This zesty sous vide chicken salad is bright, fresh, and full of texture — made with incredibly juicy sous vide chicken breast, creamy avocado, fresh lime juice, and cilantro. It’s a mayo-free chicken salad that works for picnics, meal prep, or a light dinner.
Sous Vide Chicken Breast Salad
I finally tried sous vide after a lot of requests, and now I see what the fuss is about — this method delivers the juiciest chicken breast I’ve made. The tender, evenly cooked chicken is perfect for a simple, flavorful salad. I used a multi-cooker with a sous vide function, which makes the process hands-off and reliable. Once cooked, the chicken is diced and combined with avocado, red onion, lime, cilantro and a touch of olive oil for a bright, protein-packed salad.
What is sous vide?
Sous vide is a cooking technique where food is sealed in a bag and cooked in a precisely controlled water bath at a steady temperature. Because the temperature is consistent, proteins like chicken cook evenly and cannot overcook the way they can with high-heat methods. For a salad, sous vide chicken gives you tender, moist meat that stays juicy even after chilling.
How long do you cook chicken breast in a sous vide?
For very juicy chicken breast, set your sous vide to 145°F (63°C) and cook for 2 hours. This temperature yields tender, fully cooked chicken that remains moist. After cooking, the chicken can safely remain in the water bath for up to two hours before removing, which offers flexibility when timing your meal.
How to Meal Prep Chicken Salad
This chicken salad is ideal for meal prep. Make the chicken and combine everything except the avocado if you plan to store it. Add diced avocado just before serving to avoid browning. Properly stored in an airtight container, the prepared chicken salad (without avocado) will keep up to three days in the refrigerator.
How to Serve Chicken Salad
This versatile salad can be served warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Ideas for serving:
- Sandwich: Spoon the chicken salad between slices of your favorite bread or into a pita.
- Wrap: Stuff in a tortilla with extra greens.
- On Greens: Serve over mixed salad greens and add cherry tomatoes and cucumber for crunch.
- Main Dish: Plate as the main protein with a simple side salad, grilled veggies, or a grain salad.
Variations
- If you don’t like cilantro, substitute parsley, basil, or chives for a different herb profile.
- If you don’t have a sous vide setup, you can gently poach the chicken breast on the stovetop. It won’t be quite as uniformly tender but will still work well in this salad.
Other Chicken Breast Recipes
- Chicken Breasts with Hot Cherry Peppers
- Air Fryer Herbed Buttermilk Roast Chicken Breast
- Baked Chicken Breasts
- Cilantro Lime Chicken Breast
- Peanut-Braised Chicken Breasts
Recipe: Sous Vide Chicken Breast and Cilantro Lime Chicken Avocado Salad
Equipment
- Sous vide machine or multi-cooker with sous vide function
- Resealable gallon freezer bags or vacuum sealer bags
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 2 chicken breasts (about 8 oz each), boneless, skinless
- 3/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
- Freezer gallon bags or vacuum bags
- For the salad:
- 8 ounces diced avocado (about 2 small Hass avocados)
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- Juice of 1 1/2 limes
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or substitute parsley)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Fill the sous vide container or inner pot with water to the recommended fill line for your device.
- Set the sous vide temperature to 145°F (63°C) and the timer for 2 hours. Preheat the water bath.
- Season the chicken breasts evenly with the seasoning salt. Place them in a single layer inside a resealable gallon bag, remove as much air as possible, and seal the bag. If using a vacuum sealer, seal according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- When your sous vide is ready, submerge the sealed bag in the water bath with the seal above the water line to prevent leaks. Clip the bag if needed so it stays submerged but not under stress.
- Cook for 2 hours. When the timer finishes, remove the bag from the water and open carefully. Remove the chicken and pat dry.
- Dice the cooked chicken into small pieces and place in a mixing bowl. Add the diced avocado, chopped red onion, lime juice, chopped cilantro, and olive oil. Gently toss to combine.
- Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve immediately, or chill and store without avocado for meal prep (add avocado just before serving).
Nutrition (approx. per 1 cup serving)
- Calories: 329 kcal
- Protein: 25 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.5 g
- Fat: 22.5 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Sodium: 365 mg (approx.)
If you try this recipe, consider making it your own by swapping herbs, adding chopped apples or grapes for a sweeter salad, or stirring in a little plain yogurt for a creamier texture. The sous vide chicken works beautifully in many preparations and is a great make-ahead protein for salads, sandwiches, and grain bowls.
This post was created in partnership with Pampered Chef. All opinions are my own.