Avocado Herb Chicken Salad (Printable)

A light, protein-packed meal with avocado, chicken, and herbs served in crisp lettuce cups.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded

→ Vegetables & Herbs

02 - 1 large ripe avocado, diced
03 - 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
04 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
05 - 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

→ Dressing

07 - 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt or dairy-free mayonnaise
08 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
09 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
10 - 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
11 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Assembly

12 - 8 large butter lettuce leaves or romaine hearts
13 - Cherry tomatoes, halved, for garnish (optional)

# Directions:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked chicken, diced avocado, celery, red onion, parsley, and dill.
02 - In a small bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper until smooth.
03 - Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and gently toss to coat all ingredients evenly.
04 - Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
05 - Spoon the chicken salad evenly into the lettuce leaves to form cups.
06 - Top with cherry tomato halves if desired and serve immediately.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • It's ready in under an hour and feels like you spent way more effort than you actually did.
  • The creamy avocado and tangy dressing keep things interesting without any heavy carbs hanging around.
  • You can prep everything ahead and assemble just before eating, making it perfect for meal prepping or last-minute lunch dates.
02 -
  • Don't assemble these more than 15 minutes before serving or the lettuce will wilt and everything starts to taste soggy instead of fresh and bright.
  • If you're meal prepping, keep the salad mixture and lettuce leaves separate in the fridge, then put them together when you're ready to eat—it'll taste infinitely better than when assembled ahead.
03 -
  • Always taste your dressing on a plain lettuce leaf before adding it to the salad—your taste buds in that context will tell you exactly what it needs.
  • Keep your knife sharp when chopping the red onion; a dull blade will bruise it and make it taste aggressively sharp instead of pleasantly bright.
Return