This chicken salad recipe is our go-to summer version of comfort food. It always hits the spot and if you already have chicken prepared, this becomes a no-cook recipe! You can skip heating up the kitchen with your stove and cool down with this chilled chicken salad!
It’s a great make-ahead recipe and you can turn it into filling for a sandwich, lettuce wrap, stuff it in pita bread, or use it in a tortilla wrap. You’ll love how versatile it is to have in the fridge to enjoy throughout the week.
Key Ingredients You Need
- Chicken — To save time, buy a rotisserie chicken beforehand to save you from having to cook your own protein. You can use the rest of the meat for other meals during the week and save the carcass to make your own stock.
- Mayonnaise — You are welcome to swap for light mayo if you prefer, just be sure to use a high-quality mayonnaise for the best flavor.
- Greek yogurt — To help lighten things up, we mix in some Greek yogurt. It is high in protein while being low in calories compared to mayo. If you prefer to use a low-fat version, you are welcome to swap. Just be sure to get plain and not flavored yogurt.
How to Make Chicken Salad
Step 1: Cut up the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Step 2: Chop the onions into small pieces.
Step 3: Chop the celery into small pieces.
Step 4: Chop the pecans.
Step 5: Measure out the mayo and Greek yogurt.
Step 6: Add everything into a bowl and mix until combined.
Tips For This Recipe
- Make sure you cut everything into small pieces so that every spoonful has a little bit of everything.
- Top with some fresh herbs for an extra pop of color and flavor.
- If you’re out of chicken and have leftover turkey, it makes for the perfect swap!
- If you are using a rotisserie chicken, be sure to remove the skin before cutting up the meat.
- I suggest using freshly squeezed lemon juice as bottled juice doesn’t have the same fresh, bright flavor.
- Feel free to swap the pecans out for almonds or walnuts.
- Sweet onions or green onions can be used in place of red onions.
- Add a pinch of curry powder to change things up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everyone’s definition of healthy is different. However, I would say this is healthy as we use nutritious protein-packed ingredients. You can make this even healthier by adding in additional fruits and vegetables of your choice such as seedless grapes, apples, peppers, cucumbers, or carrots.
There's a misconception that mayonnaise isn't healthy. Mayo is simply a mixture of oil, egg yolks, lemon juice or vinegar, and seasonings. The big caveat here is that you need to make sure to find a mayo at the store that is not highly processed and loaded with low-quality oils. My favorite clean mayo is Primal Kitchen Mayo with Avocado Oil.
You can definitely make this recipe ahead of time. It actually tastes better the next day once it’s had extra time to chill in the fridge. Be sure to store it in an airtight container in the fridge and it should last for up to 5 days.
You should not freeze this recipe as it will not hold up well when you thaw it. It will be on the runny side after thawing. However, you can always cook your chicken ahead of time to freeze. This way all you have to do is thaw the meat and chop the ingredients before mixing.
While this can be a standalone meal, these sides go great with it: Kale Chips, Sweet Potato and Kale Salad, Mexican Watermelon Salad, and Grilled Romaine Heart Summer Salad.
IF YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE TRY THESE OUT!
If you’ve tried this Chicken Salad Recipe then don’t forget to leave me a 5 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- ½ lb cooked chicken optional to use rotisserie chicken, chopped
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup Greek Yogurt
- ¼ cup pecans chopped
- 1 celery stalk diced
- 2 tbsp red onion diced
- 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well until everything is combined.
Video
Notes
- Make sure you cut everything into small pieces so that every spoonful has a little bit of everything.
- Top with some fresh herbs for an extra pop of color and flavor.
- If you’re out of chicken and have leftover turkey, it makes for the perfect swap!
- If you are using a rotisserie chicken, be sure to remove the skin before cutting up the meat.
- I suggest using freshly squeezed lemon juice as bottled juice doesn’t have the same fresh bright flavor to it.
- Feel free to swap the pecans out for almonds or walnuts.
- Sweet onions or green onions can be swapped for red onions.
- Add a pinch of curry powder to change things up.
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