This avocado chicken salad recipe has a sweet surprise! Made with fresh baby greens, juicy chicken breasts, creamy avocado, and feta cheese it also features sweet watermelon cubes! Tossed with a tasty mint lime dressing, it's a complete summer meal in a bowl!
Let's enjoy every summer moment we can! This chicken and watermelon salad combines my favourite summertime flavours all in one bowl. It's an easy 30-minute gluten-free summer salad that makes a complete lunch or dinner.
While there are scads of watermelon salad recipes on Pinterest, this one was inspired by a salad I ate in a tiny restaurant on Gabriola Island, one of the beautiful Gulf Islands off the coast of British Columbia. After a bike ride around the island with friends, we stopped in at a small bistro for lunch.
The menu had interesting twists on the usual burgers and sandwiches, but this avocado watermelon salad with chicken jumped out at me. It seemed like a refreshing meal after a morning of biking and hiking.
After one bite, I knew I'd be recreating it at home to share with you here.
Jump to:
- ❤️ Why this recipe works
- Chicken salad with watermelon will surprise you!
- 🛒 Ingredients
- 👍🏼 Tips to make the best watermelon avocado salad
- How to cut a watermelon into cubes
- Frequently Asked Questions
- 🔁 Variations: Make this salad your way!
- 🗒More easy salad recipes with chicken
- 🌟Did you make this recipe?
- 📖 Recipe
❤️ Why this recipe works
This salad has enticing colours, textures, and a to-die-for, lick-your-plate mint lime dressing. It has that sweet and salty combination of flavours we love.
Sweet watermelon cubes, buttery avocado, salty feta crumbles and tender chicken slices, oh my!
Together they give that sweet and savoury contrast that makes a chicken dinner salad memorable. You'll want to make this recipe!
Chicken salad with watermelon will surprise you!
Several times over the last month or two, I've attempted to make this chicken salad with watermelon. Every time I bought a watermelon, it seemed to disappear.
Either the grandkids stopped in and devoured it, or I'd use it to make this Strawberry Watermelon Collagen Smoothie. And at least once or twice, it ended up in this Strawberry Watermelon Sangria Slushie.
With fresh strawberries available, I made this Summer Strawberry Watermelon Salad with Feta, but I knew I still wanted to recreate that chicken salad with avocado and watermelon!
While this recipe is similar to this Greek Watermelon Basil Salad and my Skinny Greek Chicken Bowl with Watermelon and Feta, today's recipe is definitely a chicken salad. It's full of creamy avocado, juicy watermelon cubes, and a fresh, summer-inspired honey-lime dressing.
A perfect salad for hot summer days!
🛒 Ingredients
Here's what you'll need:
- chicken breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are the best choice for this chicken salad.
- greens: Baby spinach leaves or fresh garden greens add colour, texture and lots of healthy nutrients.
- ripe watermelon: See 8 tips for how to pick a good watermelon to find the sweetest, most flavourful watermelon.
- avocado: Adds healthy fats to this chicken salad. Choose ripe avocados that give a little when you gently squeeze them.
- feta cheese: I recommend using feta soaked in brine for the best flavour and longest shelf life.
- for the dressing: You'll need olive oil, fresh lime, fresh mint leaves, honey and a pinch of salt to make this flavourful dressing.
👍🏼 Tips to make the best watermelon avocado salad
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts work beautifully in this salad as they cook quickly and they're tender and juicy. I suggest poaching them, as they cook in just a few minutes. However, you can use grilled chicken, air-fried chicken or even rotisserie chicken to make this an even faster meal to put together!
- Combine the dressing ingredients while the chicken is cooking. Set aside to allow the flavours to blend.
- Arrange the ingredients either in a large serving bowl, or create individual salads in shallow bowls. Add the avocado just before serving to prevent browning. Squeeze a little lime juice on the slices to prevent discolouration, if you like.
- It's easy to make this chicken watermelon salad for a large group, a potluck or a barbecue with friends. Just use the slider in the recipe card below to adjust the number of servings.
