· · · · · · ·

BLT Chicken Salad Avocado Cups (Paleo & Whole30 Approved!)

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy

These tasty BLT Chicken Salad Avocado Cups are stuffed with a flavorful BLT-inspired chicken salad for a delicious, healthy lunch any day of the week. They’re the perfect combination of creamy, savory, smoky, and salty! (Paleo, Gluten Free, Whole30)

Paleo BLT Chicken Salad Avocado Cups - BLT Chicken salad scooped into avocado halves = best lunch EVER! (gluten free, paleo, Whole30 approved!)

Updated April 2018. Originally posted Jan 2016.

One of my favorite things in the kitchen is using flexible recipes. I favor methods rather than strict recipes most of the time. (You may have gathered that given the number of suggestions for ways to change things up in pretty much every recipe!) I guess that the thing I want people to know about cooking (especially healthy cooking) is that it doesn’t have to be hard or boring.

I absolutely love taking a lazy weekend afternoon to roast a whole chicken or make something more time-intensive or fancy. But I think that the most consistent success in making healthy eating and healthy cooking part of your regular routine comes from making it easy and accessible. And, for most of us, there are more busy days and evenings in a week than there are days for long or laborious cooking.

I’ll never give up a great fancy-pants recipe for good (some things are just worth the extra effort!), but I love something quick and easy for weeknights. These BLT Chicken Salad Avocado Cups are a fresh and fabulous example.

Paleo BLT Chicken Salad Avocado Cups - BLT Chicken salad scooped into avocado halves = best lunch EVER! (gluten free, dairy free)

Use up cooked chicken (or pick up a rotisserie chicken!), and mix it together with a few simple ingredients. Scoop the whole thing into half of an avocado and pair with some fresh fruit and veggies or a side salad for a delicious dinner.

The beauty of this idea is, like any sort of sandwich, you can change it up any way you like. Feel free to stir in a bit of diced celery or some chopped bell peppers if you like, or swap ranch dressing for the mayo. Maybe the BLT Chicken Salad vibe isn’t your jam. In that case, I have FIVE other versions to try in this Ultimate Guide to Chicken Salad. All of them are awesome in an avocado.

BLT Chicken Salad Avocado Cups - Paleo, Gluten Free, and TOTALLY DELICIOUS! (Whole30 approved!)

Notes on BLT Chicken Salad Avocado Cups:

Bake Your Bacon! I swear by baking my bacon. I’ve found that it cooks much more evenly, and it’s less work and mess for me! Just line a baking sheet with foil, then bake it at 375 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. I love that I don’t have to stand over a splattering pan at the stovetop–I can just pop it in the oven while I do other things, and get it out when I’m done.

Plus, I often cook an extra batch to store in the freezer. That way I get twice the prep done and my house only has that “after-bacon” smell once. I can pull out a few pieces for a salad (or these avocado cups) or pull out the whole batch later for a different recipe. Try it and you’ll forever be a convert!

Packing for lunch. This also makes an awesome lunch. To pack, squeeze a little fresh lime juice over your halved avocado in the morning when you pack it, and then scoop the chicken salad on top right before eating. Bingo!

Change it up. Instead of serving it in avocado cups, you can dice up the avocado, stir it right into the chicken salad and eat it with crackers, lettuce leaves, or wrap it up in a tortilla or gluten free wrap.

Don’t Like Mayo? If you’re not into straight up mayo, you can use ranch dressing instead. (It’s delicious!). If you’re not paleo or doing Whole30, you can try swapping 1/2 the mayo for unsweetened Greek yogurt. Many people love the tang and the extra protein. (Obviously, Greek yogurt won’t work for dairy free folks.)

Whole30 Notes – This is easily Whole30 approved. You’ll just need to use approved bacon and mayo. I like avocado oil mayo for a paleo option (or this homemade version).

Like this recipe? You might also like:

Paleo BLT Chicken Salad Avocado Cups - BLT Chicken salad scooped into avocado halves = best lunch EVER! (gluten free, dairy free)
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
BLT Chicken salad scooped into avocado halves

BLT Chicken Salad Avocado Cups


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

  • Author: Emily
  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 avocados (halved, and pits removed)
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded, cooked chicken breast
  • 1/2 cup baby tomatoes, halved or quartered
  • 4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
  • 1 green onion, sliced
  • 23 Tbsp fresh cilantro or basil
  • 34 Tbsp mayonnaise
  • Juice of 1/2 lime (about 1 Tbsp)
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

In a medium bowl, mix together chicken, tomatoes, bacon, green onion, herbs, mayonnaise, lime juice, salt and pepper. Taste and add additional lime juice, salt or pepper as desired.

Scoop chicken over avocado halves and serve! (You can also dice up the avocado, mix it into the chicken salad, and serve with crackers, chips, or wrap it in a tortilla or gluten free wrap.)

Notes

Whole30 Notes – This is easily Whole30 approved. You’ll just need to use approved bacon and mayo. I like avocado oil mayo for a paleo option (or this homemade version).

Bake Your Bacon! I swear by baking my bacon. I’ve found that it cooks much more evenly, and it’s less work and mess for me! Just line a baking sheet with foil, then bake it at 375 degrees for about 20-25 minutes. Plus, I often cook an extra batch to store in the freezer. I can pull out a few pieces for a salad (or these avocado cups) or pull out the whole batch later for a different recipe. Try it and you’ll forever be a convert!

Packing for lunch. This also makes an awesome lunch. To pack, squeeze a little fresh lime juice over your halved avocado in the morning when you pack it, and then scoop the chicken salad on top right before eating. Bingo!

Change it up. Instead of serving it in avocado cups, you can dice up the avocado, stir it right into the chicken salad and eat it with crackers, lettuce leaves, or wrap it up in a tortilla or gluten free wrap.

Don’t Like Mayo? If you’re not into straight up mayo, you can use ranch dressing instead. (It’s delicious!). If you’re not paleo or doing Whole30, you can try swapping 1/2 the mayo for unsweetened Greek yogurt. Many people love the tang and the extra protein. (Obviously, Greek yogurt won’t work for dairy free folks.)

Nutrition

  • Calories: 458kcal
  • Sugar: 1g
  • Sodium: 488mg
  • Fat: 38g
  • Saturated Fat: 8g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 10g
  • Fiber: 7g
  • Protein: 22g
  • Cholesterol: 68mg
BLT Chicken Salad Avocado Cups - Paleo, Gluten Free, and TOTALLY DELICIOUS! (Whole30 approved!)

Similar Posts

5 Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star