A hearty, healthy salad recipe with creamy avocado, nutty quinoa, chicken, fresh cilantro, and lots of bright citrus flavors. The perfect light dinner or easy lunch!
This satisfying bowl of healthy goodness has so much going on. So many flavors and textures; each bite you get a little something different! It’s the perfect recipe for those of us who like the “stuff” in salads, rather than the lettuce. Are you like that too? There’s no lettuce in this salad at all, by the way.
Hearty, super-healthy quinoa is the base for todays salad recipe. We love quinoa because it is impressively versatile. Use it in these quinoa patties, berry quinoa salad, and quinoa crunch bars.
We aren’t cooking a sauce like we do in lemon thyme chicken, so a lot of this salad’s flavor comes from the chicken itself. Cook the chicken with roasted garlic and a little smoked paprika in some olive oil. If you don’t have smoked paprika, you can use regular or even a pinch of chili powder instead.
Toss the chicken in with the cooked quinoa, sliced avocado, and 2 sliced oranges. For a little dressing, simply whisk together fresh lime juice, honey, olive oil, fresh cilantro, and a touch of juice from the sliced oranges. That’s it!
If you make this salad 1 day ahead, the flavors become more pronounced because the quinoa has a chance to really soak everything up. And the more you stir it, the creamier the avocado becomes. Since it tastes so wonderful on day 2, it’s a great make-ahead meal option. Just like my creamy chicken pasta salad!
This citrus chicken quinoa salad is a wonderful gluten free choice for a lunch or a light dinner. Feel free to add a little more quinoa or even try serving this healthy salad over greens.
If you love these flavors together, you might also enjoy this Blood Orange Avocado Quinoa & Kale Salad.
PrintCitrus Chicken Quinoa Salad
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: serves 3
- Category: Salads
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Description
A hearty, healthy salad recipe with creamy avocado, nutty quinoa, chicken, fresh cilantro, and lots of bright citrus flavors. The perfect light dinner or easy lunch!
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/2 cups cooked quinoa
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic or roasted garlic, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large oranges, peeled and segmented
- 1 ripe avocado, sliced or cubed
Dressing
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (packed)*
- 1 Tablespoon orange juice
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Cook quinoa according to package directions. Transfer cooked quinoa to a large bowl and let cool.
- Pour olive oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and roasted garlic, stirring it all around to coat with oil. Sprinkle with smoked paprika and salt. Stir and cook until chicken is done, about 8 minutes. Add cooked chicken, oranges, and avocado to the quinoa. Stir to combine. Set aside.
- Make the dressing: Whisk the dressing ingredients together. Pour over salad and toss to coat everything evenly. Serve immediately. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: This is a perfect recipe to make ahead of time because the flavors taste even better by day 2. Simply prepare through step 3, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowl | Whisk
- Cilantro: If you don’t care for cilantro, leave it out or replace with chopped fresh basil or parsley.