Chicken Salad-Stuffed Avocados Recipe
Chicken salad is an American classic, and seemingly everyone has a favorite way to make it. Since it keeps well in the refrigerator for several days, it's great for meal prepping, office lunches, or just a cool snack on a hot day when the oven definitely shouldn't be turned on.
These stuffed avocados we've created are perfect for those times you want to level up your chicken salad and make it a full meal. Skip the bread and use a medium-ripe avocado instead, which is full of healthy fats. While most chicken salads use mayonnaise only, swapping half of it out with Greek yogurt gives it a more complex flavor and also makes it a little lighter. Adding grapes will give the salad a burst of juicy flavor and a little crunch. Like the classic Waldorf salad, ours uses chopped walnuts as well. For even more crunch and freshness, a few diced stalks of celery are added. This take on the iconic dish is a clever and tasty way to use up any leftover chicken, whether from a store-bought rotisserie or a Sunday roast.
Ingredients for chicken salad-stuffed avocados
First and foremost, cooked and chopped chicken is required for this recipe. To make it easy, you can use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. If you want to make the chicken yourself, poaching chicken breasts would be the best and fastest route.
Next, you'll need the standard chicken salad ingredients: mayonnaise, diced celery, halved grapes, diced red onion, chopped walnuts, lemon juice, a teaspoon of yellow mustard, and some salt and pepper. Chopped parsley is added towards the end for a fresh finish. One unique ingredient for this recipe is Greek yogurt. It helps make less of an oily chicken salad because some of the mayonnaise can be reduced from the dressing mixture. If Greek yogurt isn't available, more mayonnaise can easily be substituted in its place. Chicken salad is easily adaptable, so feel free to swap out anything you don't like and make it your own.
Step 1: Make the chicken salad dressing
Add Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, yellow mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
Step 2: Add the chicken and other ingredients
Add the chopped chicken, onion, celery, 2 tablespoons parsley, grapes, and walnuts to the bowl. Mix until all ingredients are coated in dressing.
Step 3: Prep the avocados
Cut avocados in half and remove pits. Carefully remove peel, leaving the avocados in full halves.
Step 4: Make the avocado cups
Scoop out 2 spoonfuls of the avocado meat, leaving the avocado half intact.
Step 5: Chop up the avocado
Chop up the scooped out avocado and stir it into the chicken salad.
Step 6: Fill the avocado cups
Fill the avocado halves with a large spoonful of chicken salad.
Step 7: Sprinkle with parsley
Garnish with remaining parsley and serve immediately.
What else can I put in my chicken salad?
Since chicken salad is so versatile, it's easy to swap out some of the ingredients and put a personal spin on the recipe. Whether accommodating allergies or picky eaters, almost anything can be substituted. Celery can be swapped with carrot or any other crunchy cold vegetable like cucumber or radish. Walnuts can easily be replaced by almonds, pecans or even hazelnuts. The nuts can be entirely removed from the recipe if you have an allergy; sunflower seeds would make a great allergy-friendly substitution. Grapes are great in this salad since they get cold and stay crisp, but diced chunks of peeled apple would work well too. The fruit can be omitted, but it is a refreshing addition when mixed into the tangy salad. Mayonnaise can be switched out with a full amount of Greek yogurt as needed in the dressing. Sour cream could also be used instead. Parsley is easy to find, but any other herb would be delicious too. Try scallions, chives, or dill, just be sure to chop finely and before adding it to the salad.
All of this is to say ... your chicken salad options are limitless!
How should chicken salad-stuffed avocados be stored?
Chicken salad is a great recipe to prepare ahead, but since this recipe uses avocado, it gets a little tricky. To avoid avocado browning, you can make the chicken salad as directed up to step 2. Store the prepared salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. When ready to serve, prepare the avocado and add the chopped avocado to the salad before scooping it into the cups. This would be the best way to make the recipe ahead and not lose quality or end up with an oxidized, brown-colored avocado.
If you want to make the recipe entirely, it will keep for at least 2 days in the refrigerator before the avocado pieces begin to brown. The avocado cups will brown faster, so if those need to be prepared ahead they should be rubbed with lemon juice and wrapped in plastic until serving. Gently unwrap the avocados from the plastic before serving to avoid crushing them. Making the recipe a few hours ahead should present no issues.
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 cups cooked chicken, chopped
- ¼ red onion, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley, divided
- 1 cup grapes, halved
- ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
- 2 medium-ripe avocados
- Add Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, yellow mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Add the chopped chicken, onion, celery, 2 tablespoons parsley, grapes, and walnuts to the bowl. Mix until all ingredients are coated in dressing.
- Cut avocados in half and remove pits. Carefully remove peel, leaving the avocados in full halves.
- Scoop out 2 spoonfuls of the avocado meat, leaving the avocado half intact.
- Chop up the scooped out avocado and stir it into the chicken salad.
- Fill the avocado halves with a large spoonful of chicken salad.
- Garnish with remaining parsley and serve immediately.
| Calories per Serving | 727 |
| Total Fat | 54.8 g |
| Saturated Fat | 9.8 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 121.0 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 20.4 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 8.5 g |
| Total Sugars | 8.9 g |
| Sodium | 918.2 mg |
| Protein | 41.9 g |
