Chipotle Chicken Salad is a smoky, spicy mix of chicken, vegetables, mayonnaise, and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. This flavor-packed salad is a delicious twist on the classic chicken salad, offering all the smoky goodness of chipotle with a refreshing crunch and a creamy, satisfying dressing.
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Why this Chipotle Chicken Salad Recipe is a Keeper
This chipotle chicken salad is packed with flavor, and it’s so easy to make. It’s an easy lunch option that includes diced red onion, crunchy veggies, chipotle peppers, and flavorful chicken breasts. Here are a few reasons why you’ll love this chicken salad:
- 20 Minute Meal: Mix this easy salad together in just 20 minutes.
- Easy Ingredients: All of the ingredients can found in your kitchen or local grocery store. It is great for meal prep and such a pleasant change from tuna salad.
- Makes Great Leftovers Throughout the Week: This salad looks amazing, and the salad ingredients come together to make a great option for an easy dinner. Use leftover chicken salad as a topping for romaine lettuce wraps, sub sandwiches, and salads. It’s also delicious with crackers or tortilla chips. Yum!
If you’re looking for more lunch recipes, try these: Orzo Chicken Salad, Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad, and Chicken Picadillo Taco Salad.
Is this Creamy Chipotle Chicken Hot?
Thanks to the chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, this chipotle chicken salad is bursting with flavor. The peppers give this recipe a spicy kick, but compared to other hot peppers, it’s on the lower end of the Scoville scale, which is used to measure the heat level of peppers. Because chipotle peppers are just smoked jalapenos, they’re spicier than ancho peppers, another smoked pepper variety, but far less spicy than habaneros or ghost peppers.
Crispy Chipotle Chicken Salad Ingredients
- Chicken: This is a great recipe for leftover chicken. It calls for 4 cooked and shredded chicken breasts, so rotisserie chicken will work fine. You can also cook the chicken in the crockpot.
- Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce: These peppers will give this chipotle chicken salad a distinct kick. You can buy chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the international aisle at your local grocery store, or at Hispanic markets.
See the recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Variations and Substitutions to Make Chipotle Chicken Salad
- Veggies: To add more texture and flavor to this delicious lunch recipe, try black beans, sliced avocado, and corn. I will definitely be making it with different veggies.
Fun Fact
There are two varieties of chipotle peppers: the meco and morita peppers. Morita peppers are typically found in the United States, while meco peppers are more common in southern Mexico.
How to Make this Recipe for Adobo Chipotle Chicken
These are the basic steps for making chipotle chicken recipe. Refer to the full, printable recipe card below for detailed instructions. If you haven’t made this yet, you have to give this recipe a try. We love reader interactions so leave us a review and snap a photo.
1. Prepare Shredded Chicken
Cook chicken breasts, then shred using two forks and set aside in a medium sized bowl.
2. Blend Chipotle Mixture
In a blender or food processor, mix mayo, sour cream, and half to a whole can of the chipotle peppers, depending on your personal taste and how spicy you want it to be, and blend until smooth.
3. Mix Together
Add the chipotle mixture to the shredded chicken and red onion. Mix until well combined. Then, chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours before serving
Easy Lunch Chipotle Chicken Salad FAQs
Expert Tips for Making Chipotle-Lime Chicken Salad
- Texture: For a crunchy texture, you might like to use crispy tortilla strips or chopped pine nuts.
- Chipotle-Lime Chicken Salad: You can also make this recipe with lemon juice or lime juice, Monterey jack cheese, celery, and red bell peppers.
- Spice Blend: Season the chicken salad with spices such as smoked paprika, garlic powder, or chipotle powder. You can also give this spicy chipotle chicken salad more flavor with a tablespoon of salt and black pepper, chili powder, and onion powder.
More Chipotle Recipes
- Chipotle Ranch Dressing
- Chipotle Oven Chicken Kabobs
- Chipotle Crock Pot Short Ribs
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Chipotle Chicken Salad
Equipment
- Blender or Food Processor
- Medium mixing bowl
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Ingredients
- 4 Chicken breasts, cooked and finely shredded
- 1 small Onion, finely minced
- ½ cup Celery, finely chopped
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- ½ cup Sour cream
- 1 tablespoon Chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon All Purpose Seasoning
Instructions
- Add the cooked chicken to a medium mixing bowl and shred it finely using two forks.
- Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, and 1 tablespoon of the chopped chipotle peppers to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
- Taste the chipotle mixture and add more chopped chipotle peppers if you want more heat.
- Add the minced onion, chopped celery, and All Purpose Seasoning to the shredded chicken. Stir to distribute the vegetables and seasoning evenly.
- Pour the chipotle dressing over the chicken mixture. Stir until the chicken is evenly coated.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
- Stir the chicken salad before serving and taste for seasoning. Add a small pinch of additional All Purpose Seasoning if needed.
Christina’s Notes
- Start with less chipotle. Begin with 1 tablespoon, blend, and taste. You can always add more heat, but you can’t take it away.
- Shred the chicken finely. Two forks work well, while a stand mixer with the paddle attachment is useful for larger batches.
- Blend the dressing first. Blending the mayonnaise, sour cream, and chipotle peppers creates a smooth dressing that coats the chicken evenly.
- Add the seasoning with the vegetables. Stirring the All Purpose Seasoning into the chicken, celery, and onion helps distribute it throughout the salad.
- Don’t skip the chill time. The original recipe calls for a couple of hours in the refrigerator, and the notes emphasize that this resting time is important to the finished flavor.
- Use full-fat mayonnaise and sour cream. The source notes that full-fat dairy gives the salad its creamiest texture, while low-fat versions can make the dressing watery.
- Stir before serving. Give the chilled salad a good stir and taste for seasoning before serving.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 4 days.
- Scale the recipe: Simply adjust the serving size in the recipe card and the ingredients will update automatically.
- Make your own All Purpose Seasoning: When a recipe calls for All Purpose Seasoning, you can use my homemade All Purpose Seasoning recipe or substitute salt and pepper to taste.
- Meat doneness: I always use a meat thermometer to test for doneness when cooking meat.
- Use unsalted butter: I use unsalted butter so I can control the salt level in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven: Unless otherwise noted, always preheat your oven before baking.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, check out the blog post.