Chicken Avocado Black Bean Salad

4.56 from 43 votes
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🫘🥑🥗 My Chicken Black Bean Avocado Salad is a Mexican-inspired salad with tender chicken, black beans, creamy avocado, juicy tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, and more! EASY and ready in 20 minutes, it’s nutritious and packed with fiesta FLAVORS galore!

Chicken Black Bean Avocado Salad in a bowl.

Easy Chicken Avocado and Bean Salad 

This Mexican-inspired black bean salad is sure to be a hit. Who can say no to tender chicken, black beans, creamy avocado, juicy tomatoes, and fresh cilantro? Certainly not me.

You definitely won’t miss the lettuce in this awesome lettuce-less salad that’s perfect for your next lunch, healthy and naturally gluten-free dinner, a picnic, or a casual backyard get-together.

The avocado chicken salad is easy, ready in 20 minutes, and has so much flavor thanks to cumin, chili powder, garlic, lime juice, cilantro, and more.

And between the protein in the chicken, the fiber in the black beans, the healthy fats in the avocado, and all the veggies, this Mexican black bean salad will keep you satisfied for hours!

It was so yummy!

Lakshmi

Chicken Black Bean Avocado Salad in a bowl with a fork holding a bite on top.

What’s in the Black Bean Avocado Salad? 

Here’s what you’ll need to make this avocado, chicken, and bean salad: 

  • Olive oil – Avocado oil also works if preferred
  • Chicken breasts  – Substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs if desired, and adjust the cooking time as needed. Or, skip cooking, and use leftover rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken, or shredded chicken
  • Cumin and chili powder – Adjust to taste
  • Garlic – Use whole garlic cloves, and mince them yourself for the best taste
  • Black beans – Use canned beans to keep prep time minimal. Just be sure to rinse and drain them well before adding them to the skillet
  • Produce – Cherry or grape tomatoes, green onions, ripe avocado, and fresh cilantro add color, flavor, and nutrients
  • Lime juice – Freshly squeezed is best, but bottled varieties also work
  • Apple cider vinegar – This acts as a dressing, adding a tangy, slightly savory taste
  • Agave or honey – Sweetens the dressing, balancing the tang

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.

How to Make a Chicken Black Bean Avocado Salad Recipe

This dense bean salad is super easy to make and can double as a quick meal prep.

  1. Cook the diced chicken in a skillet with some olive oil, cumin, and chili powder (this should only take about 5 minutes). 
  2. Add the garlic to the pan, and sauté for a minute or until it becomes fragrant.
  3. Add the black beans to the skillet and season with salt and pepper, to taste. You only need to cook the beans until they’re slightly warmed through! 
  4. Transfer the contents of the skillet to a large bowl, and stir in the remaining ingredients. Add more oil, lime juice, vinegar, etc., as needed.
  5. Enjoy immediately! Or, store leftovers in the fridge for up to three days. The avocado will likely brown, but it’ll still be okay to eat! 
Chicken Black Bean Avocado Salad with a fork holding a bite on top.

Possible Variations

This black bean salad with chicken is a very flexible recipe, and you can add extra ingredients based on what you have and enjoy. Feel free to make it your own! Some great additions include:

  • Shredded cheese, queso fresco, or cotija cheese
  • Red onion
  • Jalapeño
  • Red bell pepper
  • Fresh summer corn kernels
  • Crushed tortilla chips, Doritos, or Fritos
  • Cooked pasta, like bowtie or ziti
  • Rice or quinoa
4.56 from 43 votes

Chicken Black Bean Avocado Salad

By Averie Sunshine
🫘🥑🥗 A Mexican-inspired salad with tender chicken, black beans, creamy avocado, juicy tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice and more! EASY, ready in 20 minutes, HEALTHY, and packed with fiesta FLAVORS galore!
Prep Time: 13 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients 

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 to 1.25 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder, or to taste
  • 3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
  • one 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed (I use no-salt added)
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
  • 2 green onions, sliced into thin rounds
  • 1 or 2 medium ripe Hass avocados, diced into medium chunks
  • cup fresh cilantro, or to taste
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 to 3 teaspoons agave or honey, optional and to taste
  • pinch cayenne pepper, optional and to taste

