Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe With Greek Yogurt

Can I Lose Weight Eating Chicken Salad

Healthy Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad | The Healthy Meal Prep

Yes, but only if you make your own healthier chicken salad. Here are some tips to making healthy chicken salad:

Use Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise as your base.
Instead of heavy breads or croissants, enjoy your healthy chicken salad on rice cakes, low-carb wraps or in lettuce wraps.
Measure your serving of chicken salad. A serving is 1 cup.

How To Make A Buffalo Chicken Salad With A Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing

Step 1: Season and saute buffalo chicken

To begin, slice chicken breast into thin small strips. Then, toss chicken in salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika. Heat oil over medium heat.

When the oil is hot, add the chicken to the pan. Saute chicken for 7 minutes tossing frequently.

While the chicken cooks, melt butter and hot sauce together. Add butter and hot sauce mixture to the pan after 7 minutes and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove the chicken from the heat.

Step 2: Chop veggies and prepare ranch dressing

While the chicken cools, prepare the Greek yogurt ranch dressing by mixing the yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, dried dill and dried parsley in a small bowl until a smooth, even mixture remains.

Then, chop romaine into thin shreds and cube celery, cucumber, and avocado.

Step 3: Assemble salads

To prepare the salads, plate the romaine with the buffalo chicken, cucumber, celery, and avocado. Top with chopped scallions and the ranch dressing.

Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad Sandwich

Lighten up your traditional chicken salad recipe with protein-packed FAGE Total Greek yogurt a restaurant quality lunch that you can easily make at home!

Prep

Â½ cup pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped

Â½ cup FAGE Total 5%

2 tablespoons milk or water

1 Â½ tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 lemon, juiced

2 cups cooked chicken, diced

Â½ cup green seedless grapes, cut in half

Â½ cup red seedless grapes, cut in half

Â¼ cup parsley, coarsely chopped

Â½ teaspoon salt

Multigrain or bread of your choice, sliced and toasted

Steps

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread chopped nuts on the pan. Bake for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

In a medium size bowl, combine Greek yogurt, milk, mustard, lemon juice, and garlic powder until well combined.

Add chicken, grapes, nuts, parsley, salt, and pepper and mix well.

Toast bread of your choice.

Line the bottom half of the sandwich with chicken salad mixture, add arugula, and top with the bread. Slice in half and enjoy.

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How To Make Chicken Salad Without Mayonnaise

If you prefer to make your chicken salad without mayonnaise, you have a few different options. The first is to use all Greek yogurt in place of the mayo. Try full-fat Greek yogurt for a creamier option or use fat-free for the lowest calorie option. Personally, I find Greek yogurt a bit too tangy on its own so I like to use a combination of Greek yogurt with mayonnaise or sour cream. Both options mellow out the tang of the yogurt.

You can also use mashed avocado in place of the mayonnaise. Season the avocado with salt and pepper to make sure it still has plenty of flavor. Another option is vegan mayonnaise, which can give you a similar flavor without the eggs.

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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How Do You Serve This Chicken Salad

I absolutely love chicken salad served on croissants, but to keep lunch light, I usually opt for a thin-sliced whole grain bread.
Serve as a dip: place the chicken salad mixture in a bowl and surround it with chips, crackers, veggies, and thinly sliced apples.
Serve on top of thinly sliced apples .
To keep this meal low carb use lettuce wraps to serve your chicken salad.

Also Check: Annies Salad Dressing Gluten Free

The Ak Take On Traditional Chicken Salad

If you grew up on the mayo-and-grape-filled chicken salad, you know what I mean when I say chicken salad could use a little upgrade. We lightened up this healthy chicken salad recipe by using protein-packed greek yogurt instead of mayo, which adds the perfect creaminess and tang.

Delicious, Moroccan-inspired spices like cinnamon, turmeric and cumin take the flavor of this greek yogurt chicken salad to the next level. Its super fresh while have that cozy, comforting flavor. AMAZING.

Read Also: Arbyâs Grilled Chicken Salad

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Here Are A Few More Healthy Chicken Salad Recipes

It wasnt until my trip with Stonyfield Yogurt to organic farms in Northern Vermont when my eyes really opened. On my trip, I was introduced to the organic process of dairy farming. I was so inspired by the farmers and quality of ingredients, I had to come up with a super healthy recipe where Organic Greek Yogurt was the star. Thats where this healthy chicken salad with Greek yogurt came in.

