Paleo Whole30 chicken salad equals creamy, curried chicken and loaded up with yummy veggies. This salad is stuffed into avocados and topped off with fresh herbs and green onions. A delicious, quick and easy Whole30 lunch hack!
Why Is This Whole30 Chicken Salad So Great?
- The fact that there is curry inside really takes the flavors up ten notches.
- It's perfect for meal prep and eating throughout the week. Such a great dish to eat as leftovers.
- It is gluten free, dairy free, paleo, and Whole30.
- You can quickly whip up the chicken in the Instant Pot.
- Serve it in an avocado or wrapped in lettuce, and it's a great low carb option.
I have been on such a curry kick as of late. Curry and turmeric, actually. I think the neon yellow color that it turns my dishes into is what attracts me. Oh, and the smell. I've been putting turmeric into my coffee every single morning.
I will need to post my coffee recipe soon because I have made a concoction that I deem as perfect for me. I wake up in the morning, excited to break out my blender and start my mad science coffee work.
Okay, so from coffee to curry… I love chicken salad. Usually, I eat chicken salads filled with grapes, cranberries, nuts, etc.
But hold your horses. I'm ready to kick up the chicken salad game about twelve notches.
A Paleo Chicken Salad Recipe That's Nutritious And Filling
My husband used to come and bring me lunch at work (years ago, at my corporate "normal" job) and every once in a while, he'd surprise me with some gluten free bread and chicken salad.
No, not green salad. He would bring over a couple tubs of chicken curry salad and tuna salad from our neighborhood market.
They were both delicious, don't get me wrong. What I noticed immediately after trying each of them though, was a strange aftertaste. Then, I read the ingredient list, and there was the culprit: VEGENAISE!
Do not get me wrong- if you are vegan and want to get your pseudo mayonnaise on, by all means grab the Vegenaise.
IT IS NOT FOR ME THOUGH. Why? The first ingredient is soy oil. Plain and simple. Neither my mind nor my body agree with any soy products.
Soon after, I was on a mission to make a quick and easy Whole30 compliant mayonnaise at home.. and I did!
How Do I Serve Curried Whole30 Chicken Salad?
Why did I decide to stuff this creamy chicken salad into avocado "boats?"
Well, first of all, is there anything cuter than a stuffed avocado? The answer is no.
Second of all, I wanted to find a vessel for the chicken salad that was Whole30 compliant and that complimented the flavors from the chicken salad.
Because of the subtleness and creaminess the avocado lends, it is absolutely the perfect companion for the creamy, curried chicken salad. Do you get it now?
Also, I'm all about easy. I wanted to make this recipe as easy as possible and by making it low carb and full of all the healthy fats and protein, I think it will be VERY easy to eat all at once. Just kidding. You could though. If you wanted to.
Can I Make The Chicken In The Instant Pot?
Absolutely.
Turn on the Instant Pot and set to "Manual." Add chicken thighs, water, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of oregano. SET the pressure to HIGH and the timer for 12 minutes.
After the chicken has finished cooking, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Then, move the "sealing" nob to "venting" and let it release completely. Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and shred using two forks on a cutting board. Set aside to cool.
There is nothing easier to pack ahead of time than these delicious boats, loaded up with creamy chicken salad and fresh veggies and herbs. Get ahead with your Whole30 and make these boats today!
More Whole30 Recipes Like This:
Paleo and Whole30 Shepherd's Pie
Paleo Whole30 Chicken Salad Boats
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds pounds organic, boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 ½ teaspoons curry powder
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground thyme
- 1 small green apple diced
- 1 small red onion diced
- 2 small yellow or orange bell peppers diced
- 1 cup Homemade Paleo Mayonnaise
- green onions for topping
- fresh parsley for topping
- 4 avocados halved and pitted
Instructions
- Rinse chicken thighs in cold water and pat them dry on a cutting board. Remove any excess fat if you'd like.
- Bring a large sized pot of water to a boil. Add the chicken and cook until the internal temperature reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure you don't overcook the chicken or it will become tough and dry.
