Healthy 30 Minute Instant pot Chicken & Avocado Salad

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This easy 30-minute Instant Pot Meal is a true game-changer in the kitchen. I can’t get enough of the flavor of chicken and avocado salad and the crunch from the bacon bits is amazing! I’m certain that you’re going to feel the same.

Not only is it a simple salad recipe to make as long as you follow the directions but the Instant Pot also gets to take over and do all the hard work!

This is the perfect chicken dinner recipe for someone who is looking for a lighter meal that packs a whole bunch of flavor and taste. Don’t forget that this chicken, bacon, avocado salad literally takes just 30 minutes to make!

That’s a super fast way to get lunch or dinner on the table fast!

There’s just something so wonderful about letting the Instant Pot have a bit of control in the kitchen. It’s not often that you get to plan dinner, and then put your feet up while the hard part gets taken care of by “someone” else. (aka the Instant Pot!)

And if you’re a fan of cooking with your Instant Pot, be certain to check out my Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Meatballs – Made With 3 Ingredients! This is another super simple recipe that is cooked perfectly every single time!

Avocado, Bacon, and Chicken Salad Ingredients

All you need to do is gather up the list of simple ingredients below to get started. This chicken, bacon, and avocado salad recipe will be on the table in no time at all.

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• Honey
• Whole grain mustard
• Dijon mustard
• Extra virgin olive oil
• White balsamic vinegar
• Chopped shallots
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Salad Ingredients:

• Bacon Bits (Imitation bacon bits work great!) or slices of diced bacon
• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• Mixed salad greens
• Diced cherry tomatoes
• Avocados, pitted and sliced
• Fresh lime juice

Chicken Breasts

You can use other type of chicken meat if you want but the chicken breasts are going to have the most flavor and cut up the best for this dish. If you have a few extra minutes, you can make this from frozen chicken breasts but then it may take you a bit more than 30 minutes, not by much though.

Salad Greens

Pick whatever type of salad that you light for this. There is really no wrong choice. If you are sharing this with your kids, Iceberg or Romain work great because the taste is very kid friendly. If just adults are enjoying this (or your kids have a mature taste) then microgreens are delicious!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can this recipe be stored for another day?

Absolutely! The chicken and dressing will taste amazing the next day! But… I wouldn’t recommend mixing the dressing with the greens days before you plan to enjoy this salad. That could cause the greens to wilt. Your avocado may also brown unless you take certain precautions.

So just keep your chicken, greens, and dressing separate, and leave your avocado unpeeled… then assemble your salad when you are ready to enjoy it!

Keep in mind though, this is an easy 30 minute chicken salad recipe so you really don’t need to make this ahead!

How do you know when an avocado is ripe?

Trying to time when an avocado is ripe can be tough! It seems like just when you think you know, it’s too late and now it’s just too ripe to use.

There are a few things to keep in mind that can help you along the way. The first is that you’re going to want to give the avocado a squeeze. If it has a little bit of give to it, it might be ripe!

If it’s hard as a rock, it’s going to take several days before it’s edible, and if it literally smooshes from your squeeze then you know that it’s too ripe and not something that you should spend your money on.

At what temperature is chicken cooked and safe to eat?

You need to be certain that your chicken is cooked all the way through before serving. I would invest in a meat thermometer just to be on the safe side. For chicken to be done all the way, it needs to have an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees.

Anything less than that and you need to cook it longer. Anything above that should be fine.

I love this instant thermometer because it reads the temperature so quickly! You can quickly check the temperature and move on. I’ve tried other thermometers that took so long to read the temperature completely that I felt like the meat had already begun to cool! So make sure that you have a quick one!

Variations for Chicken Salad with Bacon and Avocado

One of the reasons I love this recipe so much is that this quick chicken salad recipe is so easy to customize based on what you have on hand or your taste!

You can also opt to make a different homemade salad dressing or keep it super simple and use one that you bought at the store.

My other favorite part of this easy salad recipe is that if you’re able to use fresh tomatoes from the garden, it really does take on a whole other flavor and taste!

3 Ways to Cook Chicken Breast

How to cook chicken breast in an instant pot

This is one of the easiest ways to cook chicken breast and my favorite for this recipe because of just how easy it makes the process. To cook chicken breast in an instant pot, just follow these easy instructions:

1. Put a shallow rack on the bottom of your instant pot
2. Add 4 boneless chicken breasts (not-frozen) to the pot (on the rack). Now is the time to season them if you want to.
3. Add 1 cup of water, brother, or any other liquid of your choice
4. Put your lid on the instant pot and close the valve
5. Cook on high for 8-10 minutes
6. Quick release and test the temperature of your chicken. If it’s not ready yet, put it back in the pot and let it sit covered for a few more minutes.

If you want to cook frozen chicken breasts, just cook for 20-25 minutes instead of 8-10.

Juiciest chicken breast on a cooktop method

If you don’t have an Instant Pot or are unable to use your Instant Pot, you can easily cook this up in the skillet, too.

Here’s my favorite, no fail way to cook juicy chicken breast on the cooktop:

1. Heat a coverable pot or dutch oven on medium to high heat
2. Add your chicken breast and cook for 2-3 minutes
3. Flip your chicken breast and quickly cover the pot
4. Lower your heat to low-medium and cook for 10 minutes (set your timer)
5. Turn off the heat and cook for another 10 minutes
6. Check your meat’s temperature. It should be ready! If not, cook for a few more minutes on low heat and then check again.

How to cook chicken breasts in an Air Fryer

If you want crispier chicken, you can absolutely cook your chicken in an air fryer and it’s often my go-to if I have more time. When I air fry chicken breasts I like to add BBQ sauce or some other sauce half way through the cooking process – it comes out amazing! Just add your chicken breast to a rack, and air fry 18-25 minutes depending on how big your chicken breasts are. The beauty of air frying is that it’s easy to open the lid and chicken on the chicken breast temperature so you don’t over cook it!

Looking for a light dessert to go with this 30 minute chicken salad? How about my refrigerator cake with graham crackers?

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