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Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad

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By: MadelinePosted: 02/22/2020Updated: 12/29/2021

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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!

Three quarter view of jalapeño popper chicken in a serving bowl

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!

Jalapeno popper chicken salad in a serving bowl garnished with crispy bacon and green onion

What kitchen tools will I need to make this Whole30 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.

Above view of ingredients for 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.

Scoville Heat Scale diagram

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.

Above view of jalapeno popper chicken in a serving bowl

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

You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!

Image for pinning Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad recipe on Pinterest
Recipe

Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad

★★★★★ 4.9 from 16 reviews

All the flavor of jalapeño poppers in a healthy, Whole30 chicken salad.

Recipe By: Madeline
Prep: 10 minutesCook: 30 minutesTotal: 40 minutes
Print Pin it Rate recipe Save recipe
Servings: 4 servings 1x

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 5 strips of bacon
  • 3 jalapeños 
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup green onion
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp avocado oil

Instructions

  1. Place chicken breasts in a medium sized sauce pan and cover with cold water until both breasts are covered with at least 1″ of water
  2. Place pot on the stove uncovered and bring water to a boil
  3. Reduce the water to a simmer and cover with a lid
  4. Simmer the chicken for 14 minutes then remove from heat
  5. While the chicken cookes prepare the bacon on the stovetop – fry at medium-low heat until crispy
  6. Also, prepare the jalapeños by deseeding and slicing into small strips. **If you want a spicier chicken salad, leave some of the seeds attached to the pepper.
  7. Place 1 tbsp of avocado oil in a frying pan over medium heat
  8. Saute jalapeños until soft, about 10 minutes. Then, add 1/2 tsp salt and saute for an additional minute
  9. Place cooked bacon on a towel to drain some grease and then chop into bite sized pieces
  10. In a small bowl combine mayonnaise, green onion, onion powder, and garlic powder
  11. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the water and shredd on a plate or cutting board with 2 forks
  12. In a large bowl combine shredded chicken, mayo mixture, sauteed jalapeños, and chopped bacon
  13. Mix all ingredients until evenly combined
  14. Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days

Notes

If you are on the Whole30 be sure to use Whole30 compliant bacon and mayo. I like this one.

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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  • Curry Chicken Salad
  • Whole30 Waldorf Chicken Salad
  • Poppy Seed Chicken Salad
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About Madeline

Hi, I'm Madeline! I am so excited to share my healthy and approachable recipes with you. Here you will find simple, comforting recipes that the whole family will enjoy. Turn on your favorite playlist or podcast and let's get cooking!

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Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

  1. Lindy says

    Posted on 2/25 at 2:19 pm

    This chicken salad is excellent! Used a rotisserie chicken and precooked smoked Turkey bacon for quick and easy meal prep lunches. My husband and I both loved it!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 3/8 at 9:54 am

      YES! So glad you both enjoyed!

      Reply
    • Nicki says

      Posted on 3/28 at 9:31 pm

      SO, SO GOOD! This is on permanent rotation. I used real bacon crumble from Costco and it tastes amazing!!!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Madeline says

        Posted on 3/28 at 10:07 pm

        YUM! Thanks, Nicki!

        Reply
  2. Shannon says

    Posted on 5/22 at 11:41 am

    Made this for lunch today between Zoom calls and it was simple, easy, and delicious! I just wish I would have doubled the recipe because we’ve almost finished it.
    Already have recommended it to friends!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 5/22 at 5:14 pm

      ah I’m so glad to hear that!! Thank you for sharing!!

      Reply
  3. Suzy says

    Posted on 5/23 at 9:16 am

    How much is a serving? Looks great can’t wait to try it

    Reply
  4. Cathy says

    Posted on 5/31 at 4:56 pm

    SO good! I used raw jalapeños for crunch and added half of a minced shallot instead of onion and garlic powder. I also added some minced cilantro and roasted the chicken breasts because I think that adds more flavor.

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 6/2 at 12:26 pm

      Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Morgan temple says

        Posted on 6/25 at 6:55 am

        How much is a serving

        Reply
        • Madeline says

          Posted on 6/26 at 11:21 am

          Depends on the size of your chicken. I split it into 4 servings after cooking!

          Reply
    • Lisa says

      Posted on 9/13 at 1:24 pm

      Great ideas!

      Reply
  5. Julie says

    Posted on 6/1 at 2:43 pm

    What is the serving size?

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 6/2 at 12:26 pm

      When I make this with 2 large chicken breasts I consider 1/3 of it a serving

      Reply
  6. Haleigh says

    Posted on 6/16 at 1:18 pm

    I used turkey bacon & substituted the mayo with plain Greek yogurt and ate it with romaine hearts. It tasted great! The pop of jalapeño is the best bite. I’m excited to try it tomorrow once it’s been cooled in the fridge for a day.

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 6/16 at 1:51 pm

      Yum!!

      Reply
  7. CV says

    Posted on 7/19 at 2:38 pm

    I was unable to follow the complete recipe, but I did so as best as I could with the ingredients I had on hand; bacon crumbles and the remaining 45g of primal kitchen mayo I had left 🙁 blarg! It was so delicious and easy, though.

    I’m excited to try in its glorious wholesomeness the next time around when I have all the ingredients.