Below are a few other healthy chicken salads that you might also like:

Whats In This Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

HEALTHY CHICKEN SALAD – Greek Yogurt Style

This greek yogurt chicken salad recipe is made with minimal, fresh ingredients and is packed with protein thanks to plain greek yogurt. There are also dried cherries, crunchy pecans and of course, cilantro! You can feel free to mix and match ingredients as you so choose, but personally, I really love the recipe as is. Its a great way to use up grilled chicken or even extra roasted shredded chicken. Heres everything youll need to make this healthy chicken salad recipe:

Chicken: youll need some cooked, diced or shredded chicken breast. Try one of our easy ways to cook chicken before making this recipe!
Yogurt: youll need some plain greek yogurt, which will act as the base in this recipe.
Tahini: this is optional, but I love the flavor and extra creaminess it gives the chicken salad. Soom is my favorite brand use the code ambitiouskitchen for 10% off your order!
Mustard: a little dijon mustard adds the perfect tangy element.
Spices: were adding some warming, Moroccan-inspired spices like cinnamon, turmeric and cumin to create a wonderful flavor. Add some cayenne if you want a hint of spice, and dont forget a plenty of fresh ground black pepper and salt to taste!
Herbs: for a lovely freshness youll need parsley, cilantro and green onion.
Mix-ins: finally, were swapping the traditional grapes for sweet dried cherries and crunchy pecans or toasted almonds! SO GOOD.

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Customize Your Healthy Chicken Salad

As I mentioned, this greek yogurt chicken salad is absolutely delicious as-is, but feel free to customize with what you have on hand:

Make it vegetarian: if you want to keep the recipe vegetarian you can swap the chicken for chickpeas or even cubed tofu.
Make it dairy free: simply use your favorite plain, dairy free greek yogurt.
Use mayo: if you are a big mayo lover , no shame! Feel free to use it in place of the greek yogurt, or do half and half.
Choose your mix-ins: feel free to also use toasted, sliced almonds, dried cranberries or raisins.

Recipe Ideas For Healthy Chicken Salad

There are so many different options for adding flavor to this chicken salad with veggies, spices, herbs, and more. Here are some of my favorite options:

Add extra crunch with carrots, red onions, cucumbers, or even chopped cabbage.
Add fiber by folding in some drained chickpeas. This turns this salad into a super filling option and is delicious over some salad greens.
Make your salad spicy by adding some fresh or pickled jalapenos. You can also try pepperoncini peppers for a milder option. And for a simple option, just add some red pepper flakes or hot sauce.
If you love fresh herbs, toss in some chopped dill, tarragon, chives, or cilantro.
For some sweetness, try adding chopped apples, red grapes, dried cranberries, or raisins.
Switch things up by adding some seasoning. Try steak seasoning, Everything Bagel seasoning, lemon pepper, Cajun seasoning, or curry powder.

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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.

Mix the base. Combine the yogurt, tahini, mustard and all of those spices. Mix until theyre well combined.

Add the mix-ins. Add in the chicken, herbs, tart cherries and nuts until everything is well coated. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as you like.

Serve & enjoy! Serve the greek yogurt chicken salad with crackers, in lettuce cups, on bread and more.

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!

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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Two Ways To Prepare Your Chicken For This Healthy Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad Recipe:

If preparing your own chicken: place parchment paper on your baking sheet and place chicken on parchment paper. Spray with EVOO and season with salt, pepper, and whatever seasonings you like. Bake in the oven at 350F for 20-40 minutes, depending on the size. Pull chicken out of the oven when its done and shred with two forks. Measure two cups. You can reference this website for instructions.

Purchase a rotisserie chicken, shred into small pieces and measure out two cups.

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How To Make This Juicy Yogurt Chicken

While marinating the chicken in yogurt is the first step to an epic meal, how you cook it is also just as important.

Here is how the recipe comes together:

PrepPat the chicken breast dry and use a meat hammer to pound to even thickness or butterfly.

Combine the yogurt, lemon, and seasonings in a large bowl. Add the chicken breasts and marinate for up to 24 hours.

HeatHeat a large skillet on medium-high heat, and add some oil.

CookUse a fork to remove the chicken from the marinade and add it to the skillet. Cook on one side for 5 to 7 minutes before flipping and cooking until the internal temperature reaches 165F.

ServeTransfer the cooked chicken to a plate, cover with foil, and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Also Check: How To Meal Prep Salad For A Week

How To Make Chicken Salad For Babies

Since Ive been sharing some of the recipes I make for Olivia , I thought Id also share how I make baby chicken salad for her. She loves it and eats it right up! Heres how to make it:

3/4 cup shredded chicken
2 Tablespoons full fat plain yogurt
1 teaspoon fresh parsley

Finley chop up the shredded chicken and fresh parsley.

Combine the chopped chicken, Greek yogurt and parsley in a bowl. Serve it up to your babe for lunch or dinner. Ive been giving this to Liv for lunch with fresh raspberries and bananas and shes been eating almost the full plate!

Low Fat And Low Calorie Chicken Salad Faqs

Grilled Chicken Salad with High Protein Dressing | Healthy Weeknight Meal

How is this chicken salad healthier?

To make low fat and low calorie chicken salad, I cut back mayo in half and add 1/2 cup plain yogurt to make salad creamy, reduce saturated fat and calories. I recommend to use 2% and higher fat content yogurt because non-fat yogurt lacks flavour and is flat. Healthy fats are good for you, in moderation.

