Cottage Cheese Lime Cilantro Chicken Salad Cups (Printable)

Protein-packed chicken salad with cottage cheese, lime, and cilantro served in crisp lettuce cups.

# List of ingredients:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 cups cooked chicken breast, diced (about 2 medium breasts)

→ Salad Base

02 - 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
03 - 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (optional, for creaminess)
04 - 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
05 - 1/2 cup celery, finely diced
06 - 1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely diced

→ Flavorings

07 - Zest and juice of 1 lime
08 - 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
09 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
10 - 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Serving

12 - 8 large lettuce leaves (such as butter, romaine, or iceberg)
13 - Extra lime wedges, for garnish

# Steps:

01 - In a large bowl, combine the diced chicken, cottage cheese, mayonnaise (if using), red onion, celery, and red bell pepper.
02 - Add the lime zest, lime juice, chopped cilantro, ground cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper.
03 - Stir until all ingredients are evenly mixed and the salad is creamy and well-seasoned.
04 - Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
05 - Spoon the chicken salad evenly into the lettuce leaves to form cups.
06 - Serve immediately, garnished with extra cilantro and lime wedges if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cottage cheese creates this incredible creamy texture without being heavy like traditional mayo-based salads
  • Everything comes together in under 20 minutes and you probably have most ingredients already
  • The lime cilantro combo wakes up your tastebuds in a way regular chicken salad never could
02 -
  • The salad mixture can sit in the fridge for a day but only fill the lettuce cups right before serving or they get soggy
  • Using cottage cheese with small curds gives a smoother texture than large curd varieties
  • Butter lettuce cups hold the filling best without tearing, but romaine gives you that satisfying crunch
03 -
  • Using pre-cooked rotisserie chicken saves time and adds flavor you cannot get from plain boiled breast
  • Room temperature ingredients blend better than cold ones straight from the fridge

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