Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad Recipe
For years my dear friend Ashley has had the best chicken salad recipe! I LOVE chicken salad and have made it in about 100 different ways but hers is always a treat. It is the perfect balance of flavorful dressing with tender chicken and loaded with grapes, celery and all the good stuff!
When I had some Greek Yogurt in the fridge and wanted to try to find the best recipe for Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad, I knew that this tried and true recipe would be the one, and boy did it not disappoint!
I had my doubts about whether I could eat this with a straight greek yogurt substitution, or whether I would need to do part greek yogurt and part mayo to keep the richness. The verdict was that it is still pretty crazy delicious even with all greek yogurt!
You do lose a tad of the richness that you enjoy with mayo, but the flavor that makes this chicken salad so, so good is still 100% there and helps you to not even miss the mayo. If you do want to compromise a bit more, you can also ways do half and half with mayo and greek yogurt, although I am pretty picky and didnt think it was necessary at all!
Make sure to see all of my Healthy Chicken Recipes here if you are looking for new lunch, dinner or meal prep ideas!
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Substitutions For This Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe
This chicken salad is SO versatile. You can easily customize it with whatever you like/dont like or have on hand. Here are some ideas for you:
Chicken You can sub chicken for tuna if youd like. We also have a Greek Yogurt Tuna Salad recipeI have not tried canned chicken in this recipe but I think it would work.
Yogurt I like to use plain, unflavored, non-fat greek yogurt in this recipe. You can use 1%, 2%, or full fat yogurt if you like. We dont recommend using a flavored/sweetened yogurt in this recipe.
Parsley- If you dont have fresh parsley, you can sub with 1/4 the amount of dried parsley. If you dont have or like parsley you can substitute with some fresh dill, thyme or even basil!
Dairy Free I have not tried this with dairy free yogurt, but I think it would work. Make sure that your yogurt is unsweetened, plan yogurt.
Grilled Chicken This salad is great with leftover grilled chicken. We love it with this balsamic chicken!Fruit- You can omit the fruit if youd like to. Apples can also be subbed for grapes or berries. If youre going to use a dried fruit like raisins or cranberries Id recommend cutting the amount in half.
Celery If you dont like or dont have celery omit it.
Weight Watchers The only points in this recipe for the blue plan come from the pecans. You can omit them or cut back on the amount to save points
Keto If you are following a strict keto diet its best to omit the apples from this recipe.
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Why Youll Love This Healthy Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad
This healthy chicken salad is simply delicious! Its a family favorite, filled with tender chicken breast, crunchy celery, a hint of sweetness from grapes, and toasted pecans. Its perfect to prep for lunches, to make for showers or brunches, or to use up any leftover chicken you have! Its easy to make, and good for you!
How Do You Make A Chicken Salad That Can Be Freeze
You can actually do the following:
- Freeze chicken salad sandwiches.
- Freeze hot chicken salad.
But in an airtight container.
If youre going to freeze it, put it in the refrigerator first. Then throw it away and store it in an airtight bag or container. Place the package in the freezer with the date written on it.
While this appears to be a straightforward technique, there are various factors to consider:
To begin, never set aside the salad on the counter for longer than 2 hours. As previously stated, this raises the danger of food poisoning.
Then, to ensure that the salad is properly frozen, follow the steps below:
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Can I Use A Different Dressing With Grilled Chicken Berry Salad
Absolutely yes you can use a different salad dressing or vinaigrette with your grilled chicken berry salad.
We really like this homemade vinaigrette with red wine vinegar and lemon juice for the bite they add, a little punch of garlic, the subtle sweetness of the honey, and the Greek yogurt and Dijon for the creamy factor.
Plus, as I mentioned, its so easyas in shake it all together in a Mason jar! Doesnt get any easier than that!
But of course, use your favorite homemade or store bought dressing to make this chicken berry salad your own.
My suggestions would be a light honey mustard, a raspberry vinaigrette, or a blue cheese dressing if you want something heavier.
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Spiced Chicken Salad With Creamy Greek Yogurt Dressing
This is a sponsored post on behalf of Stonyfield. All opinions are my own.
One of my current favorite meals is a refreshing yet satisfying salad. Whether its for lunch or dinner, a salad provides all the nutrients I need to fuel my running while also offering a tantalizing array of flavors. I eat one most days, but salads never bore my palate because the options for greens, toppings, and dressings are endless.
