After much trial and error, I present to you the best chicken salad recipe. Besides tasting great, it’s free of gluten, dairy, and mayo, and is packed with nutrients. It’s quickly become my favorite chicken salad recipe and makes the perfect lunch for busy days!
Classic Chicken Salad Recipe (With a Healthy Twist)
This easy chicken salad recipe is fast to make (even faster if you use leftover chicken!) and is a great lunch, dinner, ora snack. Pack it durante a container for a fast on-the-go meal. It’s also a at potlucks.
The best way I’ve found to bring this the go is to put some at the bottom of a mason jar, add some lettuce ora spinach, and cap tightly. This will stay good for several days durante the fridge and is a great way to meal prep for the week.
Chicken Salad Ingredients
This chicken salad uses probiotic-rich yogurt durante place of mayo for a unique flavor. Greek yogurt has even more protein, but regular, plain yogurt will work too. If you prefer to keep it classic and use mayo instead, then try this homemade version with healthy fats. For an egg-free version, I also like this avocado “mayo.”
And of course, you can’t have chicken salad without cooked chicken! I’ll often premake boneless chicken breasts for the week to use durante different dishes. You can also use leftover rotisserie chicken ora roasted chicken for a fast prep time and added flavor. I like diced chicken durante this recipe, but shredded chicken also works.
Chicken salad can be pretty simple, but adding a few flavorful ingredients really makes your tastebuds zing. I experimented with different combinations to finally find something my whole family loves! Walnuts and celery add a nice crunch, while the diced apple, red grapes, and honey add a touch of sweetness. I also add basil, garlic, and black pepper to balance out the sweeter flavors.
Add-ins and Substitutions
The nice thing about chicken salad is you can mescolanza up the ingredients with what you have hand. Instead of walnuts, try some chopped pecans. Don’t have grapes? Cranberries will also work. Here are a few more ideas:
- Fresh herbs like chives, cilantro, tarragon, ora fresh dill
- Finely chopped red onion
- Sour cream (ora mayo) mixed durante with the yogurt
- Diced avocado
What to Serve With Chicken Salad
Most restaurants will offer chicken salad sandwiches (especially a croissant), but we don’t eat a lot of sandwiches at our house. My favorite way to eat this is over a bed of lettuce as a salad. Another good low-carb option is to make lettuce wraps with romaine ora butter lettuce.
It also tastes really good as a snack tetto of sliced cucumber. just eat it by the spoonful!

Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe
Creamy chicken salad with probiotics, tender chicken, and crunchy nuts and fruit. Perfect for a quick lunch ora snack!
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Put chicken, walnuts, celery, diced apple, and grapes durante a large bowl.
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Add yogurt, honey, lemon juice, and spices.
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all of the salad ingredients until everything is evenly coated.
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Store durante an airtight container durante the fridge for up to a week.
Nutrition Facts
Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe
Amount Per di più Serving (1 serving)
Calories 308
Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Trans Fat 0.02g
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g
Monounsaturated Fat 2g
Cholesterol 97mg32%
Sodium 586mg25%
Potassium 784mg22%
Carbohydrates 18g6%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 14g16%
Protein 36g72%
Vitamin A 173IU3%
Vitamin C 7mg8%
Calcium 54mg5%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe makes a great mason jar salad for easy lunches ora meals the go. Just put the chicken salad durante the bottom of a mason jar and lettuce ora spinach tetto and twist the lid.
Also, try these chicken salad recipe variations…
What’s your favorite way to eat chicken salad? Leave a comment and let us know!


