This easy chopped chicken salad was my healthy lunch last week and I couldn’t get enough of it! And now I can’t stop thinking about it! I love a light, yet satiating lunch recipe with chicken and vegetables that fuels me up without making me want to nap and that you can even sorta meal prep.
I think it’s the combo of protein-packed chicken, fresh crunchy vegetables, a little bit of spicy chili pepper and creamy avocado that made me fall in love with this easy chopped chicken salad. Like it’s SO tasty and great for weight loss and keeping you in great shape in general.
On top of everything it’s quick and easy to put together, high-protein, gluten-free, paleo, low-carb and grain-free. Seriously, if I were a salad I’d be so envious.
Easy Chopped Chicken Salad Ingredients
Now let’s get into what we need to make this chicken salad for lunch:
- Boneless, skinless chicken. You can use any kind of chicken you have! Rotisserie, boiled, leftovers – whatever you have. Whether it’s thighs or breast doesn’t really matter.
- Avocado. It adds creaminess and makes the salad ultra satiating, but this tasty green fruit is also rich in folate, vitamin B6 and K, monounsaturated fats as well as fiber.
- Vegetables! And lots of them. Use fresh, raw vegetables like cucumbers, tomatoes, scallions and radishes! If you wish, you could also add in arugula, spinach, lettuce and peppers.
- Chili pepper. That’s optional, but I really liked the spice that it provided. If chilies are too strong for you, you can also go for jalapenos or other raw peppers.
- Fresh Dill. I love the dill in there, as I find it provides additional freshness to the salad. If you don’t like dill you can try other fresh herbs like basil, mint, cilantro, oregano (use sparingly, as oregano is pretty intense) or parsley.
- Olive oil, salt and pepper. That’s what I used to season the salad and if you want you can also use vinegar and lemon as well. I found the tomatoes provided enough acidity for me here.
How To Make The Chopped Chicken Salad
Easy, especially if you already have cooked the chicken! In that case, all you need to do is chop the raw produce, the chicken, add to a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Add lemon juice or vinegar if you desire.
In this recipe, I used boiled chicken. Simply add skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breast to a cooking pot with 1 tsp dried mint, salt, pepper and cover with enough water. Then bring a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes. After it’s cooked, chop the chicken and add with the rest of the ingredients to a bowl and mix.
How To Serve
Serve this chopped chicken and vegetable salad for lunch or even early dinner! You can even serve it with this yogurt garlic sauce to fill lettuce wraps. I know, salad in salad, but it was super tasty nevertheless!
What To Meal Prep
If you want to speed up the recipe, make more for as many servings as you’d like to have during the next 3 days. Cook the chicken ahead of time, chop it and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. You can even peel and chop the cucumber, thinly chop the scallion, radishes, dill and use whole cherry tomatoes. Then store these in another container for up to 3 days. That way you can assemble the salad with the other ingredients in 5-10 minutes!
More Healthy Chicken Recipes
I hope you enjoy this light and easy chopped chicken salad for lunch or dinner! For more healthy recipes using chicken, check out these:
Easy Chopped Chicken Salad
This easy chopped chicken salad is a healthy lunch idea that is light, yet satiating and great for meal prep too! Perfect for clean eating, this chicken recipe is low-carb, high-protein, high-fiber, gluten-free and makes a delicious weight loss meal!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup chicken, cooked, chopped
- 1 1/2 cup cucumbers, chopped
- 1 scallion, thinly chopped
- 1 tbsp raw chili pepper, thinly chopped
- 1 tbsp dill, thinly chopped
- 2/3 cup cherry tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup radishes, chopped
- 1/4 avocado, chopped
- 1 tbsp olives, chopped and pitted
- 1 tsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- lemon, juice of
Instructions
- Chop the raw produce and the cooked chicken in bite-sized pieces.
- Add to a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Add lemon juice or vinegar if you desire.
Notes
In this recipe, I decided to use boiled chicken. This is how I cooked it: simply add skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breast to a cooking pot with 1 tsp dried mint, salt, pepper and cover with enough water, then with a lid. Bring a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes. After it's cooked, chop the chicken and add with the rest of the ingredients to a bowl and mix.
Nutrition Information
Yield 1 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 414Total Fat 27gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 19gCholesterol 95mgSodium 468mgCarbohydrates 19gFiber 7gSugar 8gProtein 28g