Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad

This low carb Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad is a flavorful, keto-friendly, and Whole30-compliant meal option that puts a fun spin on traditional jalapeño poppers!

This paleo keto dinner is perfect for meal prep

This salad is so easy to whip together and is perfect for meal prepping! I love to make it ahead of time and include it in my low-carb lunch menu for those weekdays when I’m in a hurry.

This delicious keto dinner is gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, coconut-free, and nut-free, PLUS it’s Whole30-compliant and paleo-approved!

Net carbs in this jalapeño popper chicken salad

With only 1 gram of net carbs per serving, this keto jalapeño popper chicken salad is perfect for those following a low-carb diet. When you feed this meal to others, they will be SHOCKED to learn that it’s a low-carb option. It’s sooo savory!

Easily make this recipe egg-free

If you’d prefer to omit the eggs in this jalapeño chicken salad (they’re present in the dairy-free mayonnaise), that’s totally fine! In place of the mayo, use sour cream! It’s an easy swap that will taste just as yummy.

Just note that if you sub sour cream for mayonnaise, this recipe will no longer be dairy-free, paleo, or Whole30-compliant, but it will be egg-free. Additionally, the nutrition information will be different than listed in the nutrition label. Substitute these ingredients based on your dietary needs!

How to store your low carb jalapeño popper chicken salad

If you wind up with leftovers and need to save a batch of this salad, be sure to keep it stored in an airtight container. Refrigerate it and enjoy within 2-3 days for peak freshness!

Do not freeze this recipe. When thawed, previously frozen lettuce loses its crunchiness and freshness.

Jalapeño salad FAQs

Can I use turkey instead of chicken? Sure! If you prefer turkey, feel free to use it in place of chicken in this recipe. Be sure to monitor the turkey while cooking, as it may need more or less time to come to temperature (165 degrees Fahrenheit).

Can I use chicken thighs? Yes, and this is actually the substitution for chicken breast that I’d recommend. The cooking instructions are the same for chicken thighs as they are for chicken breasts.

Can I omit the jalapeños in this recipe? Absolutely! If you do not like spicy dishes, you can altogether omit the jalapeños in this chicken salad. If you are looking for a dish that is mildly spicy, simply reduce the amount of jalapeños.

Will extra jalapeños work with this recipe? Definitely! Depending on how spicy you want your dish to be, feel free to add more (or remove) jalapeños to your recipe!

Compliant with a variety of diets

Check out all of the diets that this amazing dairy-free keto jalapeño chicken salad complies with! It’s the perfect dish to make for a tailgate or gathering.

• Keto and Low-Carb: This keto jalapeño popper chicken salad only contains 1g of net carbs per serving!
• Whole30 and Paleo: This recipe does not contain dairy, grains, gluten, added sugar, or soy.
• Nut-Free: This recipe is made without any nut products and is a safe meal option for those with a nut allergy or nut intolerance.
• Coconut-Free: Free from all coconut products, this recipe is a great dinner option for those who cannot consume coconut.
• Dairy-Free: Made with avocado oil mayonnaise, this recipe is dairy- and egg-free.
• Gluten-Free and Grain-Free: This low carb jalapeño popper chicken is both gluten-free and grain-free.

How to make this Jalapeño Popper Chicken Salad

Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line baking tray with parchment paper. Cook chicken breast until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, about 15-18 minutes. Remove chicken from oven and carefully cut into smaller pieces before transferring to a large plate or bowl and place in refrigerator to chill. Reduce oven temperature to 425 degrees.

Cook bacon in oven (15-20 minutes at 425 degrees, depending on thickness of bacon) or on stovetop until crispy. Transfer cooked bacon to paper towel-lined plated to remove excess grease.

Turn on oven broiler and place jalapeños atop baking sheet, transfer baking sheet to oven directly below broiler, and broil until lightly charred, about 3-5 minutes. Remove jalapeños from oven and allow to cool slightly before de-stemming and roughly chopping. De-seed jalapeños based on your spice preferences. Transfer chopped jalapeños to large mixing bowl.

Cut cooked chicken breast into cubes, crumble the crispy baked bacon into bits, and add all remaining ingredients (I would suggest adding only 1 tbsp hot sauce at this time, taste testing, and then, if you’d like, adding additional 1 tbsp, based on your desired spice preferences) and mix until well-combined.

Mix mixture until well-combined. Cover bowl with lid or foil and transfer to refrigerator to chill for 1 hour before serving.

Serve salad chilled and enjoy!

If you love this jalapeño popper chicken salad, be sure to try out these other delicious keto dinner recipes:

• Thai Chicken Salad
• Keto Meatza
• Low-Carb Philly Cheesesteak Casserole
• Pork Stir Fry