Avocado Ranch Chicken Salad (Printable)

Grilled chicken breast with creamy avocado ranch dressing, fresh vegetables, and herbs. Refreshing, easy, and perfect for lunch.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.1 lbs)
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Avocado Ranch Dressing

05 - 1 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
06 - 1/2 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream
07 - 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
09 - 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
10 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
11 - 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
12 - 1 garlic clove, minced
13 - 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
14 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
15 - 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
16 - 2 to 3 tablespoons water as needed

→ Salad

17 - 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
18 - 1 cup cucumber, diced
19 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
20 - 1/2 cup celery, diced
21 - 4 cups mixed salad greens or romaine, chopped

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Rub chicken breasts thoroughly with olive oil, salt, and pepper on all sides.
02 - Cook chicken for 6 to 7 minutes per side until cooked through and juices run clear. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting into 1-inch chunks.
03 - Combine avocado, Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lime juice, chives, parsley, dill, garlic, onion powder, salt, and black pepper in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, adding water incrementally to achieve desired consistency.
04 - In a large bowl, combine salad greens, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and celery.
05 - Add chicken chunks to the greens mixture and pour avocado ranch dressing over the top. Toss gently to coat all components evenly.
06 - Divide salad among serving plates. Garnish with additional fresh herbs if desired and serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The avocado ranch is creamy and tangy without the heaviness of traditional dressings, so you can actually taste the chicken and vegetables.
  • It comes together in half an hour, which means you can make it on a weeknight without feeling like you spent forever in the kitchen.
  • The fresh herbs and lime juice make every bite feel bright and satisfying, not like sad desk lunch leftovers.
02 -
  • Don't skip letting the chicken rest after cooking, I used to slice it immediately and all the juices would run out onto the cutting board instead of staying in the meat.
  • If your avocado is too firm, the dressing will be lumpy and sad, so make sure it's ripe enough to mash easily with a fork before you even start cooking.
  • Thin the dressing with water slowly, because once you add too much you can't take it back and it'll be too runny to cling to the salad.
03 -
  • Blend the dressing until it's completely smooth with no chunks, because nobody wants to bite into a big piece of raw garlic in their salad.
  • Taste the dressing before you pour it over everything and adjust the lime juice or salt, because avocados vary in richness and sometimes you need a little more tang to balance it out.
  • If you're serving this to guests, chill the salad plates in the fridge for 10 minutes beforehand so everything stays crisp and cold longer.
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