This year's mouthwatering entrée: smoked chicken starter with avocado salad. It's terrific to serve at your next dinner party or during the Holidays. It's one of the best starters I know. The creamy avocado, spicy onion, smoky chicken, and flavors like turmeric, curry, and ginger are fabulous. And an easy and fast recipe. Let me show you!
Smoked Chicken Starter with Avocado
This is such a delicious recipe with great flavors and so easy to prepare. We have eaten this many times, and I will also serve this for the Holidays this year. It's just so good. The creamy avocado, spicy red onion, flavorful turmeric and curry, smoky chicken, and sweet ginger. And combined, this is a delight to the taste buds, I can tell you.
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What do you need for Smoked Chicken and Avocado Salad?
To prepare this Smoked Chicken Starter with avocado, you need the following ingredients. You can find the correct amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the blog:
- Avocado - is a subtle, creamy, sweet, and mild flavor. A ripe avocado isn't firm, but a bit soft. If the pit of the seed is clear, you know for sure that your avocado is good.
- Red onion - Red onion is the best onion for eating raw. They have beautiful color in combination with the avocado, and they're spicy to mild in flavor.
- Yogurt - Use Greek yogurt. This is a thicker yogurt, which has a creamy mouth feeling. You could also opt for sour cream.
- Ginger syrup - For a hint of sweetness and a touch of ginger. Because ginger is one of the best flavor combinations with curry, you can find a homemade ginger syrup recipe here.
- Curry powder - Curry powder is a spice mixture of at least cumin, coriander, and turmeric. And this is enriched in taste with spices such as mustard seed, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon (but often more). Do you like spicy? Replace the mild curry with a spicy curry spice mix.
- Lemon - For a hint of freshness. For the best taste, use fresh lemon use.
- Smoked chicken - Chicken that is cured with aromatic wood. It has a sweet, delicately smoky flavor and tender structure.
- Mayonnaise - Makes a rich and creamy dressing.
- Turmeric - This is a bit bitter and sharp. It is widely used in Asian cuisine for flavor and color.
- Arugula - rocket salad. This green salad has a peppery, nutty flavor.
How to prepare Smoked Chicken Salad
You can find a printable recipe with a step-by-step description at the bottom of this blog.
- Mix the avocado cubes with lemon juice to prevent browning. Then mix the sliced red onions with the avocado and set aside. Cut the ingredients very small. Then you get even more flavor.
- Add Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, ginger syrup, turmeric, and curry in a second bowl until you've got a smooth sauce. Add the smoked chicken and stir everything.
- Put some arugula on a plate and place a cooking ring (2.5 inches / 7 cm diameter) on top. Fill the circle with smoked chicken until it's half-filled. Press slightly with the back of a spoon. Let the chicken drain from the sauce before adding it to the ring. If the chicken is too wet, the tower will collapse.
- Fill the ring until the top with the onion avocado mixture and press slightly. Remove the ring and clean it, so each salad gets beautiful layers.
Serve this as a starter at your dinner party. Garnish with quartered cherry tomatoes.
Did you make this recipe? Tag #byandreajanssen via Instagram. I enjoy seeing what your creation looks like. Video recipes can be found on my YouTube channel. And don't forget to save the recipes on Pinterest so you can easily find them next time!
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Equipment
- Cooking ring 2.5 inch (7 cm) diameter
Ingredients
- 2 avocado
- 1 lemon juice
- 1 red onion, small, chopped finely
- ⅔ cup Greek yogurt
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise
- 6 tablespoons ginger syrup
- 3 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 3 teaspoons curry powder
- ¾ pound smoked chicken, sliced in small cubes
- 2 oz arugula
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
Avocado red onion topping
- Cut in half and remove the pit. Spoon the flesh with a spoon out of the skin. Cut the flesh into small cubes.2 avocado
- Combine the avocado with a teaspoon of lemon juice (so the avocado won't discolor).1 lemon juice
- Mix the onion with the avocado.1 red onion
Smoked chicken salad
- Whisk the yogurt, mayonnaise, ginger syrup, turmeric, and curry powder into a smooth sauce. Taste and add some ginger syrup or salt and pepper if necessary.⅔ cup Greek yogurt, ⅔ cup mayonnaise, 6 tablespoons ginger syrup, 3 teaspoons ground turmeric, 3 teaspoons curry powder
- Mix the smoked chicken cubes with the sauce.¾ pound smoked chicken
Serving
- Put a little arugula on the plate.2 oz arugula
- Grab a cooking ring with a diameter of 2½ inches (7 cm) and place it on top of the arugula.
- Fill about half the ring with the chicken salad. If it is very moist let it drain.
- Fill the rest of the form with the red onion avocado mixture.
- Take the ring carefully of the salad. Make sure you clean the ring before preparing the plates to keep the layers visible. Repeat for all dishes.
Notes
- You can make this salad in advance. The smoked chicken with sauce can be made a day in advance and kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The avocado onion mixture can be made a few hours before eating. This mixture must also be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. You'll only have to assemble the salad before serving your starter.
- You can't freeze this salad.
Nutrition
If you're looking for starters / entrées, these recipes maybe of your interest:
Magali says
i always enjoy smoked chicken! I wish i could get some now. They are hard to come by where I live. Great recipe!
Andréa says
I hope you can find one. This is really delicious and I bet you will enjoy it! Thank you!