Chicken salad was one of my go-to meals in college. In my freshman dorm, I’d prepare it with canned chicken and vegetables, which was perfect because I only had microwave to cook with. Once I got my college apartment with a full kitchen, I opted for cooking fresh chicken breast but still made this Mexican chicken recipe often! I loved that I could pack this in the morning with some ice packs and not have to worry about finding a microwave on campus. Same for an office job — it’s a good lunch to pack and avoid the dreaded microwave line!
Over the years, I’ve adjusted this easy Mexican chicken salad recipe to my liking – adding variations of vegetables and even pickled carrots for a little kick. This will be a recipe you’ll be glad to add to your roster, as it’s easy, versatile, and makes a great potluck dish to bring to parties!
Why You’ll Love This Mexican Chicken Salad
- Easy – With the exception of boiling the chicken, all you have to do is shred the chicken and mix with canned vegetables! Make this Mexican chicken salad recipe even easier by purchasing pre-shredded chicken available at most grocery stores.
- Creamy – The mayonnaise in this recipe makes it creamy and refreshing once it has chilled. Want it creamier? Add a tablespoon of mayonnaise at a time.
- Versatile – This Mexican chicken salad is versatile! Eat it with saltine crackers, put it in a sandwich, top a tostada with it, or serve it over some romaine lettuce.
- Make-Ahead – Because of its versatility, this recipe is one you can make-ahead and use in a variety of ways throughout the week!
Recommended Tools for This Recipe
- Pot – You’ll need a pot large enough to boil your chicken, unless you’re buying it already shredded!
- Mixing Bowl – Make sure use to a deep bowl so you can mix your ingredients comfortably without having to worry about ingredients bursting out.
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Ensalada de Pollo Ingredients
- Chicken – This recipe requires shredded chicken! I boiled 6 chicken drumsticks, as I found those juicier than chicken breast.
- Mayonnaise – I used Hellman’s Olive Oil Mayonnaise dressing, but any mayonnaise will do! You can also adjust the amount of mayonnaise you add based on how creamy you want your Mexican chicken salad.
- Mixed Vegetables – This recipe calls for a can of mixed vegetables, but feel free to use fresh or frozen vegetables!
- Celery – Adding a bit of celery to this recipe will give it a nice crunch!
- Pickled Carrots – If you like spicy food, then you’ll love the kick that pickled carrots give this Mexican chicken salad recipe. Want a bigger kick? Pour in some of the brine from the can of pickled carrots or replace with pickled jalapenos.
Mexican Chicken Salad Recipe
Description
Learn how to make Mexican chicken salad with mayo, shredded chicken and vegetables.
Chicken Salad Ingredients
How to Make Mexican Chicken Salad
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Cook chicken
Cook chicken using your preferred method. For chicken salad, I prefer to boil my chicken drumsticks in water with 2 teaspoons of granulated chicken bouillon for about 25 minutes. -
Shred chicken
Allow chicken to cool and shred.
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Prepare vegetables
Drain your can of mixed vegetables. Chop celery and pickled carrots into bite-size pieces. -
Mix ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, mix chicken, mayonnaise, a teaspoon of chicken bouillon and vegetables from Step 3.
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Chill
Cover and chill the chicken salad in the fridge for 1-2 hours before serving.
Note
- While your chicken is cooking, prepare your vegetables! Drain your can of mixed vegetables, and chop the celery and pickled carrots into bite-size pieces.
- Adjust the creaminess of this Mexican chicken salad recipe by adding more mayonnaise!
- If the chicken salad is missing flavor, sprinkle in some salt or more chicken bouillon.