Flavorful and healthy, creamy and crunchy, this perfect greek yogurt chicken salad has everything you may want in one simple recipe. You can enjoy this chicken salad for lunch, dinner or even in a bowl as a quick snack- it really is perfect anytime.
Contents
Chicken Salad with Greek Yogurt
A good chicken salad can be hard to come by. You just never know what you may get at that local deli or premade in the grocery store. The best idea is to make your own chicken salad so that you are able to put in the ingredients that you want and love. This recipe is here to help, making a tasty chicken salad that is full of healthy, amazing ingredients that all come together to make the best chicken salad you have ever tried. You are going to love it!
This Greek yogurt chicken salad also has some healthier ingredients than you may find in other chicken salad recipes. The main difference is the Greek yogurt that we use in place of the traditional mayonnaise. Not only is this healthier, but much more delicious! Keep reading to find out more out this tasty recipe.
How to Make Healthy Chicken Salad
Making a healthy chicken salad is not hard to do at all. In fact, once you see how simple it really is, you will be hooked! Here is a quick look at how to make this easy and healthy chicken salad recipe:
- Combine the Greek yogurt, mustard, vinegar. lemon juice, salt and pepper together in a large bowl.
- Add the chicken, onion, grapes, apple and almonds to the bowl and toss everything to combine well. (we rely on the apple, onion and almonds for the crunch in the chicken salad but you can definitely add some celery which is a chicken salad classic ingredient!)
- Serve the chicken salad on the ciabatta rolls, enjoy on its own or store in airtight containers in the fridge until you are ready to eat!
In just three steps that essentially amount to mixing everything together in a large bowl, you will have fresh, homemade chicken salad. About 15 minutes of total time (including prep time) is all it takes to make a Greek yogurt chicken salad that is totally restaurant-worthy. You will never have to go to the deli or grocery store to buy chicken salad again!
Healthy Chicken Salad Recipes
A traditional chicken salad recipe contains mayonnaise which is not really the healthiest ingredient out there. However, you probably still want that creamy texture in your Greek yogurt chicken salad that mayonnaise usually adds. The solution- healthy Greek yogurt. Here are a few of the great nutritional benefits that Greek yogurt has:
- Greek yogurt is full of healthy protein that can help boost metabolism and also reduce your appetite and help with weight loss.
- Greek yogurt has healthy probiotics that help maintain gut health
- Healthy Greek yogurt will improve bone health since it is rich in protein and calcium
- Research has shown that the probiotics in Greek yogurt can help maintain mental health as well, showing that 100 grams of yogurt a day reduced stress, anxiety and depression
Healthy Greek yogurt is clearly the way to go when it comes to chicken salad. Luckily, our recipes uses this healthy ingredient and our Greek yogurt chicken salad recipe will show you exactly how.
If you still want the creamy, richness of mayonnaise, you may be wondering if you can mix Greek yogurt and mayo. The answer is yes, you can use half mayonnaise and half Greek yogurt to cut back on the calories a little bit, add some healthy greek yogurt and still get the rich taste you want.
Make-Ahead Chicken Salad Recipe
Chicken salad is one of those dishes that actually grows in flavor when it is left in the fridge for a few days. This is because all of the flavors in the yogurt chicken salad get to marinate and mix together, becoming more uniform and delicious! For that reason, it is the perfect make-ahead meal.
Prepare this Greek yogurt chicken salad recipe and then divide it into individual-sized portions. This recipe makes about 4 cup of salad and makes 6 servings, but it can easily be doubled. Store the mix in airtight containers and put them into your meal prep bag for the week. Keep the bread separate and, when you are ready to eat, place the salad on the bread and enjoy! It is a perfect way to reduce your cooking prep time during the week and ensure that you have some healthy meal options ready to eat in the fridge.
Chicken Salad Recipe Options
All chicken salad recipes are different and there may be some ingredients in one specific salad recipe that you really love. Here are a few things that you can easily add to this salad to make it your own.
- Mix in 1/2 cup of dried cranberries
- Add 1 cup of chopped celery to the Greek yogurt chicken salad for extra crunch
- Replace the sliced almonds with chopped cashews
- Use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar instead of lemon juice and balsamic vinegar
- Add fresh chopped pears
- Add extra salt and pepper for an easy way to add more flavor
Keep in mind that adding any of these ingredients will alter the nutritional content of the recipe as well. If you want to try a few of these versions instead of the greek yogurt chicken salad exactly as written, you can also try substituting some ingredients.
- Use dried cranberries in place of sliced grapes. Both are sweet and have a nice fruity taste.
- Replace the sliced apples with pears or skip this crunchy fruit completely, using just chopped celery to give the Greek yogurt chicken salad a good crunch with less calories.
- Skip the dijon mustard which can have a very strong taste. Increase the vinegar or just leave this ingredient out completely.
- Use rotisserie chicken in place of the cooked chicken breast. Rotisserie chicken has lots of taste and is super convenient since it is already cooked!
If you have any other great ideas of how to make this healthy Greek yogurt chicken salad even better, let us know! Write your name, email and suggestion below or just let us know in a direct email to us! We love to hear about how you made our chicken salad even more fantastic, saving total time in the kitchen while adding lots of taste.
We hope that you loved this Greek yogurt chicken salad and have added it into your recipe repertoire. A chicken salad recipe, healthy lunch option and quick prep time is what this meal is all about! Enjoy!
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Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Gluten Free + Lightened Up
Description
Make your chicken salad even healthier with this Greek yogurt based recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds cooked chicken breast (shredded)
- 2/3 cup red onion (diced)
- 2/3 cup grapes (halved)
- 1/3 cup apple (diced)
- 1/3 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- freshly squeezed lemon juice ( about 1/2 small lemon or more to taste)
- sea salt + black pepper
- 6 ciabatta or sweet bread rolls (toasted)
Instructions
- Combine Greek yogurt, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice and seasonings in a mixing bowl. Add chicken, onion, grapes, apple and almonds then stir until evenly combined.
- Serve immediately or store in refrigerator for up to a few days.
Notes
Pro Tips:
- Rather than use store-bought ciabatta rolls, consider making your own bread for the Greek yogurt chicken salad to go on. A bread maker can definitely help you make fresh bread quite easily.
- Think of ingredients that you love in classic chicken salads and add them to this recipe. Celery, dried cranberries, raisins, and extra salt and pepper are just a few of the ways that you can take this recipe and make it your own with very little effort.
- Many people love the sweet and spicy taste that Greek yogurt chicken salad can have. To achieve this, add some extra fresh ground black pepper to the bowl when you toss the ingredients together. Pepper is an easy way to increase the spice with minimal effort.
- Choose whole milk Greek yogurt to use in this greek yogurt chicken salad. Whole milk Greek yogurt will be extra thick and creamy, replacing the traditional mayonnaise that is normally found in chicken salad. Greek yogurt chicken salad is healthy and can be just as creamy as one made with mayonnaise.
This was really good. Preferred it over the traditional mayo recipes.
★★★★★
Thank you, I’m happy you liked it!