My formula for a salad is simple: greens, lean protein, more vegetables, and some healthy fat. To increase the nutrition of a salad, Ill usually add roasted potatoes or sweet potatoes on top. Potatoes provide complex carbohydrates, which our bodies use to power our runs, and contain potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin B6, amongst other nutrients. I often prefer warm meals to cold dishes, even in the summertime, so roasted potatoes add a hint of satisfying warmth to an otherwise cool meal, which still letting the refreshing crispness of a good salad shine through.
Delicious greens make a significant difference in a salad. I rarely use romaine or green leaf lettuce anymore, instead reach for dark leafy greens full of flavor and vitamins and minerals. Dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and arugula provide calcium, iron, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and other nutrients. For this recipe, I used a combination of Taylor Farms Organic Arugula and Taylor Farms Organic Power Greens Blend with baby spinach and baby kale.
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What Is In A Greek Yogurt Dressing Recipe
This plain yogurt salad dressing recipe is really a creamy vinaigrette as it contains yogurt, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, minced garlic, fresh herb of your choice, and salt and pepper.
When it comes to yogurt, I am a big fan of Stonyfield Organics Greek yogurt as it is nice and thick. However, you can certainly make this recipe with plain yogurt as well. If you are calorie conscious and prefer the low-fat version of this yogurt-based dressing, feel free to swap whole milk yogurt with fat-free plain yogurt.
My favorite fresh herb to use is dill as I find that when it is mixed in with yogurt, it pairs so well with the rest of the ingredients. You can drizzle it on salad greens or use it as a dipping sauce for summer vegetables as I did in this baked zucchini fritters recipe or mixed in with cucumbers to make tzatziki sauce.
However, you can change it up by using different kinds of herbs. I also love fresh Italian parsley, mainly when I am serving it with Turkish meatballs.
A Healthy Caesar Salad Dressing
Now, that’s simple. All we need to do is mix all the ingredients together: Greek yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, black pepper and parmesan cheese.
The sauce is tangy, sharp, but creamy at the same time, and it goes wonderfully well with the crispiness of the croutons, the freshness of the lettuce, and the tender grilled chicken.
I think the dressing has the right amount of sharpness, but anchovies can be added too for that extra kick.
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Healthy Chicken Salad In 3 Easy Steps
This healthy greek yogurt chicken salad recipe is incredibly easy to make, which makes it the perfect meal prep lunch.
Its a great way to get in a good amount of protein for lunch. You can also double the recipe and bring it to potlucks, BBQs and picnics!
How To Make Chicken Salad Without Mayo
This avocado and Greek yogurt chicken salad comes together in about 10 minutes. Simply mix the Greek nonfat yogurt with the avocado mash and add lemon juice to taste.
Then, stir together the shredded chicken, chopped celery, grapes, pecans, red onion, and tarragon. Spoon the yogurt mixture over the chicken and toss until well combined.
Keep scrolling to read my suggestions on how to enjoy this healthy chicken salad recipe. Spoiler: no mayo chicken salad is good for more than just sandwiches!
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Looking For More Easy Chicken Dinner Recipes
Check out some of my favourite weeknight chicken dinner ideas!
This Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Bake is an easy dinner recipe filled with delicious cheese sauce and chicken. It is also inexpensive!
Easy lemon butter chicken drumsticks are the best weeknight dinner! With just a few ingredients, this recipe is sure to be a family favourite.
This Honey Garlic Chicken Sheet Pan Meal is complete with carrots, broccoli and baby potatoes. Its full of flavour, and quick and easy.
What Ingredients Are In Low Carb Chicken Salad
- Chicken Fresh poached chicken breast is the best option. Once its been cooled then either dice or shred it.
- Mayo I like Hellmans the best, it doesnt contain any carbs. But feel free to make your own.
- Red Onion I love adding red onion to pretty much all of my salads.
- Celery Adds a nice crunch to your chicken salad. If you dont like celery its ok, it can be omitted.
- Mustard You can use any kind of mustard, but I went with Dijon.
- Spices I only used a small amount of salt and pepper. I feel that it added just enough flavor.
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How Do I Make Healthy Chicken Salad
To make chicken salad healthy, start by substituting the mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt. It is a much healthier base and doesnt contain mega-transfat or unhealthy oils.
To the Greek yogurt, add cooked, diced chicken, lemon juice, garlic salt, green onions and diced celery and stir together to coat. Add in halved red grapes, mandarin oranges and sliced almonds. These are all optional add-ins but really add to the flavor and texture of the chicken salad.
