Smoked Chicken and Baby Kale with Creamy California Avocado Dressing

HomeRecipesMeals & DishesBBQ GrillingSmoked Chicken and Baby Kale with Creamy California Avocado Dressing

Total Time: 10 min

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Cook Time: 10 min

Kale salad gets a cool California twist with creamy California Avocado dressing and fresh smoky California Avocado. Add smoked chicken that you’ve made in your own backyard, or store-bought rotisserie chicken, for a complete meal.

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Serves: 4

Ingredients
Instructions

1 ripe, Fresh California Avocado 1 whole chicken, roughly 2 1/2 to 3 lbs. (can substitute with rotisserie chicken)* 10 oz. baby kale 1/2 medium red onion, sliced thinly 1/2 cup Mint leaves 1/2 cup shelled pistachios 1 cup ruby red grapefruit segments 1/3 cup olive oil As needed lemon, juiced 1/8 tsp. salt, or to taste 1/8 tsp. pepper, or to taste 1 batch Smoked California Avocado Dressing (see make-ahead recipe below) *If you don’t have a smoker, you can smoke chicken on a gas or charcoal grill. See below for instructions Smoked California Avocado Dressing 1 ripe, Fresh California Avocado, smoked and peeled 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro 2 Tbsp. lime juice 2 Tbsp. diced white onion 1/2 cup whole milk 1/8 tsp. salt, or salt to taste As needed pepper to taste

Cut avocado in half, remove seed and rub the inside of the avocado with oil.
Place chicken and avocado in smoker.
Add wood chips to the smoker and set it to 260 degrees F.
Smoke the chicken and avocado at 260 degrees F for 45 minutes or until an internal temperature of 165 degrees F is reached.
Remove the avocado and chicken from the smoker and sear the chicken on a hot grill or in a hot pan over high heat to finish. Set chicken aside to cool.
Once the chicken has cooled, pull the meat from the bones, discard skin and bones and roughly chop chicken.
Peel avocados and cut into chunks. Place in a bowl with the kale, onion, mint, pistachios, grapefruit, olive oil and lemon. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Toss thoroughly and divide evenly into bowls. Top each with chopped chicken, then spoon dressing over entire dish. Toss, if desired.

Smoked California Avocado Dressing

Combine ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Smoking Chicken – Gas Grill: Set burner on one side of the grill to medium high and one side on low so you have a hot and cool side. Place a smoker box, full of desired wood chips, on hot side and chicken on cool side. Close grill and let cook at 300 degrees F until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.

Smoking Chicken – Charcoal Grill: Place coal on one side so you have a hot and cool side. When coals are ready, add soaked wood chips on top of coals and set chicken on cool side. Cover and cook at 300 degrees F until chicken reaches 165 degrees F internal temp.

Smoking Avocado – Gas or Charcoal Grill: Use the same technique to smoke the avocado. Cut avocado in half, remove seed, rub the inside with oil and place in smoker box for 45 minutes. When ready, scoop out avocado and give a rough chop.

Serving Suggestion: Double the recipe to feed a crowd!

Beverage Pairing: Fresh squeezed lemonade or iced tea

*Large avocados are recommended for this recipe. A large avocado averages about 8 ounces. If using smaller or larger size avocados adjust the quantity accordingly.

Did You Know?

It’s a good idea to brush a little oil on the cut side of a California Avocado before grilling. They are also delicious in a host of other entrée recipes, from stove top to oven-baked to multi-cooker preparation.