Chicken, Pear & Avocado Salad with Honey-Lime Dressing

This Chicken Pear and Avocado Salad is packed with protein and bright flavors, perfect for a satisfying lunch or a light dinner.

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Originally published October 27, 2014

Over the past months my husband and I have focused on eating better and losing weight, tracking steps and meals to stay motivated. Having a partner makes healthy habits easier to sustain—especially when that partner is someone you live with. Cooking with our goals in mind gives me extra motivation, and knowing the meals help him reach his goals makes me feel good too.

This Chicken Pear and Avocado Salad grew out of that healthy-eating push. After a few indulgent weekends—food festival treats, birthday celebrations and too many pizza nights—we needed something fresh and energizing. A hearty, flavorful salad that feels like a full meal was just the thing to get us back on track.

This version combines rotisserie chicken for convenience, ripe pear slices, creamy avocado, crunchy walnuts and crumbled Gorgonzola for a balance of textures and flavors. It’s hearty enough to satisfy non-salad lovers and quick enough for a weeknight dinner.

How to make chicken and pear salad

This salad is easy to assemble. Using a store-bought rotisserie chicken shortens prep time without sacrificing flavor. A good balsamic vinaigrette ties the ingredients together—choose a quality bottled dressing or make your own honey-balsamic vinaigrette if you prefer a fresher option. If you don’t use rotisserie chicken, cooked shredded chicken works well too.

I love this salad because it comes together quickly and still feels special. With seasonal pears available in many varieties, it’s a salad I make often while pears are at their best.

What are the best pears for salad?

Choose a pear that is ripe but still firm so it holds its shape in the salad. Anjou pears (green or red) are a favorite because they slice cleanly and maintain texture. Bartlett pears are sweet and juicy but ripen faster, so use them at the peak of ripeness for best results. Gently press near the stem to check for just-right ripeness.

This salad helped restart our healthy-eating routine for the week. Our daughter loved it, and even the kids who don’t typically enjoy salads were happy to eat a more deconstructed version on their plates.

More salads to get you out of a salad rut:

Mediterranean Chopped Tuna Salad

Broccoli Slaw Salad

Avocado-Tuna Spinach Salad

Shaved Fennel and Arugula Salad

Autumn Spinach Salad with Pecan Vinaigrette

Balsamic Chicken Dinner Salad

Southwest Chicken Salad with Homemade Southwest Dressing