Chicken Salpicón — 3 Ways to Serve It

A creamy Peruvian shredded chicken salad with colorful vegetables, mayonnaise, and lemon. Shown three ways: as a classic starter with avocado, as a main dish with white rice, or turned into a light diet soup using the leftover broth.

smart_display Published 2026-03-23 download Extracted 2026-04-04

20m Prep

30m Cook

1h Total

4 Servings

peruvian chicken salad cold-dish shredded-chicken easy meal-prep vegetables mayonnaise salpicon family-meal lunch dinner starter

Ingredients

800 g chicken thighs and breasts (skin removed, scored to absorb flavor, then boiled and shredded)
1 ear choclo (Andean corn) (kernels removed, boiled 12–15 minutes)
2 units carrots (peeled, small dice, added 5–6 minutes before turning off heat)
3 units white potato (peeled, small dice, rinsed to remove starch, added 4 minutes before turning off heat)
200 g green beans (vainitas) (tips removed, cut same size as carrot dice, added 2 minutes before turning off heat)
300 g green peas (alverjitas) (added 2 minutes before turning off heat)
1 unit avocado (palta) (sliced, seasoned with lemon juice and salt)
4 tbsp mayonnaise
1 unit lemon (juiced)
1 stalk celery stalk (for boiling the chicken)
3 cloves garlic cloves (crushed, for boiling the chicken)
1 small piece ginger (kion) (peeled or well washed, crushed, for boiling the chicken) optional
to taste salt (to taste)
to taste black pepper (to taste)
4 leaves lettuce leaves (for serving as a base) optional
2 cups white rice (cooked, for serving as a main dish) optional

Steps

1

Prepare the chicken: remove the skin from the thighs and make small cuts so the flavor penetrates during cooking. Wash well.

Tip: Scoring the chicken allows it to absorb the flavor of the aromatics more effectively.

~5 min
2

Place the cleaned chicken in a pot, cover with water, and add the celery stalk, crushed garlic, crushed ginger (kion), and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 20–25 minutes.

Tip: Ginger (kion) can be peeled or simply washed very well before crushing.

~25 min
3

While the chicken cooks, shuck the choclo kernels and add them to a separate pot of boiling water. Cook for 12–15 minutes.

Tip: Respect the individual cooking time of each vegetable to keep their vibrant color.

~15 min
4

Peel and dice the carrots into small cubes (similar to arroz con pollo cut). 5–6 minutes before turning off the heat, add the carrots to the pot. 4 minutes before turning off the heat, rinse the diced potato to remove starch and add it to the pot, adding a pinch of salt at this point. 2 minutes before turning off the heat, add the green beans and peas.

Tip: Rinse diced potato before cooking to remove excess starch and prevent it from falling apart.

~8 min
5

Once the chicken and vegetables are cooked, remove them. Strain and reserve the broth for soup or another use. Spread the vegetables out on a tray or shock them in cold water to stop cooking and preserve their vibrant color.

Tip: Spreading on a tray to cool is preferred to cold water — it stops cooking without waterlogging the vegetables.

~5 min
6

Let the chicken cool, then shred it by hand, removing all bones and skin. Place in a large mixing bowl along with the cooled vegetables.

~10 min
7

Season with salt and pepper to taste, squeeze in the juice of one lemon, and add the mayonnaise. Gently fold everything together to avoid mashing the vegetables.

Tip: Add salt gradually — taste as you go.

~3 min
8

Serve the salpicón in your preferred style: (1) As a starter — place a lettuce leaf as a base, top with salpicón, and add sliced avocado seasoned with lemon juice and salt on the side. (2) As a main course — serve with white rice and avocado. (3) As a light soup — use the reserved broth, add extra shredded chicken, potato, choclo, carrot, and season with oregano and salt to taste.

Tip: The creator's personal favorite is the main course version with white rice.

~5 min

Nutrition (per serving)

320

Calories

28g

Protein

22g

Carbs

12g

Fat

Fiber

Cultural Context

Salpicón de pollo is a beloved Peruvian cold chicken salad typically served as a starter (entrada) or main course (plato de fondo). The word 'salpicón' comes from Spanish meaning a mixture of chopped ingredients. In Peru, it is commonly prepared with blanched vegetables like choclo (Andean corn), carrots, peas, green beans, and potato, all bound with mayonnaise and seasoned with lemon juice. It is a staple of family cooking and often appears at gatherings. The dish reflects Peru's tradition of combining simple proteins with abundant fresh vegetables and creamy dressings.