All I want to do recently is make mayo. I love mayo. I used to go to Whole Foods on a regular basis and spend $11.99/pound for chicken salad until I found out that they put flour into their mayo. I don’t know if that’s a fact, but I looked up the recipe and found that ingredient. I was mad. Not really mad, but disappointed. I love their chicken salad and for it to have gluten in it, is a deal breaker. I’m breaking up with it. It’s over. We’re done. Forever. Probably not forever. I’ll eat it someday. But not today. Today, I make my own mayo. Which is AWESOME. Avocado oil should ALWAYS be used when making your own mayo. Fact.
So here are some things that happened by the time I got back from Mexico:
I forgot how to drive. For real. When you stop driving for 7 days, driving is awkward. I stopped using my blinker and cut everyone off. I acted like I was in Boston. Or New York. I’ve never been to New York, but that’s how I see it going down. No one is a nice driver.
I’ve had to shrink my stomach. So I’m always hungry. And grouchy. But in Mexico, I ate WHATEVER I wanted. Seriously, everything. I didn’t stop much. And I definitely didn’t stop for gluten. I welcomed it with open arms. Which I haven’t done in years. But I soaked up every moment of this vacation, so I’ve had to teach my stomach what normal portions are like. It sucks.
I’ve instagrammed at least 26 times. A day. Anything and everything. I hate Facebook, but damn, I love instagram. I was pumped to have it back once I got back into town.
I updated myself on the CrossFit Games Southwest Regional. I tend to wonder where I would be if I stuck with my training and was able to make it to Regionals again. After doing it 2 years in a row, I wonder where I would rank among those bad ass women. Probably low, but I still wonder.
I’ve watched sports. That’s weird. And won’t really happen again.
I’ve cleaned my room. Big step. I was becoming a legit hoarder. Laura almost submitted an application for me to be on the show.
I drank beer. Meaning cider. It’s time to move on from them though. My love handles love beer a little too much.
I’m getting on the spinning class train. Starting TODAY. I’m kind of scared. Going somewhere new. Being the new kid on the block. Knowing nothing about anything I’m doing. All while hating every second of it. Should be interesting. But it’s ‘Clean it up Monday’ so that means more exercise and better food.
And I’ll be eating this for lunch today. DELISH. So clean it up. It’s Monday.
Clean it Up Mondays: Chicken Avocado Salad Wraps
- Yield: 3-4 1x
Ingredients
For the chicken salad
- 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken
- 3 tablespoons fat of choice (I used duck fat)
- 4 stalks of celery, diced
- 1 avocado, skin removed, cubed
- 1–2 teaspoons fresh tarragon, minced
- 1–2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
- 1–2 teaspoons fresh dill, minced
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- salt and pepper, to taste
For the mayo
- 2 egg yolks
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1/2 cup avocado oil
- pinch of salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Place chicken in a glass baking dish, pour some fat over each chicken breast, and sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.
- Put in preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Then place the chicken in the refrigerator to help cool for a refreshing chicken salad.
- Now for the mayo. Avocado oil is the best for this mayo. The flavor isn’t very overwhelming so you can taste all the other flavors in this dish. So this is how you make the mayo.
- In your food processor, add egg yolks and lemon and puree to combine. Once they are mixed well, turn food processor back on and begin to pour the avocado oil in VERY SLOWLY. I mean super slow. Tablespoon by tablespoon, dripping in there very slow. Did I say slow?
- As you mix in the avocado oil very slowly, it will begin to thicken and create a mayo consistency. Be patient. And add more oil as needed to help thicken it even more. Place mayo in a container and into the fridge to keep cool while you finish off the salad.
- Dice up the now cooled chicken into 1/2-1 inch cubes.
- To a large bowl, add the cooked and cooled chicken, cubed avocado, fresh herbs, all the mayo, lemon juice, and a bit of salt and pepper. Taste to see if it needs more of anything.
- Wrap the chicken salad in some butter lettuce leaves OR just eat it by itself. Whatever you want to do.
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I made mayo…..homemade! Thank you for the inspiration Julie! Can’t wait to eat this for dinner. And I love the clean it up Mondays…cause I can’t be bothered with perfection. Now I can get back on track.
One thing I do to get the mayo to emulsify properly without being super vigilant on the drizzle of oil is if you have a legit brand Cuisinart (don’t know if other brands of food processor have it, but people can look if they have another brand) on the white plunger thingy that goes down into the food shoot to help push food down, there is a very small hole. I pour my oil into the white plunger thingy (since it’s hollow) and let the Cuisinart do the work of drizzling and emulsifying for me. Works like a charm! Wish I could take credit for this, but I read it somewhere. Wish I could remember where, but I can’t. All I know is it works. Oh, and room temp ingredients make a difference too.
As someone who was raised by a New Yorker and currently lives in Boston I will have you know that New Yorkers are WAY worse drivers. In Boston we at least signal before cutting you off in an attempt to get across three lanes of traffic to reach our exit. In a side note I am now off to go hunting the elusive avacado oil because I love chicken salad and now must have this.
I love how instruction #4 is more of an opinion or feeling you have about the relationship with the mayo than an actual instruction at all! I adore you. You remind me of me, only prettier, more popular and with abs. Don’t ever stop blogging or shoving things in your face juli. Your just so good at what you do!
My plan is to make this with leftover chicken. It will be a fab salad to take to work with me or have in the fridge for a quick lunch.
I’m new to the paleo way of eating, so am glad to have found you on instagram.
Just made this chicken salad and it is DELISH!! Made the aioli yesterday too and it was sooo good that I topped my steak with it tonight 🙂 I’ve been reading your blog and I love, love, love it! Keep it up!
Was at Whole Foods the other day and asked about flour in the mayo. I was told they do not use any flour in their mayo/chicken and tuna salad. If there was any, they are required to list it in the ingredients on the card in the food case and it would say contains gluten, etc. So girl, you go get that chx salad!
Thank you Juli for all the wonderful recipes. I am in week 5 of my paleo/ cross fit journey and can honestly say I’d have been lost without you! Let me add that this chicken salad recipe is the best chicken salad I’ve ever had!
I am going to attempt to make this tonight. However, I do not have duck fat, avocado oil, or tarragon. I looked all over the grocery store and couldn’t find them. Any suggestions for substitutes? Thanks!
any dried herb will do, no biggie if it’s not tarragon. just use a different kind of fat such as bacon fat. and evoo for the mayo will work just fine!
Really wishing I read this BEFORE going to the store. Guess it’ll just go in the reserves for now. Just wanted to comment though, I super heart making mayo! So easy and so few ingredients unlike the back of a jar. Blech. My next adventure will be bacon-aise. Have you tried making mayo using some bacon fat? Mmmm bacon. And avocados… Lunch time!