Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad Recipe (Whole30 + Dairy Free) (2024)

This Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad is a quick, easy, and flavorful Whole30 lunch that you can prep ahead and pack all week. Enjoy the flavor of a jalapeño popper in a simple salad for lunch!

Spice up your lunchbox with this Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad

Chicken salad is one of those recipes that I hated as a kid, but cannot get enough of as an adult. You can make so many different styles and varieties of chicken salad and it’s always satisfying.

The best part is that you can prep it once on Sunday or Monday and enjoy it in your lunchbox all week. This chicken salad has all the flavor and spice of a jalapeño popper, but with healthy, Whole30 ingredients.

Plus, you won’t need to reheat this at work when you pack it in your lunch!

• Sauce pan
• Mixing bowls
• Wooden mixing spoon
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cup
• Sharp knife
• Forks for shredding

Use rotisserie chicken to simplify this recipe

Make this jalapeño popper chicken salad recipe even easier by using a rotisserie chicken. Take the shredded breast meat from the chicken and mix it into this recipe instead of poaching the chicken at home.

How to serve

Serve jalapeño popper chicken salad the same way your would any kind of chicken salad. It is delicious on a roll or toasted bread with a few pieces of crunchy romaine lettuce.

For a low carb lunch you can serve this on chopped lettuce with extra veggies like raw celery and cucumber. OR serve it on lettuce cups like little chicken salad tacos. Either way I like to make a few extra strips of crispy bacon to serve on top of the jalapeno popper chicken.

What ingredients will I need to make this low carb chicken salad?

You will be amazed at how easy it is to make this Whole30 and low carb chicken salad with just a few simple ingredients!

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Bacon
• Jalapeños
• Mayonnaise – I like Primal Kitchen Mayo or my homemade recipe!
• Green onion
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Avocado oil
• Salt

Ingredient Substituions

There are many ways to change up this jalapeño popper chicken and put your own spin on it. If you do not like mayonnaise, you can use full fat greek yogurt instead. Use any fresh herbs that you like to add to the flavor of this chicken salad. I like to garnish this with lots of fresh green onion.

You can saute freshly chopped garlic and onion with the diced jalapeños to add even more flavor to this healthy chicken salad.

How spicy are jalapeño peppers?

Want to make this chicken salad a little spicier? Just leave in some or all of the seeds when you slice up your jalapeño. The spice level of jalapeño can vary from pepper to pepper.

The spiciest parts of jalapeño peppers are the seeds and the membrane. They aren’t super spicy, but you can control how much spice you get from each pepper.

Let’s make some Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad!

Step 1: Poach the chicken.

First, place chicken breasts in a sauce pan and cover with cold water. Then, bring the water to a boil, cover the pot, reduce to a simmer and simmer for 14 minutes.

After simmering, remove the chicken from the pot, allow to cool slightly and shred with two forks.

Step 2: Prep the Bacon and Jalapeños.

While the chicken poaches, prep the bacon and jalapeños. Fry the bacon over medium low heat until crispy. Then, place the bacon on a towel or rack to let the grease drip off.

Next, deseed and chop the jalapeños into small strips. If you want a spicier chicken salad, leave some of the seeds attached to the pepper.

Then, heat 1 tbsp of avocado oil over medium heat in a frying pan and add the jalapeños to the pan.

Saute for 10 minutes, add salt to the jalapeños and saute for an additional minute before removing from heat.

Step 3: Mix it all together!

In a large mixing bowl combine mayonnaise, green onion, garlic powder, and onion powder into an even mixture.

Then, add shredded chicken, cooked jalapeños, and chopped bacon to a bowl with the mayo mixture.

Mix together until each piece of chicken is coated and an even mixture remains.

Enjoy immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

How long will this chicken salad keep in the fridge?

Once prepared, store this chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should keep in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Check out these other healthy chicken salad recipes

• Curry Chicken Salad
• Poppy Seed Chicken Salad
• Southern Style Chicken Salad
• BLT Chicken Salad
• Dill Pickle Chicken Salad
• Caprese Chicken Salad