Healthy Chicken Salad

This Healthy Chicken Salad is made with tender chicken, crisp celery, juicy grapes, crunchy almonds, and fresh herbs, all tossed in a creamy, mayo-free dressing—it’s simply the best!

Try my other healthy chicken salad recipes — this Avocado Chicken Salad, Chicken Spinach Salad, and Curry Chicken Salad.

Healthy Chicken Salad

This original Chicken Salad is one of my favorite recipes on this site (yes, out of over 1,500!). I make it often at home and love serving it on mini croissants for baby or bridal showers.

As I’ve been trying to add more protein to my diet, I swapped the mayo and sour cream for Greek yogurt to create this recipe. And the result did not disappoint!

This is the best healthy chicken salad I’ve ever had; with a good Greek yogurt, you’d barely notice it’s not made with loads of mayo!

Ingredients

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

• Chicken: Rotisserie chicken is quick, easy, 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. I like to halve small grapes or quarter larger ones.
• Toasted Almonds: Many stores sell pre-toasted almonds, but they’re easy 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 my favorite. Use the leftovers and make some Tzatziki sauce!
• Lemon: I like to 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.

How To Make Healthy Chicken Salad

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

Healthy Chicken Salad Serving Suggestions

Here’s how to I like to serve up this chicken salad:

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

More Healthy Salad Recipes:

• Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad with the best lemon dressing
• Pesto Chicken Salad with a delicious pesto dressing
• Taco Lettuce Wraps with an incredible seasoning blend
• Margherita Pizza made on Naan
• Chickpea Salad with a light dressing and loads of veggies