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This Healthy Chicken Salad is a delicious and healthier twist on the classic chicken salad recipe. Mix up a batch of this no-mayo chicken salad for a tasty sandwich, or put it in ripe avocado halves for a gluten-free option.
This healthy chicken salad is a fresh take on a classic. Even better, it’s made with Greek yogurt instead of mayo.
It’s creamy, tangy, and packed with tons of flavor.
Chicken salad is such a great meal prep dish. It’s easy to make ahead and even better, the taste improves after 24 hours.
You might love some other mayo-free dishes: Greek Yogurt Egg Salad, Healthy Green Pea Salad, Instant Pot Potato Salad, and Healthy Deviled Eggs.
While I am not a mayo fan, if you are, check out our Whole30 Chicken Salad for a mayo-based option.
Ingredients
This recipe uses:
- Cook and shredded chicken – use leftover shredded chicken from a store-bought rotisserie chicken, homemade roast chicken or our Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Green onions
- Chopped celery
- Dill relish
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Dried dill – though fresh will work great too
- Dried chives – feel free to use fresh
How to MAke Healthy Chicken Salad
*I’ll walk you through it here with some photos and tips, and you’ll also find a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post with exact measurements, etc. You can also click “jump to recipe” to skip down.
Start with leftover cooked chicken breasts. Use two forks and shred it in a medium mixing bowl. You can also chop it depending on your texture preference.
Add the other ingredients, and stir everything to mix thoroughly. Refrigerate it for at least 4-6 hours prior to serving. Yup, that’s it!
RECIPE VARIATIONS & OPTIONAL ADDINS
You can throw in some chopped or grated apples, sliced grapes, or dried cranberries for a new take on this healthy chicken salad.
Looking for more color? Try some finely diced chopped red onion instead of the green onion.
I also love some Djion mustard in mine, and either a splash of apple cider vinegar, or a bit of the vinegar brine from the relish.
The celery gives the salad a delicious crunch, but adding in some chopped almonds or walnuts can also be a great option.
No leftover chicken? Try a few cans of canned chicken if you have some in the pantry.
How to Store and Freeze
Storing Leftovers: Store leftover chicken salad in an air-tight container for up to four days.
Freezing Leftovers: Freeze chicken salad in small portions for 3-6 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight.
How to Serve Chicken Salad
It’s delicious on crusty bread like baguettes, no-knead dutch oven bread, even crackers, or a tortilla/pita for a wrap.
I also love it scooped into halved avocadoes or placed on top of chopped cabbage salad.
frequently asked questions
Yes, if you prefer mayo, by all means, use that in your healthy chicken salad recipe!
Store-bought mayo is fine, but if you’re looking for an easy homemade option, check out this homemade Whole30 Mayo.
Absolutely! Just double-check that it is plain/unflavored.
If you’re using a non-dairy yogurt that isn’t “Greek-style”, your chicken salad may seem a bit more watery. Add in another 1/4 cup of chicken, celery, onions, or throw in some grapes or chopped/grated apple.
Yes! You use whichever cut of chicken you prefer.
If you’re using a leftover whole or rotisserie chicken, you can mix in different cuts to use in the recipe.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Make this dish the day before you want to serve it. It gives the flavors a chance to meld together, and it tastes even better.
- Store in the fridge for up to four days. After that, the whey from the Greek yogurt will start to water down the chicken salad.
- Use your favorite store-bought relish, or finely chop some pickles you might already have in your fridge. Check out my Dill Pickle Relish canning tutorial if you’re a canner.
- Throw some Pickled Shallots on top; yum!
MORE EASY recipes YOU’LL LOVE:
Chicken Salad Without Mayo WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS
One serving has 0 WW Freestyle SmartPoints.
Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken {shredded}
- ½ cup celery {sliced thinly}
- 1 green onion {sliced}
- 2 tbsp dill relish
- 5 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
- 3/4 tsp dried dill
- 1/2 tsp dried chives
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Shred cooked chicken in a medium-sized bowl.2 cups cooked chicken
- Add all the remaining ingredients together and mix to combine.½ cup celery, 1 green onion, 2 tbsp dill relish, 5 tbsp plain Greek yogurt, 3/4 tsp dried dill, 1/2 tsp dried chives, Salt and pepper to taste
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours prior to serving for best results.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What can you use instead of the dill relish and dried dill? I don’t like the taste of dill.
You can just leave them both out. If you want the “tang” from the relish, try sweet relish or a splash of white vinegar.
I made this with mashed chickpeas and plain non-dairy yogurt to make it vegan. Fantastic!
Sounds like some delicious substitutions, Mollie!
I love Mayo! But this recipe taught me I could live without it.Â
One of my fav recipes. So easy and so good!Â