How to cut a watermelon into cubes
The easiest way to get uniform cubes is to first cut a whole melon in half.
Place the melon half cut-side down on a cutting board. Using a very sharp knife, cut the melon into slices about ¾ inch thick. Next, holding the melon together, turn it 90 degrees and slice it crosswise.
Now you'll have watermelon "sticks" which are very easy to cut into cubes. Discard or compost the rind or save it for pickling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can easily prepare all the components ahead of time, then assemble them just before serving.
Simply grill or cook the chicken ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge. Wash and dry the greens, cube the watermelon and refrigerate them, too. You can even whisk the honey-lime vinaigrette ingredients together in advance.
If you like, you can warm the cooked chicken before slicing or shredding and adding it to the salad, but it’s good cold as well.
You'll want to add the avocado just before serving.
Avocado browning is a natural but undesirable process that happens when you slice it, due to the activity of an enzyme. You can slow the process by coating the avocado in lemon or lime juice, just as you would with apple slices.
🔁 Variations: Make this salad your way!
- Change the cheese: try a strongly-flavoured cheese like blue cheese or gorgonzola instead of feta cheese, or use crumbled goat cheese or torn burrata cheese.
- Add even more colour and flavour with a few slices of red onion or fresh garden cucumbers.
- Add a little crunch with nuts! Try thinly sliced toasted almonds or roughly chopped pistachios.
- Use a melon baller: for a special presentation, you can make melon balls instead of cubes.
- Change the dressing: Use this ever-popular maple balsamic dressing instead. Delicious with chicken!
Enjoy this perfect summer side dish! Serve with gluten-free Crispy Salted Coconut Cookies or Easy Raspberry Rhubarb Fool for dessert.
🗒More easy salad recipes with chicken
- Chopped Chicken Taco Salad with Zesty Lime Dressing
- Greek Chicken Salad with Mint
- Greek Chicken Cobb Salad - Family Style
- Fennel Apple Chicken Salad with Pumpkin Spice Pecans
🌟Did you make this recipe?
When you make this avocado chicken salad recipe, please leave a comment and a star rating below. I love hearing from you! Subscribe to my newsletter and have new recipes delivered straight to your inbox.
This recipe was originally published in 2019. It has stood the test of time! It's been refreshed with new photos and extra information.
📖 Recipe
Avocado Chicken Salad with Watermelon and Mint Lime Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 4-oz chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, poached, air-fried, or grilled (see instructions)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 cups watermelon cubes
- 1 medium ripe avocado, thinly sliced
- 4 cups baby spinach or other fresh greens, long stems removed
- ¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled
Mint Lime Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil, extra virgin
- 2 tablespoons lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper and dried thyme. To poach: place chicken in a skillet and pour in enough water (or chicken broth) to cover chicken about half way. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and allow the chicken to rest for 15 minutes before slicingOr air fry for 8 to 10 minutes at 375°F. turning once halfway through.Or grill on an outdoor or indoor grill over medium-high heat until the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Combine dressing ingredients in a blender or by shaking in a covered jar.
- To make individual dinner salad bowls, arrange baby greens in each of two shallow bowls. Layer with watermelon cubes, thinly sliced chicken, avocado and crumbled feta cheese.
- Drizzle with Mint Lime Dressing and serve right away.
Lane
So refreshing! Such a great way to eat watermelon.
Elaine
Thanks Lane, Love this salad because it makes a totally satisfying meal!
Dierdre
This dressing is to die for! I added a little more honey and used it on a fruit salad. Yum!
Flavour & Savour
Oh that's a great idea! I must try that!
Pat
How many mint leaves and do you mince them?
Flavour & Savour
Hi Pat. Use about 2 tbsp of fresh mint, a small handful. The number of leaves will depend on the type of mint you have. If you use a blender, leave them whole and they'll be finely minced once blended. If shaking in a jar, you will have to mince them first. Enjoy!