Is it healthy to eat chicken salad everyday?

Really, this is somewhat of a loaded question! I would not recommend eating original chicken salad everyday as the fat, calories and sodium content are quite high. Eating healthy chicken salad everyday, might be acceptable, but I still believe in everything in moderation. Its good to mix it up with other easy healthy lunch ideas.

Can you substitute Greek yogurt for mayo in chicken salad?

You can and we did! We added a touch of mayo to the Greek yogurt to keep the authentic chicken salad taste you can use all Greek yogurt, but you might miss that authentic taste. Sorry, not sorry, that taste is key for me same story in healthy shrimp salad.

Can I used grilled chicken for this salad?

You could use grilled chicken for this salad or you could just make our perfect formula grilled chicken salad with poppy seed dressing actually just put both on your lunch list for this summer!

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How To Make Healthy Chicken Salad

Cook chicken breasts if you dont have leftovers already from meal prepping. Air fry chicken breast or make Instant Pot shredded chicken. If you love dark meat, you can make baked chicken thighs or Instant Pot chicken thighs.
Toast nuts in a small skillet on low-medium heat just until fragrant and brown-ish. You will smell them. Cool and chop.
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl: Toasted pecans, chicken, celery, onion, parsley, yogurt, mayo, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir gently to mix and adjust salt to taste, if necessary.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours as this salad tastes best cold. Just like avocado egg salad or healthy potato salad.

Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad With Grapes And Pecans

Light and healthy, Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad has plump red grapes, crisp celery and onion and toasty pecans, dressed in a light poppyseed Greek yogurt dressing. Serves 7 servings.

I make this Greek yogurt chicken salad all.the.time.

Its my go to lunch. My I-could-eat- this-every-day-of-my life lunch. On Sunday, Ill slow cook a whole chicken just so I can shred the breast meat for this healthy chicken salad. Which will then last me all week long. And if it looks familiar, thats because this is a lighter and healthier version of one of my first recipes on this blog way back in 2010. This time I swapped in some of the mayo for plain Greek yogurt, reduced the honey and its still just as incredibly delicious.

Recommended Reading: What Goes With Salad For Dinner

How To Bake Greek Yogurt Chicken:

You can also bake this greek yogurt chicken. Simply preheat your oven the 425°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Evenly space the chicken breasts out on the baking sheet, then bake for 20 25 minutes until the thickest part of the chicken has reached 165°F.

If you are using chicken thighs, you only need to bake them for 15 20 minutes until the thickest part of the chicken has reached 165°F.

Reasons Youll Love This Recipe

Low fat and low cholesterol. Swapping in Greek yogurt for mayo makes this a hearty, healthy chicken salad recipe.
High protein. Depending on the brand, ½ cup of Greek yogurt adds 12-15 grams of protein!
Not too heavy. Mayo-based salads tend to sit like a rock in your stomach. Using Greek yogurt keeps the salad light while still filling you up.
Easy to make. After you cook the chicken, all other ingredients come together quickly in one bowl.
Great way to use leftover chicken. This chicken salad recipe can use shredded chicken, chopped baked chicken breasts, or rotisserie chicken.
Meal prep. I love making this 2-3 days ahead of time for a quick lunch or snack during the week.

Also Check: Wishbone Gluten Free Salad Dressings

How Long Does Chicken Salad Keep

When properly stored, the chicken salad will last for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Because Bacteria grow rapidly at temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F chicken salad should be discarded if left out for more than 2 hours at room temperature.

I hope you all enjoy this easy, healthy recipe as much as we do!

Dont forget to when you make this recipe or any of my other recipes!

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Healthy Chicken Salad With Greek Yogurt

What should I make for dinner tonight? This might just be the number one question that we ask ourselves almost daily over here.

Then you have come to the right place, we have rounded up 15 healthy chicken salad with greek yogurt that we have shared over the years.

Plus, there is such a variety of flavours in these recipes, so you are sure to find something for you. Most of these recipes are quick and easy ones made especially for busy weeknights.

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Why You’ll Love This Easy Recipe:

Quick & simple: make it in 20 minutes with 10 simple ingredients!

No mayonnaise: classic chicken salad is typically made with mayo. If you’re not a big fan or just want a low calorie option, this is the salad for you!

Healthy: fresh ingredients, high protein, low carb, gluten free! This salad is also very macro friendly.

Leftovers for lunch: this salad is a great way to mix things up at lunch time. Pack leftovers or make this recipe on the weekend, specifically for meal prep. Divide into individual, grab and go containers and there you have it!

Customizable: this flexible recipe can be made in many different ways! Feeling creative? Have some fun and experiment with different fruits, nuts or spices. Sometimes I like to use pine nuts instead of walnuts or substitute blackberries for grapes.