an electric mixer. If you want to save time, shred cooked chicken with an electric mixer.
- Frozen, canned, and fresh vegetables. Use whatever you like and/or have on hand. I used frozen peas and corn because I always have them, but you can totally use canned or fresh. Just remember to dice fresh veggies into evenly sized pieces, around the same size as the potatoes.
- More vegetable options. What would work here? Bell peppers, tomatoes, celery, green beans, broccoli…the list goes on.
- Make it ahead of time. Mexican chicken salad needs at least an hour to chill before serving. However, the longer it sits, the better the flavors will meld. I recommend making it between 12-24 hours before you need it.
- Mix in salsa. Blend the dressing with your favorite spicy salsa before adding it to the salad. Doing so will provide more heat and flavor than the dressing alone.
- Serve over lettuce. There are tons of ways to serve Mexican chicken salad, as I mentioned above. I like it with chips or in a wrap. But you can also turn it into a hearty salad with a nice bed of greens!
How to Store
Unfortunately, you shouldn’t freeze Mexican chicken salad, but you can keep it refrigerated for a few days.
To Store: Refrigerate the salad in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Then, stir it immediately before serving to redistribute the dressing.
Who else is a fan of Mexican-inspired dishes? What’s your go-to recipe when you’re craving something with a south-of-the-border twist?
More Unique Salads You Need to Try
Grilled Peach Salad
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Black Bean and Corn Salad
Strawberry Chicken Salad
Mexican Chicken Salad
8
servings10
minutes8
minutes386
kcalThis mouthwatering Mexican chicken salad combines tender chicken with creamy avocado, a medley of colorful veggies, and zesty jalapeño-lime dressing.
Ingredients
- For the Chicken Salad
2 cups small potatoes, diced
1-2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup frozen corn
4 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1 avocado, diced
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Pickled jalapeños, optional for garnish
- For the Dressing
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon jalapeño brine (from pickled jalapeños)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the vegetables: In a medium pot, boil the diced potatoes in salted water until fork-tender, about 8 minutes. After 5 minutes, add the diced carrots and cook for the remaining 3 minutes. Turn the heat off, add the frozen peas and carrots, and leave for 1 minute. Drain the vegetables and run under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set aside to cool and drain well.
- Make the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, jalapeño brine, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper until smooth. Taste and adjust as needed.
- Assemble: Add the cooled potatoes, carrots, peas, and corn, along with the shredded chicken, diced avocado, red onion, cilantro, and green onions. Gently mix all ingredients until well combined and evenly coated with dressing.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld.
- Serve chilled on tostadas, with jalapeños for garnish and tortilla chips on the side. Enjoy!
Notes
- For extra spice, mix in diced jalapeños.
- Feel free to adjust the vegetables based on your preferences or what you have on hand.
- For a lower-carb option, you can omit the potatoes or swap in cauliflower.
