Keto Chicken Salad with avocado is a perfect summer lunch in one bowl. Packed with flavors, rich in protein and healthy fats, this low carb chicken salad is an ideal meal. It is gluten-free and dairy-free as well. The avocado dressing takes it to the next level. You won’t miss bread and feel satisfied for a long time with an easy chicken salad like this.
As the weather gets warmer, we are craving for light vegetable dishes like Turkish style Braised Green Beans with Tomatoes or salads during lunch time. No more comforting stews or soups please. Eating light is one of the great things I love about summer, which also means easy cooking or no cooking at all. For a salad to be satisfying, we need some healthy fats and protein. Right? This keto chicken salad recipe contains all of those things.
How to make keto chicken salad
I prefer using boneless chicken thigh fillets for this salad because they have more fat and we find them tastier than breast fillets. Cook the chicken fillets covered in a skillet with about ¼ cup water over medium low heat until they release water and then absorb almost all of it. Drizzle a little olive oil, season with salt, thyme and black pepper. Fry both sides until golden.
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If you have leftover chicken, it takes no time to prepare this keto chicken salad. Just heat it up and combine with other ingredients.
To get the most benefit out of the healthy oil in avocado, I use an amazing Avocado Dressing over my salad. I shared the recipe for it here last week. Remember? It enriches all the flavors and you end up with the healthiest and tastiest salad ever!
If you want to use mayonnaise instead of that super tasty avocado dressing, I don’t suggest store bought ones because they might not contain good oils. Make your own mayo using Joanne’s homemade mayonnaise recipe.
Is chicken salad keto friendly?
Chicken is a healthy source of protein, but doesn’t have enough fat, which is needed on a ketogenic diet. Therefore, we prefer buying chicken thighs because they have more fat and flavor. Combining the thighs with some healthy oils and vegetables, you can create wonderful ketogenic meals like this salad.
Carbs in chicken thighs
Chicken thighs don’t contain any carbohydrates, which makes them a good ingredient for a low-carb diet. On the other hand, you need to be careful if you are preparing a marinade. If you use something like BBQ sauce or anything sweet in the marinade, the carbs increase. I don’t use any marinade when cooking the chicken thighs in this easy chicken salad recipe to keep them totally keto friendly.
Below are more easy to make salad recipes from our archive and our fellow bloggers:
Spinach Salad with Bacon Dressing
Oh and if you make this Keto Chicken Salad with Avocado, I’d love to hear your feedback. Please rate the recipe and leave a comment below.
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PrintKeto Chicken Salad with Avocado
Keto chicken salad that is loaded with flavors makes a healthy and satisfying summer lunch.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Chicken:
- 2 boneless chicken thigh fillets
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sweet chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 cloves garlic
Salad:
- 2 cups arugula
- 1 cup purslane leaves
- Basil leaves
- 1/2 cup fresh dill
- A handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tablespoon olives
- 1 avocado, sliced
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon nigella seeds
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Avocado Dressing (or more depending on your taste)
Instructions
- Place the chicken fillets on a skillet. Pour ¼ cup water and cook them covered over medium low heat until they release water and then absorb almost all of it. Flip them over a few times during this time.
- Uncover and drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil over the chicken thighs. Add in garlic cloves. Season with salt, black pepper , sweet chili powder and thyme. Cook them covered until golden, flipping them over a few times.
- Arrange all salad ingredients in a large bowl. Sprinkle sesame seeds and nigella seeds over them. Drizzle olive oil and avocado dressing over the salad.
Notes
I didn’t add any water to the avocado dressing this time so that I could have a thicker result and place it on the side of my salad.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 1093
- Sugar: 17g
- Sodium: 2741.7mg
- Fat: 80.4g
- Carbohydrates: 33.4g
- Protein: 67.8g
- Cholesterol: 280.1mg
Keywords: chicken, keto, avocado, low-carb, salad
IF YOU LIKED THIS RECIPE, THEN YOU WILL LOVE THESE:
This salad is equal parts dreamy and healthy!
★★★★★
Thank you Joanne! It’s our favorite this summer.
I am just getting into keto diet and this looks like an incredible recipe. Avocado is such a healthy fat and you used it beautifully. This will be my new go-to summer salad recipe.
Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Glad you like it Carol! We will be having this salad for lunch very often this summer. I love how easy yet tasty this salad is.