This fresh and zesty guacamole salad is the ultimate side dish for any Mexican-inspired meal, or you can top it with my chipotle chicken and make it a complete meal by itself. It’s naturally gluten-free and dairy-free and absolutely packed with flavor. It’s all your favorite guacamole ingredients deconstructed and paired with crunchy romaine, all drizzled with a cilantro lime salad dressing.
I’ve been making versions of this guacamole salad for over 10 years now, and it is still a favorite. Picture all the best things about guacamole turned into a fresh side dish.
I love to serve this with any Mexican-inspired meal. But perhaps my favorite is to simply add chipotle grilled chicken on top for a light yet filling meal.
And one of our favorite things to add on the side is my roasted sweet potatoes. The sweetness pairs perfectly with the zesty cilantro-lime flavors of this salad.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Lettuce – any crunchy, sturdy lettuce, like romaine, works best to hold up to the heavy ingredients of guacamole. I’ve been getting local iceberg lettuce at the farmer’s market lately and absolutely loving it! Romaine is the most reliable, easy-to-find option, though.
- Tomatoes – any ripe tomato of any kind of shape works perfectly here; use what you have. For store-bought tomato options, try grape cherry tomatoes for the best flavor. When tomatoes aren’t in season, I just leave them out, and this simplified version of guacamole salad is still really good.
- Avocado – ripe avocados that aren’t too soft work best here, so they don’t fall apart completely when you toss the salad together.
- Cilantro, jalapeno peppers, onion, etc. – all the usual ingredients that make up the flavor of guacamole. I use red onion, but yellow, sweet, or even shallots work perfectly here. I’ve even used thinly sliced green onions before for a more subtle flavor.
- Chicken – for a full meal, I’ve included my chipotle chicken marinade in the recipe card below.
How to make this recipe step by step
Step 2: Blend all the ingredients for the dressing in a blender until smooth, with small green flecks of cilantro remaining.
Step 3: Add the prepared veggies to a large bowl, toss with the cilantro lime dressing, and add the sliced or diced ripe avocado.
Toss it all together and serve, or add the chipotle chicken.
Step 4: To make this a full meal add the grilled chipotle chicken, grill the chicken while you chop everything for the salad and add it warm to the salad.
I’ve used both chicken breast and chicken thighs, and both are great, although we do lean towards chicken thighs.
Ways to serve this
- If you make this Guacamole Salad with the Chipotle Chicken, it’s a full meal by itself. But it’s also really great with my Roasted Sweet Potatoes as a side dish, the flavor pairing is really tasty!
- Try crushing up tortilla chips for some extra crunch in this zesty salad.
- If you make the plain version of this Guacamole Salad without the chicken, it’s great with any Mexican-inspired meal you love.
- Try it with my Chicken Zucchini Enchilada Skillet or Cilantro Lime Chicken. Or as a fresh side dish to my Creamy Taco Soup.
- Use it as a base for a taco bowl with my Instant Pot White Rice and your choice of meat: Taco Meat, Beef Barbacoa, Chipotle Honey Chicken, Instant Pot Carnitas, or my Instant Pot Salsa Chicken.
FAQ’s
Guacamole salad is all the ingredients in guacamole deconstructed and made into a salad. My version includes crunchy romaine lettuce and an option to make it a full meal with chipotle grilled chicken.
Technically, no, you can leave out cilantro if you don’t like the taste, and you will still have jalapeno lime flavors in your guacamole salad. In my opinion, cilantro is a key flavor to guacamole, so I wouldn’t leave it out unless you really have to.
Storing leftovers
- To store – Place any leftovers into an airtight container in store in the refrigerator for up to one day. Avocado browns quickly because of oxidation, so it’s best to keep it separate if you think you may have leftovers.
- Make ahead – You can prep the salad ingredients and the dressing up to two days in advance and store them in an airtight container.
- To freeze – You can marinate and freeze the chicken in advance. Defrost in the fridge in a container overnight before grilling.
Tips & Tricks
- The salad store is best without the avocado in it. If you think you may have leftovers, keep the avocado on the side. You can also serve the salad, avocado, and dressing separately so that the leftovers keep well up to 2 to 3 days.
- For the most subtle onion flavor, try using thinly sliced green onions if raw onions aren’t palatable.
- When you buy unripe avocados, let them sit on the counter until they are just softening. Then place them in the fridge, where they will almost always keep for up to one week. This gives you way more shelf life for your avocados, and it makes it easier to keep them on hand.
- Use the best tomatoes you can find, it really makes a difference! The farmer’s market is the best place to find ripe tomatoes, but for store-bought, look for grape cherry tomatoes because they’re the most reliable for flavor.
Dietary Options & Substitutions
- Vegan or Vegetarian – omit the optional chicken and use black beans instead if you want to add protein. Or serve this without the chicken as a side dish salad option.
More Salad Recipe Inspiration
I really hope you enjoy this easy Guacamole Salad recipe! If you do get a chance to make this, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Guacamole Salad
INGREDIENTS
Guacamole Salad
- 12 cups romaine lettuce - 1 head, chopped and washed
- 3 cups cherry tomatoes - 1 pound, halved
- 1 large ripe avocado - cubed or sliced, see notes
- 1 cup red onion - slivered or minced, 1/2 onion
- 1 tbsp minced jalapeno - or to your taste
Cilantro Lime Dressing:
- 1 cup cilantro - roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup lime juice - freshly squeezed
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 clove garlic - minced
- 1/2 cup avocado oil - or extra virgin olive oil
Chipotle Chicken Marinade (optional)
- 1 tsp ground chipotle powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts - 2, or chicken thighs
INSTRUCTIONS
- If you're adding the chipotle chicken to your salad, start by making the marinade. Stir together the chipotle, cumin, sea salt, coconut aminos, and avocado oil until combined. Add the chicken breasts and turn them in the marinade to completely coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight for the most flavor.
- When you're ready to cook the chicken, preheat the grill to 400º-450ºF. Place the chicken on the oiled grill and keep the temperature around 400ºF.
- Grill 8-10 minutes per side for chicken breasts and 6-8 minutes per side for chicken thighs. An instant-read thermometer will read 165ºF. If the chicken finishes cooking before you finish the salad allow it to cool at room temperature until you're ready.
- While the chicken grills, prep all the ingredients for the salad and add them to a large serving bowl.
- Make the dressing by adding the cilantro, lime juice, Dijon mustard, sea salt, and garlic to a blender. Secure the lid and start blending on low speeds, adding the avocado oil in a thin, steady stream. Continue to blend until all the oil has been added, the dressing is emulsified, and there are only small pieces of cilantro.
- When the chicken is done, thinly slice or cube it into bite sized pieces, and serve it along with the dressing and salad. You can toss it all together, or serve them separately and let each person assemble their own salad.
NOTES
nutrition facts
This recipe was originally published in 2019 and updated in 2025 with more photos and information.