After much trial and error, I present to you my perfect chicken salad recipe. Why is it perfect, you ask? Besides tasting great, it is gluten free, mayo free, low carb, and packed with nutrients. It uses probiotic rich yogurt in place of mayo for a unique twist.
Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe…
The only chicken salad I’ve ever tasted that I liked more was the family recipe that my friend Whitney makes. I’ve been trying to convince her to blog for years, so if she ever does, I’ll link to her recipe as well.
This healthy chicken salad recipe is fast to make (even faster if you use leftover chicken!) and is a great lunch, dinner, or snack. Pack in container for a fast on-the-go meal.
The best way I’ve found to bring this on the go is to put some at the bottom of a mason jar, add some lettuce or spinach and cap tightly. This will stay good for several days in the fridge and is a great way to pre-make meals for the week.
Prefer Mayo?
If you prefer mayo, you can use this homemade mayo which is made with coconut oil, olive oil, or macadamia nut oil, or buy this avocado oil mayo in place of processed vegetable oils. If you can’t consume eggs, you can make an avocado based substitute by blending avocado with a little apple cider vinegar and and olive oil.
I like this on top of cucumber slices or rolled up in lettuce leaves. It can top salad or be eaten alone. I also sometimes juice the rest of the celery for some extra nutrition on the side!
Also Try These Variations…
- Pesto Chicken Salad With Sun-Dried Tomatoes
- Spinach Artichoke Chicken Salad Recipe
- Grilled Citrus Chicken Salad
Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts (cooked and cubed)
- ½ cup walnuts (chopped)
- 3 stalks celery (chopped)
- 1 medium apple (chopped)
- 1 cup grapes (sliced in half)
- ½-1 cup plain yogurt
- 2 TBSP honey (optional)
- 2 TBSP lemon juice
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp basil
- salad greens (or spinach, for serving)
Instructions
- Put chicken, walnuts, celery, apple, and grapes in a bowl.
- Add yogurt, honey, lemon juice, and spices.
- Mix until everything is evenly coated.
- Serve over lettuce or spinach or wrap in leaves of romaine or butter lettuce for chicken salad wraps.
Notes
Nutrition
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What’s your favorite salad? Share below!
I made this for my family today and it’s very delicious and nutritious! I used almonds and cucumber instead of walnuts and celery because it’s what I had. I even skipped the honey. So, so yummy! And fast!! Thanks!
My boyfriend and I just made this. For the chicken, I cooked it in a casserole dish coated in olive oil, italian herbs, and garlic with butter, garlic, and fresh thyme on top of the chicken. Baked it for 40 minutes and combined it with the chicken salad recipe – HEAVEN!
Pretty nice!
May I suggest another recipe with similar ingredients?
Back home, we use to make this chicken recipe every week:
(for 4 portions)
1 chicken breast (boiled or grilled)
1 medium size celery (the root part) – finely grated
125g mix of equal parts sour cream & yogurt (full fat)
200g mayo ( i honestly prefer to put just a couple of spoons of mustard and skip the mayo)
juice from half a lemon
sal and grinded pepper to taste
optional: 100g Cheddar or pressed cheese
1 small apple – finely grated
mix it all together and let it sit in the fridge for 2-3h.
eat with vegetable sticks (bell pepper, celery sticks, carrots)
I’m a little late to the party on this one, but I just made this for the first time. It is GREAT! I don’t like “traditional” mayo-based chicken salad, so I really enjoy the light, sort of sweet flavor of this one. Thanks so much for a great recipe!
I’ve read spinach shouldn’t be eaten raw. I wonder what your thoughts are on this?
I’ve seen conflicting info on it, but I’ve noticed that some people do better not eating raw greens…
Can you use Greek plain yogurt?
Yep
What can I use in place of the yogurt? I’m not supposed to have it because I tested to be too high in one of the cultures.
Homemade mayo works great too! https://wellnessmama.com/1739/healthy-mayonnaise/
How about a homemade “mayo”? Use MCT oil, Braggs ACV and egg yolk in a blender. Add flavor with dry mustard powder and a pinch of cayenne…maybe a little turmeric, too.
You can use a nice ripe avocado 🙂
Would you be able to suggest an alternative to the celery? We are not big fans and it’s the only thing that puts the kids off – they eat the rest, but pick around the celery lol. I also added bacon to it as we were a bit short on chicken 🙂
Gorgeous dressing! Many thanks for this recipe and your blog – been grain free for 5 days now and aside from a touch of carb-flu I feel great!! xx
I’ve used finely chopped cucumber… its crunchy and the kids usually like it
Many thanks 🙂
Well, it comes from a can, at least in my world, so perhaps it’s not the best choice, but I add water chestnuts to my chicken salad because my granddaughters love it. Nice and crunchy, and seems to absorb the flavor of whatever it’s in.