Crunchy Spicy Chicken Salad Recipe

I made a Chipotle Chicken Salad with an unexpected crunchy twist and a clever pantry shortcut that might change how you think about chicken salad.

I can’t help saying this one surprised me. My Crunchy Spicy Chicken Salad flips the usual on its head, hitting sharp heat and a welcome crunch that makes you want to keep eating past your first bite.

I use shredded cooked chicken and a good squeeze of sriracha for that incendiary edge, and somehow it ends up tasting like a Siracha Chicken Salad Recipe you’d find in a daring food truck, but remembers to be playful like a Zesty Chicken Salad Recipe. I swear, it’s messy, loud, and weirdly addicting, and every forkful begs the question, what’s next?

Ingredients

• Chicken breast: big source of lean protein, keeps you full, great for muscle.
• Romaine lettuce: crunchy, low calorie, adds folate and fiber, it’s not sweet.
• Greek yogurt: creamy tang, adds protein and probiotics, cuts mayo heaviness.
• Sriracha: spicy, adds heat and a bit of sweetness, use to taste.
• Avocado: buttery, heart healthy fats, adds creaminess and mild sweetness.
• Tortilla strips: crunchy carb bite, gives texture, sodium can be high though.
• Peanuts or cashews: crunchy, add protein and healthy fats, salty nutty punch.
• Cilantro: bright herb, adds fresh citrusy notes, low cal, some ppl dislike it.

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 1/2 lb cooked chicken breast shredded or chopped
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp sriracha or other hot sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 2 cups shredded red cabbage
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 cup celery thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup red onion thinly sliced
• 1 jalapeño seeded and finely chopped (optional)
• 1 ripe avocado cubed (optional)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar or pepper jack
• 1 1/2 cups crispy tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips
• 1/3 cup roasted peanuts or choped cashews
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

How to Make this

1. Make the spicy lime dressing: whisk together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, 2 tbsp sriracha, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp fresh lime juice, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp cayenne (optional), 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Taste and tweak, add more sriracha or lime if you want it hotter or brighter.

2. Prep the veg and extras: chop 4 cups romaine, shred 2 cups red cabbage, shred 1 cup carrots, thinly slice 1 cup celery and 1/2 cup red onion, seed and finely chop the jalapeño if using, cube the ripe avocado and set aside (avocado is best added last so it doesnt go mushy).

3. Toast the crunch (quick hack): warm the 1 1/2 cups tortilla strips or crushed chips briefly in a dry skillet for 1 minute to refresh them, and lightly toast the 1/3 cup peanuts or chopped cashews for 2 minutes to bring out flavor. Let cool.

4. Dress the chicken: put 1 1/2 lb cooked shredded or chopped chicken in a bowl, add about three quarters of the dressing and mix until coated. Reserve the rest of the dressing for the greens and for serving.

5. Build the salad base: in a large bowl toss the romaine, red cabbage, carrots, celery and red onion with a couple spoonfuls of the reserved dressing so the leaves are lightly coated, dont drown them.

6. Combine gently: fold the dressed chicken into the greens, then add 1 cup shredded cheddar or pepper jack, the chopped jalapeño if using, and the cubed avocado, mixing gently so the avocado keeps its shape.

7. Add the crunch and herbs: sprinkle the toasted tortilla strips or chips and the toasted peanuts/cashews over the top along with 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, save a little of each to finish the salad for max crunch.

8. Final season and finish: taste and add more salt, pepper or lime juice if needed, drizzle any leftover dressing over the top or serve on the side for people who want extra heat.

9. Serve and store smart: serve immediately so the tortilla strips stay crispy, or if you need to store leftovers keep the dressing and crunch separate and combine right before serving; salad will keep about 3 days in the fridge but add avocado only when serving.

Equipment Needed

1. large mixing bowl for the salad
2. medium bowl for the dressing and to toss the chicken
3. whisk or fork for mixing the dressing
4. measuring cups and measuring spoons
5. chef’s knife
6. cutting board
7. dry skillet or frying pan to toast tortilla strips and nuts
8. box grater or microplane for the cheese
9. tongs or salad servers for folding and serving

FAQ

Crunchy Spicy Chicken Salad Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Mayonnaise (1/2 cup): swap with plain Greek yogurt, it gives the same creaminess with less fat; or use 1/2 cup mashed avocado for a fresher, healthier fat option.
• Sriracha or other hot sauce (2 tbsp): try chili garlic sauce for similar heat and garlicky flavor, or stir 1 to 2 tsp cayenne into the dressing plus 1 tbsp honey to mimic the sweet-heat balance.
• Romaine lettuce (4 cups): use mixed salad greens, shredded Napa cabbage, or iceberg if you want extra crunch.
• Crispy tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips (1 1/2 cups): replace with toasted wonton strips, roasted chickpeas, or pepitas for a crunchy swap, great if you need a nut free option.

