Salpicón de pollo is an authentic Mexican chicken salad made with shredded chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and lime. This fresh and easy recipe is traditionally served on crispy tostadas and makes a light lunch or dinner.
This salpicón de pollo is made just like the classic Mexican salpicón de res, but with tender shredded chicken instead of beef.
It’s a fresh, colorful salad that’s especially delicious piled onto crispy tostadas for a light lunch, snack, or easy appetizer.
It’s one of those recipes that’s incredibly easy to make with simple, everyday ingredients, yet always a hit whenever you serve it.
Ingredients
- Chicken breast (or leftover cooked chicken)
- Lettuce
- Roma tomatoes
- White and red onion
- Red and yellow bell peppers
- Carrot
- Jalapeños
- Stuffed green olives
- Dressing (Olive oil, fresh lime juice, vinegar, cilantro, oregano, salt, and black pepper).
How To Make Salpicón de Pollo
Make the dressing: Add olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, oregano, cilantro, salt, and pepper to a small jar. Cover and shake well until the ingredients are combined.
Cook the chicken:
Cook the chicken with garlic clove, a piece of onion, and salt. Let it cool slightly, then shred it with two forks and set aside.
Add the shredded chicken to a large mixing bowl along with the carrots, red onion, tomatoes, and green olives.
I like to cut the vegetables into thin strips because it makes the salad look beautiful and gives you a little bit of everything in each bite.
Add the chopped lettuce to the bowl. I usually use romaine because I love the extra crunch, but iceberg lettuce is a great option too.
Pour the dressing over everything and gently toss until the chicken and vegetables are coated with all those fresh, tangy flavors.
Give it a taste before serving. Need a little more salt or a squeeze of lime? Go ahead and adjust it to your liking.
You can serve it right away, but if you have the patience, let it chill in the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes first.
Salpicón de pollo gets even better after resting because the flavors have time to come together.
And there you have it: a fresh and flavorful chicken salad that’s perfect for tostadas, meal prep, gatherings, or an easy lunch.
Fresh, colorful, and full of bright lime flavor, this is one of those simple Mexican recipes with shredded chicken that you’ll want to make again and again.
Tips & Notes
- Cook the chicken just until tender so it stays juicy and easy to shred.
- Adjust the lime juice, salt, and pepper to your taste. The dressing should be bright and flavorful.
- I like cutting the carrots into thin ribbons with a vegetable peeler. They look beautiful in the salad and add a nice texture to every bite.
- Let the salpicón chill for at least 20 minutes before serving so the flavors have time to come together.
- Add extra toppings like avocado or chiles en vinagre for even more Mexican flavor.
How To Serve This Chicken Salpicon
Chicken salpicón is one of those dishes that just feels right on a hot day. It’s fresh, zesty, and so easy to throw together. I usually serve it chilled, and it’s perfect on its own for a light lunch.
- Tostadas: My favorite! A crispy tortilla topped with a generous spoonful of salpicón de pollo is hard to beat. Try serving it with homemade tostadas for the perfect crunchy base.
- Tortilla chips: Totopos are a fun, snacky way to eat it. Great for game day or just a casual lunch with an agua fresca (I’m team agua de sandia).
- On a plate: When I want to turn it into a full meal, I serve it with frijoles refritos, arroz rojo, and warm tortillas on the side. Simple, satisfying, and so crowd-pleasing.
However you serve it, salpicón de pollo is a fresh and flavorful Mexican dish that’s always a favorite.
Prep Ahead & Store
Salpicón de pollo can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, but it’s best during the first couple of days while the vegetables are still fresh and crisp.
It’s also a great way to use leftover rotisserie chicken. For the best texture, store the chicken, vegetables, and dressing separately and mix everything before serving.
This fresh, make-ahead salad is perfect for warm weather, summer gatherings, picnics, and a table full of Cinco de Mayo recipes.
More Mexican Salads
If you enjoy fresh Mexican salads, try those next…
Video
Mexican Salpicón de Pollo
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded chicken breast
- 2 medium tomatoes (sliced)
- 1 medium red bell pepper (cut into strips)
- 1 medium yellow bell pepper (cut into strips)
- 1 small white onion (sliced)
- 1 small red onion (sliced)
- 2 jalapeño peppers (chopped)
- 1 large carrot (cut into ribbons)
- 4 cups lettuce (chopped)
- ½ cup olives (pitted and sliced)
For dressing
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup white vinegar
- 1 lime (juice)
- 2 Tbsps cilantro (chopped)
- 1 Tbsp oregano
- salt & pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Place olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, orégano, and chopped cilantro in a jar.
- Add a pinch of salt and freshly cracked pepper, close the lid, and shake the jar until all ingredients are emulsified.
- Place shredded chicken in a large mixing bowl along with all vegetables and olives.
- Pour over the dressing and mix gently for 2-3 minutes or until all veggies and chicken and nicely coated with the dressing.
- Adjust salt and pepper to taste then serve immediately or chill it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes so the flavors blend together.
Notes
- You can totally use leftover rotisserie chicken for this recipe. Super easy and full of flavor.
- Pick a mix of fresh, seasonal veggies, they make it colorful and extra tasty.
- Feel free to adjust the lime juice and vinegar to make it as tangy as you like.
- And don’t forget: mix in the dressing about 15–20 minutes before serving and let it chill a bit so all the flavors come together nicely!
Nutrition Information
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I am gonna make this recipe this weekend but just wanted to thank you for how detailed are you with your recipes, this is what keeps me coming back whenever I want to cook Mexican food.
I made salpicon de pollo as soon as saw it in your Instagram feed. So delicious and refreshing indeed! The tangy-lemony dressing was something I didn’t expect was this good, considering the simplicity. My fav recipe for summer from now!