What Makes This Chicken Salad Healthy
This healthy chicken salad swaps the mayo out for a simple, lightened-up dressing made from Greek yogurt, which has less saturated fat and sodium, and more protein than mayonnaise. Chicken breast gives a healthy, high-quality protein boost, while added veggies and fruit like celery and onion add flavor, crunch, and fiber!
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Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad Ingredients
This recipe includes all the typical things you find in chicken salad, but with Greek yogurt instead of the mayo! Heres what you need:
- shredded chicken use rotisserie chicken for a shortcut here or use my foolproof method for slow cooker shredded chicken.
- grapes I love using fresh grapes, but you could also substitute for raisins or even dried cranberries
- celery and red onion these add a nice crunch to the salad
- plain Greek yogurt you can use whatever fat level you like for the yogurt. I buy full-fat for my daughter so thats typically what I use. If youre dairy-free, feel free to use dairy free yogurt as a sub.
- salted almonds you can swap for a different nut if you dont like almonds or have an allergy.
- fresh parsley if youve never added fresh herbs to your chicken salad youre missing out! I love fresh parsley, but fresh dill is also amazing!
- sea salt and pepper
How To Serve Chicken Salad
Chicken salad is a recipe that is traditionally served cold. I like to mix it up and eat it different ways. Sometimes I’ll eat it on a bed of salad greens with baby carrots, as a sandwich or with crunchy multi grain cracker.
If you try this recipe for Chicken Salad with Greek Yogurt, let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, and dont forget to snap a pic and tag it #bluesbestlife on Instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day.
Pin For Later!
- ¼teaspoon pepper
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Mediterranean Grilled Chicken Salad With Creamy Yogurt Dressing
When we order take-out salads, we usually get a dressing packet that might be creamy but is loaded with preservatives, fillings and unwanted chemicals. We think were eating healthy because were eating salad, but the dressing totally kills any hopes of that. But salad tastes so much better with the dressing! Well, guess what? You can make a creamy, rich tasting dressing thats much healthier for you! Thick Greek yogurt whisked together with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and herbs combine into a creamy dressing that makes this grilled chicken salad recipe superb!
I dont know about you, but I love any kind of pickled or jarred vegetable. You can be totally creative and free with this part of the recipe. Personally, I add marinated grilled artichokes, roasted red peppers, and olives to this recipe. There are so many other options though like pickles, banana peppers, pepperoncini, marinated mushrooms, capers, pickled onions, or even kimchi. Put in whatever you have on hand.
I hope you enjoy this salad recipe and I encourage you to change it up however you like!
If youre looking for some more great Mediterranean salad recipes, check these out!
About This Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad
This chicken salad has it all.
- The Creamy: Hello, Greek yogurt.
- The Crunchy: Almonds and celery.
- The Sweet: Grapes, plus a touch of honey.
- The Fresh: Dill and green onion.
- The Juicy: Plump chunks of tender chicken.
This chicken salad recipe is also incredibly easy.
Once the ingredients are prepped, all you need to do is stir them together and ta-da!
A whole bowl of filling, healthy chicken salad goodness. Fruit, veggies, protein, and dairy: the food group gang is all here.
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Healthy Chicken Salad With Greek Yogurt
If you are looking for an easy no mayo chicken salad recipe, look no further! The secret to the creamy texture is a mix of greek yogurt and a little dijon mustard. I used my stove top shredded chicken recipe for this salad. Feel free to substitute grilled chicken or rotisserie chicken if you have either of those on hand.
Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad Tips
- I always like to mix the seasonings into the yogurt before combining with the salad ingredients. This allows all of the seasonings to be very evenly distributed throughout the salad without having to over mix it.
- Also, if you want to add some of the richness back into the salad, you can use 1/2 cup greek yogurt and 1/2 cup mayonnaise.
- If you are making this for a potluck, picnic, brunch, shower or other group, I recommend making it the night before to let the flavors really combine well before serving.
- This Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad will keep in the refrigerator in an air tight container for 3-4 days and works well for meal prep.
I hope that you love this lightened up Chicken Salad as much as we do! It is a warm weather staple and I am so excited for you to try it.
If you do get a chance to make it, I would love it if you let me know! You can leave me a comment below, or if you post a picture on Instagram, make sure to tag me @easyfamilyrecipes so that I can see what you are cooking up! It makes my day to see others enjoying the recipes that I share!
Oh and before you go! If you need a regular rotation of recipe inspiration like me, make sure to sign up to get our emails! I send out my new favorites, the recipes my family has been devouring, and some of the best tried and true recipes. It is easy and free of course! You can or on the button below.
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