Pro Tips

1) Refresh the crunch right before serving: quickly warm the tortilla strips or crushed chips in a dry skillet for 30–60 seconds and toast the peanuts or cashews for 1–2 minutes. Let them cool, store separately from the salad, and only top at the last minute so they stay crisp.

2) Dress the chicken, not the whole salad: coat the shredded chicken with most of the dressing so it soaks in, but save some to lightly dress the greens. If your chicken is straight from the fridge, warm it a little first so it absorbs the sauce better, else the dressing will just sit on top.

3) Protect the avocado: cube a slightly firm ripe avocado and toss it with a little lime juice and a pinch of salt right before adding, dont add it earlier or it gets mushy and brown. If you want creamier bites mash half the avocado with a fork and fold gently into the chicken.

4) Taste and tweak as you build: adjust the heat with extra sriracha or a splash of lime, thin the dressing with a tsp of water if it feels too heavy, and save a bit of cilantro and crunch to finish the top so every bite has texture.

Crunchy Spicy Chicken Salad Recipe

Recipe by Tina Simpson

0.0 from 0 votes

I made a Chipotle Chicken Salad with an unexpected crunchy twist and a clever pantry shortcut that might change how you think about chicken salad.

Pin

Servings

6

servings

Calories

605

kcal

Equipment: 1. large mixing bowl for the salad
2. medium bowl for the dressing and to toss the chicken
3. whisk or fork for mixing the dressing
4. measuring cups and measuring spoons
5. chef’s knife
6. cutting board
7. dry skillet or frying pan to toast tortilla strips and nuts
8. box grater or microplane for the cheese
9. tongs or salad servers for folding and serving

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb cooked chicken breast shredded or chopped

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise

• 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

• 2 tbsp sriracha or other hot sauce

• 1 tbsp honey

• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice

• 1 clove garlic minced

• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 4 cups chopped romaine lettuce

• 2 cups shredded red cabbage

• 1 cup shredded carrots

• 1 cup celery thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup red onion thinly sliced

• 1 jalapeño seeded and finely chopped (optional)

• 1 ripe avocado cubed (optional)

• 1 cup shredded cheddar or pepper jack

• 1 1/2 cups crispy tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips

• 1/3 cup roasted peanuts or choped cashews

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

• Make the spicy lime dressing: whisk together 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, 2 tbsp sriracha, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp fresh lime juice, 1 minced garlic clove, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp cayenne (optional), 1/2 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Taste and tweak, add more sriracha or lime if you want it hotter or brighter.
• Prep the veg and extras: chop 4 cups romaine, shred 2 cups red cabbage, shred 1 cup carrots, thinly slice 1 cup celery and 1/2 cup red onion, seed and finely chop the jalapeño if using, cube the ripe avocado and set aside (avocado is best added last so it doesnt go mushy).
• Toast the crunch (quick hack): warm the 1 1/2 cups tortilla strips or crushed chips briefly in a dry skillet for 1 minute to refresh them, and lightly toast the 1/3 cup peanuts or chopped cashews for 2 minutes to bring out flavor. Let cool.
• Dress the chicken: put 1 1/2 lb cooked shredded or chopped chicken in a bowl, add about three quarters of the dressing and mix until coated. Reserve the rest of the dressing for the greens and for serving.
• Build the salad base: in a large bowl toss the romaine, red cabbage, carrots, celery and red onion with a couple spoonfuls of the reserved dressing so the leaves are lightly coated, dont drown them.
• Combine gently: fold the dressed chicken into the greens, then add 1 cup shredded cheddar or pepper jack, the chopped jalapeño if using, and the cubed avocado, mixing gently so the avocado keeps its shape.
• Add the crunch and herbs: sprinkle the toasted tortilla strips or chips and the toasted peanuts/cashews over the top along with 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, save a little of each to finish the salad for max crunch.
• Final season and finish: taste and add more salt, pepper or lime juice if needed, drizzle any leftover dressing over the top or serve on the side for people who want extra heat.
• Serve and store smart: serve immediately so the tortilla strips stay crispy, or if you need to store leftovers keep the dressing and crunch separate and combine right before serving; salad will keep about 3 days in the fridge but add avocado only when serving.

Notes

• Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.

Nutrition Facts

• Serving Size: 340g
• Total number of serves: 6
• Calories: 605kcal
• Fat: 37g
• Saturated Fat: 6g
• Trans Fat: 0.1g
• Polyunsaturated: 4.5g
• Monounsaturated: 26.4g
• Cholesterol: 125mg
• Sodium: 583mg
• Potassium: 678mg
• Carbohydrates: 22.2g
• Fiber: 6.3g
• Sugar: 6.3g
• Protein: 43.7g
• Vitamin A: 3939IU
• Vitamin C: 13mg
• Calcium: 90mg
• Iron: 1.7mg