Mexican Chicken Salad
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This Mexican Chicken Salad has everything you love about chicken salad with a spicy kick! Creamy mayo, chunks of juicy chicken breast combined with jalapeno, red onion, lime juice and Tajin chili lime seasoning! Perfect on a croissant any day!
What You Will ❤️ About Mexican Chicken Salad
- Spicy Kick! Grating your jalapeno instead of dicing gives chicken salad a spicy bite!
- Creamy Texture – just the right amount of mayo is the key to the perfectly creamy chicken salad
- Crunch! With celery, onion & jalapeno – there’s lots of crunch in this chicken salad!
Mexican Chicken Salad Ingredients
Good chicken salad only needs 4 ingredients: chicken, celery, onion powder & mayo – but GREAT chicken salad like this needs a few more veggies! So let’s do this!
- Cooked & shredded boneless skinless chicken breast – I like to make my chicken in the air fryer (360º for 10-15 min depending on size of chicken breast) – then use the paddle attachment on the mixer to shred.
- Minced celery – finely mince it so you can barely see the pieces!
- Grated jalapeño – I had a fairly LARGE jalapeno and grated it whole (seeds & all) – only used half and it definitely was spicy enough for me! (i’m not big on spicy)
- Minced red onion – you could use white onion as well but I like red for this
- Lime – fresh limes make everything better but you could use bottled
- Dukes mayonnaise – this is always my preference – but use what you like. Want less calories – you can use plain Greek yogurt
- Onion Powder – just a touch boosts up that onion flavor
- Fresh cilantro – I’m always using cilantro – adds freshness and flavor!
- Tajin or chili lime seasoning – my new favorite seasoning! You can use the Tajin brand or a chili lime seasoning. They’re very similar. You could also swap with chili powder.
Recipe Variations
Serve this chicken salad on a sandwich, tostadas or even on lettuce for a salad – but here are some additional ways to change it up!
- Traditional – sometimes you’ll see a traditional Mexican chicken salad with cooked potatoes and mixed vegetables (like peas and carrots) – it was sort of a “leftover” chicken salad
- Bell Peppers – adding green or red bell peppers adds color and more crunch
- Roll it up! Add some rice, cheddar cheese and romaine lettuce and roll it up in a low carb tortilla wrap!
- Roasted Corn & Black Beans – add some fire-roasted corn kernels and drained beans for a touch of sweetness and texture
How to make Mexican Chicken Salad Recipe
This perfect easy lunch recipe is ready in minutes! You can even use pre-cooked chicken – like rotisserie chicken or canned – for a short cut. You can even make this on the weekend and meal prep sandwiches for the week! Here’s how to make it:
- Use a mixer with dough paddle attachment to shred chicken.
- FINELY mince your celery & onion – to where you can barely see pieces. Grate the jalapeno on a cheese grater.
- Side note – I used half of a large jalapeno (seeds and all) and it was PLENTY spicy for me! I’m not a big hot & spicy fan.
- In a large bowl, add all ingredients and stir well.
- Serve with croissants, saltine crackers or on a salad and garnish with romaine lettuce, sliced avocado and green onions
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More Chicken Salad Recipes
- Olivia’s Old South Chicken Salad
- Chicken Salad Chick Classic Carol Chicken Salad
- Panera Napa Almond Chicken Salad
More Mexican-Style Recipes
Mexican Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chicken breast shredded
- 2 tbsp celery finely minced
- 1-2 tbsp jalapeno finely minced
- 2 tbsp red onion finely minced
- 1-2 tbsp lime juice juice from 1 lime
- 1 cup Duke’s mayonnaise
- 1/8 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp cilantro minced
- 1/2 tsp Tajin or chili lime seasoning
Instructions
- Use a mixer with dough paddle attachment to shred chicken.3 cups cooked chicken breast
- FINELY mince your celery & onion – to where you can barely see pieces. Grate the jalapeno on a cheese grater.2 tbsp celery, 1-2 tbsp jalapeno, 2 tbsp red onion
- Side note – I used half of a large jalapeno (seeds and all) and it was PLENTY spicy for me! I’m not a big hot & spicy fan.
- In a large bowl, add all ingredients and stir well.1-2 tbsp lime juice, 1 cup Duke’s mayonnaise, 1/8 tsp onion powder, 1 tbsp cilantro, 1/2 tsp Tajin
- Serve with croissants, saltine crackers or on a salad and garnish with romaine lettuce, sliced avocado and green onions
