Salpicón de Pollo (Mexican Chicken Salad)

Salpicón de Pollo (Mexican Chicken Salad) is a delicious chicken salad dressed in a tasty lime vinaigrette.  This dish is perfect as an appetizer, snack or dinner and it is a great dish for entertaining.  You will love Salpicón!

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Oh goodness, if you have never had Salpicon de Pollo or even heard of it, once again, you’re in for a treat!

Salpicon, is simply a Mexican salad medley made with either seafood, beef, chicken or pork and marinated in a delicious and yummy lime blend.

Although this yummy blend is really simple, it is explosively delicious when combined with meat or seafood!   Best of all, it requires simple ingredients to make this vinaigrette.

Combine olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice and a few other spices and you will have a tasty, delicious marinade to to add to your salpicon!

Today we will focus on a Salpicon de Pollo!  Yum!!

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Note:  Salpicon, is also a part of other Latin American cuisine and each has their own versions.

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One of the greatest things about making any kind of Salpicón is that it can serve a lot of people.  In other words a little goes a long way!

Which makes it great for not only a family dinner but also great for parties, picnics, barbeques, potlocks and even perfect for the holidays.

How to Serve Salpicon de Pollo (Mexican Chicken Salad)?

Once you have made this yummy Mexican Chicken Salad, you can serve it or have it in a variety of ways, start with any of these:

• tostadas
• crackers
• tortilla chips
• beside rice
• cold or warm burritos with refried beans
• tacos
• on top of romaine lettuce
• make wraps with greens from mustard, collard or swiss chard

Ingredients for Salpicon de Pollo

Cook the chicken in:

• 2 chicken breasts boiled
• 2 garlic cloves peeled
• ½ onion quartered
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste

For the Lime Vinaigrette

• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• salt to taste

Other Ingredients

• ½ cup tomatoes sliced thinly into strips
• ¼ cup radishes sliced thinly (optional)
• ½ cup red onions sliced thinly into strips
• ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
• 1 cup lettuce chopped
• ½ cup queso fresco crumbled
• pickled jalapeños to taste
• tostadas or corn tortillas fried to make homemade tostadas
• 1-2 avocados sliced or chopped
• homemade salsa verde or store bought
• extra lime wedges for topping

Other Ingredients You Can Add to Salpicón

• peas
• olives
• capers
• shredded carrots
• diced or shredded asparagus
• chopped cucumbers
• thinly sliced red bell peppers
• shredded cabbage
• roasted poblano pepper strips

Other Salsa Toppings

• Habanero Tomatillo Salsa (if you like very spicy salsas, this one is for you!)
• Avocado Salsa Verde
• Creamy Sour Cream Salsa Verde Sauce
• Poblano Cream Sauce
• Jalapeño Salsa
• Crema Mexicana
• Sour Cream
• Chipotle Mayo Sauce
• Guacamole

Note:  You can also make this dish with leftover chicken or a rotisserie.

How to Make Salpicon de Pollo (Mexican Chicken Salad)

Cook Chicken:

1. First rinse the chicken breasts.
2. Add 3 cups of water, chicken breasts to a medium size pot with the onion, garlic, cilantro and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Cook over medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Remove chicken breasts from pot and let cool for a few minutes.
5. Using two forks, shred the chicken breasts.  Shred not chop!

Prepare Lime Vinaigrette

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl with a fork or whisk.  Set aside.

Prepare Salpicón:

1. In a large bowl or pot add the shredded chicken, tomatoes, red onions, lettuce, cilantro, queso fresco, pickled jalapeños and lime vinaigrette.
2. Mix everything together.
3. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Note:  The only food that is missing is the avocado and salsa topping.  We will add this at the end when we assemble the tostadas.

Time to Assemble Tostadas!

1. Divide Salpicón blend into 6 to 8 tostadas.
2. Top with sliced or chopped avocado, cilantro and salsa verde.

Serve with extra lime wedges if desired.

Enjoy!

Note:  If you cannot find store bought tostadas, simply buy corn tortillas and prepare homemade tostadas.

In a large pan, add 3 tablespoons of vegetable or corn oil and heat over medium heat.

Cook one or two corn tortillas at a time.

Cook on one side for a few seconds and flip over with a fork to cook on the other side.

Drain on paper towels.  Tortillas will harden after a few minutes.

You Can Prepare Salpicón de Pollo in Advance

You can prepare this dish a day in advance just exclude the lettuce from mixture until you’re ready to serve or it will wilt before time.

How Long Does Salpicón de Pollo Last in the Fridge

Salpicón de pollo can last in your refrigerator for up to 3 days.

For more delicious Salpicón recipes and other Mexican recipes you will also love these:

Salpicón de Cerdo (Mexican Pork Salad)

Salpicon de Mariscos (Mexican Seafood Medley)

Camarones a la Crema (Shrimps in a Chipotle Cream Sauce)

Sopa de Fideo (Mexican Noodle Soup)

Fresas con Crema ( Mexican Strawberries and Cream)

Tilapia Ceviche Tostadas

Bistec a la Mexican (Beef Chucks in a Delicious Tomato Sauce)

📖 Recipe