Chicken salad gets a Mexican twist with this bright and flavorful Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad. You’ll love the colorful crisp bell peppers and creamy dressing seasoned with chili powder, cumin, and plenty of cilantro and lime! Make this easy recipe for a light dinner or lunches all week!

If you love this flavor combo, you’ll also want to try our Southwest Pasta Salad and Cilantro Lime Skirt Steak.

Cilantro lime chicken salad on a slice of bread.

Table of Contents

My favorite part of wedding and baby shower season is the food. Ok, it’s also the cute babies and true love, etc etc, but mostly, it’s the food. What can I say? I’m a sucker for a crustless quiche lorraine or goat cheese puff pastry appetizer.

Chicken salad is a staple for these types of parties, but I sometimes get bored with the basic fruit and nut variety. This Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad is a fresh twist on a classic recipe, featuring bursts of lime, crunchy bell peppers, and warm spices.

I love making this on Sunday to enjoy for weekday lunches. It can be served so many different ways depending on your mood for the day. Sometimes I scoop it into a bell pepper or halved avocado. Sometimes I serve it on bread (especially this jalapeno cheddar bread). Sometimes I eat it like a dip with piles of tortilla chips. No matter how it’s served, there’s something about this combination of crisp veggies, zesty lime, and fresh herbs that keeps me coming back for more.

Ingredients You’ll Need + Substitutions

Cooked chicken– You could use leftover rotisserie chicken, poached chicken, or our personal favorite, Mexican Marinated Chicken.
Mayonnaise– We love Duke’s mayo, but any mayonnaise will work.
Sour cream– Adds a really nice tang to the creamy dressing! Substitute plain Greek yogurt if you prefer.
Jalapeno– A seeded jalapeno adds the subtlest heat and a pop of color. Feel free to omit it for no heat or leave the seeds in for extra spice!
Cilantro– Lots of fresh herby cilantro gives this chicken salad so much flavor!
Diced red onion– Soak your red onion in cold water for 10 minutes to take out some of its bite.
Bell pepper– For color and crunch! Use red, yellow, or orange pepper.
Spices– Cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper round out this Mexican chicken salad.
Lime– Use juice from fresh limes for the best result.
Bread, buns, avocados, or tortillas– Serve the chicken salad as a sandwich on your favorite bread or croissants, or scoop onto halved avocados or salad greens. We also love add

How to Make Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad

Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together the mayo, sour cream, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, and lime juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper until it tastes great.

Step 2: Add the bell pepper, jalapeno, and chicken and stir well to combine. Refrigerate the chicken salad until ready to serve.

Storage and Make Ahead Instructions

Chicken salad can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in a sealed container in the fridge.
Leftovers will keep for up to 5 days. Give it a good stir before serving.

More Chicken Salad Recipes To Try

Apple Pecan Chicken Salad is perfect for fall. We love making it with leftover roasted turkey!
Cranberry Pistachio Chicken Salad is our go-to traditional chicken salad with sweet cranberries and buttery pistachios.
Asian Sesame Chicken Salad– A riff on Panera’s salad, this salad has the best sweet and tangy dressing!
Parmesan Basil Chicken Salad features fresh herbs in an ultra savory Parmesan dressing.

Mexican chicken salad with bell peppers and onion, served open face on a slice of bread.

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