I love chicken salad… with some curry and dried fruit, you simply can’t go wrong. Then stuff it inside of avocado halves… heaven. One-hundred percent heaven, I tell you.
I don’t love things super crazy mayo-y, so I don’t add a ton to my chicken salads. I’d rather taste the goodness of the veggies, fruits, and seasonings, but by all means, add as much as you want! Just make sure you get enough in there to keep it moist. Nobody likes a dry chicken salad. Nobody.
(Note: homemade mayo isn’t tough to make, and it tastes oh so good- see my homemade version HERE.)
Anyone who knows me knows I love stuffed foods. Food inside food is the best thing ever. Double bonus. And if you know me, you know avocados are pretty much gold in my eyes. So naturally, stuffed avos make this little girl happy. I think you’ll agree. They’re great as a quick lunch at home, or as a potluck treat to bring on to go!
makes enough chicken salad to stuff about 4 avos (8 halves)
INGREDIENTS
1 large (or 2 small) boneless/skinless chicken breasts (2 cups cooked chicken, chopped)
1/2 cup Granny Smith apple, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
1/4 cup diced apricots, finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp mayonnaise, depending on preference (see my homemade mayo HERE)
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2-4 large avocados, depending on how many you’re serving
*1/2 lemon (or lime) to keep avos from browning, optional
*extra salt, pepper, and olive oil or ghee (for cooking chicken)
DIRECTIONS
Start by cooking chicken…
Liberally sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper
Heat a little olive oil in a pan over medium heat
Place chicken breast in pan and cook for about 15 minutes, without flipping
Then turn and cook for about another 10 min.
(Cooking time will vary depending on size of breast- this one was about 3/4 lb!)
When done, set on a cutting board or plate and let rest until cool
Alternatively, you could use any leftover chicken you may have and just skip to the next step!
Meanwhile, prep remaining ingredients…
Clean and chop ends off celery stalks
Half stalks so pieces will be small
Then finely chop up stalks
Cut apricots into mini bite-size pieces
And then chop up onion…
I begin by slicing vertically into slivers
And then dicing horizontally- do whatever works best for you!
Chop up apple…
And now you have your goods ready 🙂
Your chicken should be relaxed and rested by now…
Chop into strips to help it cool faster
To get small pieces, I slice first into thin strips…
And then chop chop chop…
Toss chicken into a large mixing bowl
Add apple, onion, celery, and apricots and stir
Add spices and herbs…
Stir well
Get that parsley finely chopped…
Add and stir…
I do all of this before I add mayo- just to make sure everything is well- mixed first
Now add mayo…
Stir it all up
Taste and adjust seasonings as desired
Now you’re ready!! If you are making this ahead
of time, refrigerate chicken salad until ready to serve… it will keep well!
Chop avocados in half and remove pits
Sprinkle with a little fresh lemon juice (the acids help to
keep the avo green- otherwise it will turn brown- lime works too)
Using a spoon, scoop chicken salad into centers of avocados
I usually add as much as I can, making a large mound of goodness!
Continue until all avos are filled… you might have a
tad extra chicken salad, but that’s never a problem 🙂
And that’s that… you’re done!
Refrigerate until ready to eat, or devour immediately!
Enjoy!!
