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    Home » Recipes » Salads

    Cilantro Chicken Chopped Salad

    Published: Jan 31, 2022 · Modified: Feb 2, 2023 by Jessie · This post may contain affiliate links; if you buy something we'll earn a commission at no cost to you.

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    This easy cilantro chicken chopped salad recipe is ready in 20 minutes! With plenty of veggies and a creamy homemade dressing of greek yogurt, avocado, and cilantro. Perfect for busy summer evenings!

    Chicken chopped salad on a large white serving platter with two gold forks on the side. this recipe

    This easy chopped chicken salad is like summer in a bowl!

    It's our go-to when we have some meal prepped shredded chicken in the fridge (it's also great with leftover grilled chicken or a rotisserie chicken!) and is hearty enough to eat for dinner while still feeling bright and fresh.

    Also: It takes all of ten minutes to make. Just chop a few veggies, blend up a quick dressing, and toss everything together.

    Ingredients you'll need:

    • For the dressing: Plain Greek yogurt, avocado, fresh cilantro, and lime juice get blended together in a food processor with a pinch of salt and a splash of water.
    • For the salad: We're using cooked chicken, sweet corn (bonus points if you grill it first!), romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro (plus our homemade dressing!)
    Chicken salad ingredients, measured into individual bowls and sitting on a white table.

    How to make this chopped salad dressing

    This quick dressing is the star of our cilantro chicken salad!

    1. Throw half a cup of Greek yogurt, half an avocado, and a generous handful of fresh cilantro into the bowl of a food processor with the juice of one lime and a pinch of salt.
    2. Blend until smooth, adding a few teaspoons of water to thin the dressing out if needed.
    3. Store dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days (it's a great meal prep item to make in advance!)

    A few tips

    • This is a relatively thick sauce: Use a food processor (not a blender) for best results, and don't be afraid to add a bit of water to thin it out.
    • Double or triple this recipe to have extra dressing all week! Serve it on salads, tacos, or as a dipping sauce (we love it on veggie platters, crab cakes, or crackers!)
    Cilantro dressing ingredients in the bowl of a food processor.

    Riffs and substitutions

    This chopped salad recipe is so forgiving: mix it up with whatever you have on hand! Some of our favorite swaps:

    • No chicken? Use tuna, shrimp, or salmon in its place.
    • For a vegetarian salad, swap the chicken for black beans, chickpeas (bonus points for crispy chick peas!) hard boiled eggs, farro, or quinoa.
    • Add extra veggies! This salad is great with cucumber, bell peppers, green onions, carrots, radishes, you name it!
    • Mix up the greens by using spinach, cabbage, or kale in place of some or all of the romaine lettuce.
    • No avocado? Leave it out for a thinner dressing that's similar to our cilantro yogurt sauce!
    • For a spicy southwest spin on this salad, add roasted bell or poblano peppers, black beans, and green onions. You can also blend some roasted poblanos or sliced jalapeño into the dressing for an extra kick.
    • Use lemon juice or apple cider vinegar instead of lime juice in the dressing.
    Chicken chopped salad ingredients in a large brown bowl.

    A few FAQs

    How long does chopped salad last?

    We recommend eating this salad as soon as you toss it together: As it sits, the dressing will cause the lettuce to wilt, so it doesn't keep well in the fridge. You can prep this salad in advance by cooking the chicken, chopping the veggies (except tomatoes, which should be sliced and added when you're ready to eat), and making the dressing ahead of time - when everything is prepped, tossing it all together is a breeze!

    Can I make this salad for a crowd?

    If you're making it for a potluck, BBQ, or anywhere it might have to sit for awhile, we recommend swapping the romaine for heartier greens like kale or cabbage (they won't wilt as quickly as romaine), or serving the dressing on the side. You can also serve all the components individually for a DIY chopped salad bar!

    Pouring cilantro dressing out of a white cup over salad ingredients.

    Video: How to make cilantro chicken chopped salad

    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    Chicken salad on a large white plate with two gold salad forks.

    Cilantro Chicken Chopped Salad

    ★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
    • Author: Jessie
    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Cook Time: 5 minutes
    • Total Time: 15 minutes
    • Yield: Serves 2-4 1x
    • Category: Salad
    • Cuisine: American
    • Diet: Gluten Free
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    Description

    This easy chicken chopped salad is perfect for summer!