    Thank you for sharing the recipe! Absolutely love what I was ale to make right now.

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 7/19 at 9:50 pm

      Thank you!! I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  8. Toni says

    Posted on 8/8 at 10:51 am

    I made this according to recipe but added 8oz of cooked pasta with a little more mayo and turned it into a pasta salad. Its excellent! Thanks for sharing

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 8/9 at 2:41 pm

      that sounds awesome!! Thank you for sharing!!

      Reply
  9. Jessica says

    Posted on 12/27 at 7:55 pm

    This was such a great twist on boring old chicken salad. Totally in my recipe box now.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 12/27 at 10:29 pm

      Thank you!!

      Reply
  10. Sandy says

    Posted on 2/19 at 3:32 pm

    There were sooooo many adds and pop ups on this site I could barely get through to see the recipe

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 2/19 at 4:40 pm

      Hi Sandy, I’m a person not a corporation. Think of that next time you’re so quick to leave a review behind a screen. I’m a person who provides free recipes online and in turn I make some of the money back from ad revenue, but guess what? The ad revenue costs nothing to you. The advertiser pays me and you get a recipe for free! Pretty cool set up I think 😊

      Reply
  11. Carmen says

    Posted on 2/21 at 10:32 am

    Is there a substitute for avocado oil? Could I just use olive oil, or does the avocado oil add to the flavor?

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 2/21 at 11:22 am

      Nope it doesn’t add to flavor you can use olive oil!

      Reply
  12. Saisha says

    Posted on 3/3 at 1:41 pm

    Delishhhh!! I added some mustard because I love that lil kick in a chicken salad and it was perfect! Thanks Madeline!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 3/4 at 1:40 pm

      YUM! Sounds amazing!!

      Reply
  13. Katelin says

    Posted on 3/19 at 7:53 am

    This is absolutely amazing! It’s one of my favorites to keep on hand for lunches. Don’t be scared of the jalapeño! Our kids, who do not enjoy spicy things, absolutely love this! It’s one of the few recipes my family asks for by name.
    Thanks so much for all the recipes! We have loved every one so far!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 3/25 at 3:54 pm

      thank you!! so glad to hear that!!

      Reply
  14. Sarah says

    Posted on 3/28 at 8:39 pm

    I legit meal prepped this for lunch and then had to make more because I ate it for dinner. This is so yummy! I used Rotisserie chicken because I’m lazy, it was so easy to make and it’s SO delicious. Highly recommend!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  15. Ashlee says

    Posted on 3/30 at 6:57 pm

    I used a rotisserie chicken for this (half). I cooked half a sweet yellow onion with the jalapeños in the bacon fat instead of the avocado oil – not the healthiest option but only required one pan and was delicious. I also added the shredded chicken to the pan to heat it up (I don’t like cold chicken). It was excellent.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 4/12 at 2:29 pm

      wonderful! thank you!

      Reply
  16. Ellen Willing says

    Posted on 5/3 at 1:20 pm

    This is FIRE!! I’ve already made it 3 times since making it the 1st time! A perfect lunch to have on hand for the week. Yum, Yum, Yum!!!!

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 5/4 at 8:37 pm

      wonderful!! thank you!

      Reply
  17. Paula says

    Posted on 6/10 at 8:22 am

    Can this be frozen?

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 6/15 at 11:55 am

      You can! But the mayo sometimes has an odd texture after being frozen

      Reply
  18. Meredith says

    Posted on 6/30 at 3:04 pm

    Hi! I’m excited to try the dish but was wondering a couple things….
    1. Why didn’t you use cream cheese instead of Mayo? (I imagine it has something do with whole30 but I’m brand new to that world so I thought I’d ask.)

    2. What else do you eat this with as far as sides go? Or do you only eat this for the entire meal?

    Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 7/1 at 9:01 am

      Hi Meredith, while a jalapeno popper is traditionally made with cream cheese, chicken salad is traditionally made with mayo and yes mayo is whole30 compliant so thats a nothing reason 🙂 I usually eat it on lettuce with a. bunch of veggies as a salad!! You could also pair it with roasted vegetables if youre on whole30. if you arent you can enjoy it as a sandwich

      Reply
  19. Lizzy says

    Posted on 7/20 at 12:36 am

    This was sooo good! Have made multiple times for easy lunches prepped throughout the week. Highly recommend!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 7/25 at 8:22 pm

      awesome!! thank you!!

      Reply
  20. Kellie says

    Posted on 8/31 at 8:56 pm

    Very easy and tasty! I used rotisserie chicken so it was super quick!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 9/8 at 8:42 am

      awesome! thank you!

      Reply
  21. Katie says

    Posted on 11/16 at 9:42 pm

    This chicken salad was AMAZING. Made it tonight for my husband and I. He can’t stop talking about it!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 11/21 at 4:52 pm

      yay I’m so glad!

      Reply
  22. Marissa says

    Posted on 1/6 at 6:15 pm

    I used a rotisserie chicken which made this quick and easy. A great lunch.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 1/7 at 5:47 pm

      great idea!

      Reply
  23. Erin says

    Posted on 1/19 at 10:28 am

    Making this for lunch today and so excited!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Madeline says

      Posted on 1/21 at 4:17 pm

      yay hope you loved it Erin!

      Reply

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