- Strain the chicken and leave to cool on a cutting board. After it has cooled, cut the chicken into bite-sized cubes.
- Combine your spices in a small bowl and thoroughly rub them into the chicken with your hands. Transfer your spiced chicken into a large bowl (big enough for you to mix everything together well with your hands!)
- Add the vegetables and apple to the bowl of chicken and stir until combined.
- Pour the mayonnaise over the chicken and vegetables, and give it a really thorough lather/mix with your hands. Make sure everything is completely coated with the mayo.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.
- Stuff the avocado halves with chicken salad. Garnish with green onions and fresh parsley. Enjoy!
Notes
- To make the chicken in the Instant Pot: Turn on the Instant Pot and set to "Manual." Add chicken thighs, water, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of oregano. SET the pressure to HIGH and the timer for 12 minutes. After the chicken has finished cooking, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Then, move the "sealing" nob to "venting" and let it release completely. Remove the chicken from the Instant Pot and shred using two forks on a cutting board. Set aside to cool.
- This recipe will make a lot of chicken salad (about 10 servings.) I am unsure how many avocado halves it would take to utilize all of the salad. As a point of reference, I calculated the nutritional information for this salad without the avocado.
Maurizio Pino Calderazzo says
Great meal ideas. I am a beginner cook. Paleo meals are for me at night.
Medea says
To anyone making this recipe, I have tried this many times and it’s great, however, I would highly recommend not boiling your chicken to cook it. That’s a very unappetizing way of doing it. Just bake it normally or sear in in a cast iron skillet. Before I knew anything about cooking when I first found this recipe, I tried to boil the chicken and it was nasty. The recipe itself is great though!!
Jaime Halligan says
This is delicious! Thank you so much for sharing. Every time I try something new on this diet I love it. You don't feel like you're missing anything it's more like where have i been:)
Patricia Youngren Balentyne says
Vegenaise is supposed to be soy-free
Ah, but it has canola oil, no? I don't consume any of that 🙂
Alyssa @ A Bite of Inspiration says
This looks delicious!! What a clever use of avocados. Pinning for later!
They are absolutely fabulous. I hope you love them!! 🙂
AJ says
My go to recipe for lunch and dinner! Also fits into the Keto cleanse I'm on!
That makes me so happy to hear. I'm so happy you enjoyed this salad!!! 🙂
Elaine @ Dishes Delish says
Yummy. I love chicken salad and would have never thought of putting it in an avocado. Great idea!
Girl, it's so good. You gotta try it!
collegeceliackc says
I've never thought to add curry powder to chicken salad - genius! And your photography is definitely A++++ now!
You're so sweet. Thank you!!!!!! And yes, curry in chicken salad is SO, so good. You must try it!
vicki says
When you stated to rinse chicken and take off any fat, I assume the chicken was raw. You didn't mention cooking the chicken at all. Did you have a specific way of cooking that you prefer? Thanks.
Hi Vicki! I feel so silly not including the cooking instructions. I have updated the recipe! Thanks for your patience.
Liz says
so i discovered your blog through TaylorMadeitPaleo and I made the chicken pot pie last week and it was so good! I love a quick chicken salad on a Monday night so I thought I would try this as well-it turned out great! To cut down on time i just buy a rotisserie chicken. I only had a teaspon of curry powder left but I think it was still great-you could taste the curry but it wasn't too much. Also, I just generally use paleomg's mayo recipe-if you don't have an immersion blender-you should totally invest in one. It makes mayo in like 5 seconds, not kidding. Avocado oil is so expensive and olive oil gives the mayonaise an overpowering gross olive oil taste. While it may not be as good for you, I just use light olive oil to make the mayo. Thank you for both of these recipes they have been fantastic!
Liz,
Thank you so much for your feedback. It means A LOT to me. Please share your thoughts on any other recipes of mine that you make, thanks for making me smile 🙂
Sandra says
Does the inside of the avocado go in the chicken salad too?