Avocado Is The Key Ingredient For The Creamiest Chicken Salad Sandwich

Chicken salad tastes best at its creamiest when a base of mayonnaise does its job and brings the whole meal together. For an ultra-creamy chicken salad, however, you don't need to rely on mayo alone for texture. Rather, one additional, naturally smooth ingredient is a surefire way to improve both the consistency and flavor of your next chicken salad sandwich. That ingredient is avocado, which, when mashed, can replace mayonnaise altogether.

Avocado works well in chicken salad sandwiches because of its monosaturated fat content; it's actually one of the highest-fat plant foods, which means it works well as a substitute for other fat-heavy foods. So, all the mayonnaise you typically use in your chicken salad sandwiches can be swapped out for avocado, which yields a similarly creamy effect.

To make the switch, simply chop and mash slices of avocado. Or, try blending them so the fruit gets even creamier. For a full run-down, follow Tasting Table's avocado chicken salad recipe, which suggests cubing — then scooping out — avocado pieces. Once all the pieces are removed from the avocado's skin, mix them into your chicken salad. When the avocado softens, your sandwich is ready — but you don't have to stop there.

Avocado is just the tip of your chicken salad's potential. Once you add the fruit, you can pair even more ingredients, herbs, and spices — all of which are as good as the rest.

On the ingredient end, you can add avocado to a straightforward chicken salad sandwich. Or, you can switch up a recipe that already invites variation. For instance, avocado works well in an apple pecan chicken salad, where the mashed fruit balances with the crunch of ingredients like apples and pecans. If you're not crazy about apples, try swapping them out in favor of cranberries — but hold on to the avocado. Likewise, avocado works well alongside celery and red onion, which likewise offer a bit of crunch.  

For other ideas, try incorporating lemon or lime, which tend to brighten avocados. You can also experiment with different herbs. Parsley, basil, thyme, tarragon, and cilantro all bring something different to the table. To upgrade chicken salad, simply use avocado's creaminess as a springboard for new flavors.