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This healthy chicken salad makes the best quick and nutritious lunch or snack! It’s loaded with protein with the perfect blend of creaminess, crunch, and flavor. The combination of Greek yogurt with a touch of mayo gives you all of the flavors of traditional chicken salad but with fewer calories and fat.

Healthy chicken salad on a piece of whole grain bread on a plate with another one behind it.

Chicken salad has become one of my absolute favorite meals to make lately. I usually go for this cranberry chicken salad or this curry chicken salad but my new favorite is this ultimate healthy chicken salad. Why? Mostly because my goal for all of my meals is to focus on protein and fiber since nutrition is key. But it also MUST be easy to make and super DELICIOUS. This chicken salad recipe hits all of those boxes.

You will love that this is a healthy salad that is such a breeze to make! Especially if you have cooked chicken ready to go, which I always do. Don’t worry, you can also grab a rotisserie chicken from the store in a pinch! By reducing the amount of mayo, and subbing in Greek yogurt for that creamy dressing, you still get all of the flavors of chicken salad but with fewer calories. Which also increases the protein as well. It’s a total win, win!

To make this chicken salad simply prepare all of your ingredients, add them to a bowl, toss, and serve! How easy is that? Plus, it stores well too, making it a wonderful recipe to include in your weekly meal prep.

Closed up of creamy chicken salad in a glass bowl with grapes and chopped celery in it.

Jump to:

Why You’ll Love This Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Recommended Kitchen Tools
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
How To Make A Healthy Chicken Salad
Serving Suggestions
How do you store chicken salad?
Make it in advance
FAQ
More Healthy Chicken Recipes
Other Quick and Easy Salads
The BEST Healthy Chicken Salad

Why You’ll Love This Chicken Salad Recipe

Quick and easy
Loaded with so much flavor!
Nutritious – packed with protein and fiber
Great meal prep recipe
Kid-friendly
Healthy lunch, dinner, or snack

Ingredients

Cooked chicken breast – use any cooked chicken breast you have. I have even made this chicken salad with store-bought rotisserie chicken and just removed the skin. This is a wonderful recipe for using leftover chicken.
Greek yogurt – I recommend using a good quality plain Greek yogurt like the Siggis brand. Nonfat, low-fat, or full-fat will all work.
Mayo -any type of mayo is fine in this chicken salad recipe and just a little bit gives it that classic chicken salad taste when mixed with the Greek yogurt.
Dijon mustard – this gives the salad a nice zippy flavor. Yellow mustard and a dash of apple cider vinegar will also work great.
Celery – for that crunchy texture.
Grapes – to add a nice hint of sweetness. Green or red grapes will work.
Pecans – add an amazing nuttiness and crunch.
Lemon – to add some brightness to the salad. Fresh lemon juice and zest is best!
Salt and pepper – are used to enhance all of the other flavors.

Get the complete list of recipe ingredients, instructions, and nutrition in the recipe card located at the bottom of this post.

Recommended Kitchen Tools

Cutting board + Knife
Mixing bowls
Measuring cups + Measuring spoons

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

Here are some variations and substitutions you can use when making this healthy chicken salad recipe.

Chicken – you can use any cooked chicken breast, chicken thighs, or even cooked turkey breast. Or swap the chicken with tuna and make a delicious tuna salad!
Mayo – the little bit of mayo is what makes this chicken salad taste like the traditional version but if you are not a fan of mayo then you can just use all Greek yogurt in this recipe. To make this recipe whole30-friendly and dairy-free, use avocado mayo (about ⅔-¾ cup).
Greek yogurt – sub-dairy-free Greek yogurt or vegan or avocado mayo.
Mustard – yellow mustard will work but the Dijon mustard gives this chicken salad recipe a wonderful zippy flavor.
Grapes – you could use any type of grapes, chopped apples, or pears. They are all great in chicken salad.
Celery and onion – in place of the celery you could use green bell pepper or chopped carrots for the crunch. Scallions or white onions also work great!
Pecans – out of pecans? Use chopped almonds or walnuts instead!

How To Make A Healthy Chicken Salad

Here is a summary of how to make this healthy chicken salad recipe step by step.

Round glass bowl filled with diced cooked chicken, chopped red onion, diced celery, chopped pecans, sliced grapes, mayo, yogurt, mustard with more of the ingredients around it.

Prepare the ingredients – clean and chop the grapes, and celery, dice or shred the chicken, and chop the onions and pecans. If you don’t have prepared, cooked chicken breast then you can use store-bought or make this instant pot chicken.

Mixed up chicken salad in a round glass bowl with a for in the bowl with pecans and grapes in front of it and a sliced lemon and crackers behind it.

Combine the ingredients – add all of the ingredients to a medium bowl: chicken, pecans, grapes, celery, onion, mayo, Greek yogurt, mustard, lemon juice zest, salt, and pepper, and mix to combine.

You can refrigerate this chicken salad and serve it later or serve it immediately.

Whole grain bread slices topped with lettuce and chicken salad on a plate with pecans in a bowl behind it.

Pro Tip! Make the chicken ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. We love to make this chicken breast to have it on hand for easy recipes like this!

Serving Suggestions

Here are a few delicious ways you can serve this healthy chicken salad.

Chicken salad sandwiches or wraps – serve it on or between two slices of whole grain bread with greens or roll it up in a wrap for a hearty meal. We love Daves Killer Bread or Ezekiel bread and whole grain wraps.
On top of mixed greens – my favorite, low-carb way to enjoy this salad is over some beautiful mixed greens, which are also very nutritious.
Healthy snack – scoop a big helping of this chicken salad onto a plate and enjoy it with some crackers like Mary’s crackers, cucumber, bell pepper, carrots, or sliced radishes.
As a side for a picnic – this chicken salad would go great with other cold salads like this macaroni salad or potato salad to enjoy at a picnic or backyard BBQ.

How do you store chicken salad?

Chicken salad should be stored, once assembled in an airtight container in the refrigerator and will last up to 5 days. Before you serve it give it a good stir to wake up all of those amazing flavors!

Make it in advance

This is a great make-ahead recipe since it stores so well. See the storing recommendation above. I do not recommend freezing chicken salad but if you have had a good experience with freezing it in the past then go for it! I have not tested that out yet so if you do then please let me know how it went in the comments below.

Chopped chicken with celery and grapes mixed in a creamy dressing in a bowl with a fork in the bowl with sliced lemon and crackers behind it.

FAQ

Is Chicken Salad Actually Healthy?

A salad with chicken can be a healthy choice since chicken is a delicious and accessible lean protein. Using it in a chicken salad with Greek yogurt can be a great option for those looking for more ways to create higher-protein meals.

Is Chicken Salad Good For A Calorie Deficit?

When you make a healthier chicken salad like this recipe that replaces most of the mayo with protein-rich Greek yogurt then it can be good for this type of diet. I recommend combining it with other nutrient-rich foods like chopped veggies and whole grains and enjoying it in moderation.