    Ingredients

    Scale

    For the dressing:

    • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
    • ½ large avocado, pitted and removed from peel (save the other half for your salad!)
    • ½ cup fresh cilantro
    • Juice of 1 lime (about 3 Tablespoons)
    • salt to taste
    • ¼ cup water (you may not need it all)

    For the salad:

    • 2 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken
    • 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
    • 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (or 2 large tomatoes, diced)
    • ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
    • 2 cups fresh sweet corn (about 3-4 ears, depending on size)
    • ½ avocado, sliced

    Instructions

    Make the dressing:

    1. Combine Greek yogurt, avocado, cilantro, lime juice, and salt in a food processor. Blend until smooth. If dressing is too thick, add water a Tablespoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. Set aside or store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

    Assemble the salad:

    1. Combine chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, and corn in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing (recipe above) and toss to combine.
    2. Top salad with fresh avocado slices. Serve immediately.

    Notes

    What kind of chicken should I use? We typically use our meal prepped shredded chicken in this salad, since it’s what we usually have on hand. You can also use leftover grilled or roasted chicken or grab a rotisserie chicken from the store to keep things easy here!

    Additions and Substitutions. Use tuna, shrimp, hard boiled egg, or salmon in place of chicken here. Add extra veggies (cucumber, bell pepper, green onion, carrots) grains (farro, quinoa) or beans (chickpeas, black beans) to make this salad a bit heartier. Swap some or all of the romaine for spinach, cabbage, or kale. Use lemon juice or apple cider vinegar instead of lime juice in the dressing if you prefer.

    If you don't like cilantro, use spinach and/or parsley in its place for the dressing, and leave it out of the salad.

    Make the salad dressing ahead of time if you like: Blend as directed and store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

    This recipe was inspired by this Chickpea Chopped Salad from Ambitious Kitchen.

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size:
    • Calories: 335
    • Sugar: 8.9 g
    • Sodium: 90 mg
    • Fat: 16.6 g
    • Carbohydrates: 25.5 g
    • Protein: 25.6 g
    • Cholesterol: 57.1 mg

    Keywords: salad, summer, healthy

    Tag @lifeasastrawberry on Instagram to show us what you're cooking! Nutrition information is calculated per serving; it is approximate and will vary based on many factors.

    This recipe was originally published in 2013. It was updated in 2022 with additional photos and notes.

    The photos for this recipe were taken by Casey at The Mindful Hapa!

    SaveSave

    More Easy Salad Recipes

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    • 5 Minute Lemon Arugula Salad
    • Spinach Prosciutto Salad with Basil Vinaigrette
    • 5 Ingredient Tortellini Salad

    I'm Jessie, and I like to talk about food. Tag your recipes #LifeAsAStrawberry on social media to share your creations! Learn about our team!

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    Discussion

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    1. casey colodny

      February 09, 2022 at 2:25 pm

      Such an easy and delicious salad, especially with the rotisserie chicken!! I made double dressing to have for dipping veggies in and it was soooo good!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Team Life As A Strawberry

        February 09, 2022 at 5:39 pm

        Great idea!! This dressing is 😍😍😍

        Reply
    2. Queenie

      May 24, 2014 at 10:20 pm

      You make the most delicious recipes. I love them all! Thanks Jessie!

      Reply
    3. Heather

      September 19, 2013 at 8:29 am

      Hi there,
      How long do you think you could keep this in the fridge? Like, if I made it on Sunday, can I take it for lunch on Tuesday?

      Reply
      • Jessie

        September 23, 2013 at 8:02 am

        I'm always hesitant to save a finished salad because the lettuce tends to get soggy. If you want to take this for lunch, I'd recommend putting the lettuce, greek yogurt, and tomatoes in their own separate containers, and just pre-mixing everything else. Then you can toss it all together whenever you're ready to eat and it will be crisp and fresh! A big tupperware or gallon sized ziploc bag are both great for tossing salad together at work or picnics. If you store the ingredients separately, you'll have a much longer window of time to eat the salad (5-7 days) than you would if you saved it with the dressing and everything already mixed in. Hope that helps!

        Reply

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