Name: Healthy Chicken Salad
Yield: 6

This Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe combines tender chicken, crisp celery, juicy grapes, crunchy almonds, and fresh herbs in a creamy, mayo-free dressing.

author’s note

The No-Mayo Chicken Salad I’m Completely Sold On!

This original Chicken Salad is easily one of a reliable recipes on this site (yes, out of over 1,500!). I make it all the time and love serving it on mini croissants for baby and bridal showers.

Lately, I’ve been trying to add more protein into my meals without giving up flavor, so I started playing around with the dressing. I swapped the mayo and sour cream for Greek yogurt, and honestly… I wasn’t sure how it would compare.

But it turned out so good.

This is hands down a reliable healthy chicken salad. It’s still creamy, packed with flavor, and if you use a good Greek yogurt, you’d never guess it isn’t loaded with mayo.

Ingredients

Here’s what we’ve got going on in this Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe:

Chicken: Rotisserie chicken is quick, straightforward, and already seasoned. Many stores even offer it pre-shredded.
Celery: Thin slices add a nice crunch to the salad.
Green Onions: Use both the whites and greens for extra flavor. Prefer a sharper taste? Try red onions. Not a fan of onion? Skip it!
Grapes: Seedless and diced to mix in well. You can halve small grapes or quarter larger ones.
Toasted Almonds: Many stores sell pre-toasted almonds, but they’re straightforward to toast at home if needed.
Parsley: Adds a fresh flavor, but you can leave it out or swap with basil. A smaller amount of rosemary or thyme would also work well.

Dressing

What makes a chicken salad healthy? A protein-packed dressing! Greek yogurt is rich in protein and makes up most of the dressing:

Greek Yogurt: Choose a good, full-fat plain yogurt you enjoy. Greek God’s Traditional Plain is a reliable. Use the leftovers and make some Tzatziki sauce!
Lemon: You can use a grater to get the lemon zest and a juicer to get the juice.
Honey: Balances the tang of the yogurt nicely. Adjust to taste.
Dijon Mustard: Adds great flavor and thickens the dressing.

The dressing for this Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe being whisked together in a bowl.

How To Make Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe

Shred Chicken: Use rotisserie chicken for ease.
Prep Veggies: Thinly slice celery and green onions, dice grapes, and chop parsley.
Toast Almonds: If not pre-toasted, toast them in a dry pan until lightly browned.
Dressing: Whisk together yogurt, zest, juice, honey, and Dijon mustard until smooth.
Combine: Add chicken, veggies, grapes, almonds, and parsley to the dressing. Mix.
Season: Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

Featured Comment

“This truly is the best chicken salad sandwich I have ever had. Thanks, the cook, for sharing the recipe!”
– Rebecca

Quick Tip

If you have leftover rotisserie chicken, pop it in these Rotisserie Chicken Tacos or Rotisserie Chicken Stir-Fry!

All the ingredients being added to a bowl to be tossed together.

Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe Serving Suggestions

Here’s how to You can serve up this chicken salad:

On Toasted Bread: Make a sandwich with your favorite whole-grain bread.
In Lettuce Wraps: Spoon into large lettuce leaves for a low-carb option.
With Croissants: Serve on mini croissants for a party!
Over Greens: Place on top of a bed of mixed greens for a salad.
In a Wrap: Roll it in a whole-wheat or spinach tortilla.
Stuffed in Pita: Use whole-wheat pita pockets.
As a Dip: Serve with crackers or sliced veggies.

Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe in a bowl ready to be enjoyed.

Storage

Leftovers?

Keep in Fridge: Put any leftovers of this chicken salad recipe in a sealed container in the fridge.
Eat Soon: Enjoy within 3-4 days.
Don’t Freeze: Freezing can change the texture, so avoid it.