Instructions 

  • To a large skillet, add the olive oil, chicken, evenly sprinkle with cumin and chili powder, and cook over medium-high heat until done, about 5 minutes. Stir and flip intermittently to ensure even cooking.
  • Add the garlic, stir to combine, and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant.
  • Add the black beans, stir to combine, evenly season everything with salt and pepper, and cook for about 1 minute, or until beans are lightly warmed.
  • Transfer skillet contents to a large bowl, add the tomatoes, green onions, avocado, cilantro, lime juice, apple cider vinegar, and stir to combine.
  • Check for seasoning balance, and if desired, add the optional agave/honey, optional cayenne, additional salt or pepper (I needed to add another 1 teaspoon of each), etc.

Notes

Salad is best fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days, noting the avocado will oxidize as time passes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 676cal, Carbohydrates: 55g, Protein: 56g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 20g, Cholesterol: 120mg, Sodium: 750mg, Fiber: 17g, Sugar: 18g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

More Healthy Mexican Recipes: 

Avocado Black Bean Mexican Salad – EASY, ready in 10 minutes, and there’s so much FLAVOR from the lime-cumin-chili vinaigrette!! Great for lunch or a meatless Monday dinner! Accidentally vegan, gluten-free, HEALTHY, and DELISH!

Avocado and Black Bean Mexican Salad in a bowl.

Grilled Corn Salad with Chicken — An EASY salad that’s ready in 15 minutes and you won’t be able to stop eating it! Tender chicken, juicy corn, crisp bell peppers and tomatoes, creamy avocado, cilantro, and fresh lime juice for the WIN!

Grilled Chicken and Corn Salad in a bowl.

Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad – An EASY and HEALTHY salad that’s ready in 10 minutes and you won’t be able to stop eating it! Juicy corn, creamy avocado, cilantro, and fresh lime juice is a FIESTA in your mouth!

Grilled Corn and Avocado Salad in a bowl.

Avocado, Black Bean and Corn Salad with Lime-Cumin Vinaigrette – Everything tastes better with avocado! Easy, healthy and tons of flavor!

Avocado, Black Bean and Corn Salad with Lime-Cumin Vinaigrette on a white plate.

Grilled Chicken With Watermelon Mango Mint Salsa – The chicken is tender, juicy, and the easy salsa made with watermelon, mango, and mint adds so much fresh flavor! Healthy, fast, easy, zero cleanup, perfect for backyard barbecues or easy weeknight dinners!

Grilled Chicken With Watermelon Mango Mint Salsa in a white bowl.

Skinny Mexican Bean and Corn Salad – Two kinds of beans, juicy corn, tomatoes, peppers, and more tossed in a light chili-lime-cumin vinaigrette! Healthy, easy, ready in 5 minutes, and loaded with flavor!

Skinny Mexican Bean and Corn Salad on white plate with fork.

Taco-Stuffed Avocados – Like avocados? Then you are going to love these taco stuffed avocados with ground beef, cheese, and more! Easy. ready in 15 minutes, a family favorite, and perfect for busy weeknights!

Taco Stuffed Avocados in white serving bowl.

Originally published August 13, 2018 and republished July 8, 2020 with updated text.

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4.56 from 43 votes (37 ratings without comment)

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Made this for my mom and sister for our card night. They both loved it. I will definitely be making this again

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review, Ellen, and I am glad this was a winner at card night for you all and you’ll make it again!

    1. Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad that it turned out great for you! Corn is a perfect touch.

  2. This looks amazing! And refreshing! I bet it would even taste good without the sweetener! Thanks for sharing!

  3. Today for lunch, we used the roughly chopped half-breast of a large rotisserie chicken and mixed with it the rest of your ingredients (except the cooking oil). All the flavors were awesome together.

  4. This recipe looks like a great way to use some home grown tomatoes and grilled sweet corn! I have to give this a try.