Best 3 Healthy Chicken Salad Recipes

Chicken salad is a versatile dish that can be enjoyed as a light lunch, a refreshing snack, or even as a hearty dinner. Its main ingredient, chicken, is an excellent source of lean protein, while other common ingredients such as mayonnaise, celery, and grapes add flavor, richness, and a satisfying crunch. This article presents three variations of this classic dish: a classic chicken salad, a Greek-inspired chicken salad, and a Thai-inspired chicken salad. Each recipe offers a unique blend of flavors and textures, ensuring that there's a perfect chicken salad for every palate.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

HEALTHY WALDORF CHICKEN SALAD

Healthy Waldorf Chicken Salad image

Chicken salad is one of the most versatile sandwich fillings. You can go bold by adding in hot sauce and celery with carrots, you can go sweet with grapes and oranges, or even go exotic with curry. The one factor is generally mayonnaise, and while creamy and delicious, it packs excess fat and calories. My Waldorf chicken salad lightens up with Greek yogurt. Savory Spice Shop® Park Hill maple pepper is a match made in heaven with this recipe.

Provided by thedailygourmet

Categories Salad Waldorf Salad Recipes

Time 5m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 9

Ingredients

3 ounces plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
⅛ teaspoon poppy seeds
2 teaspoons maple pepper seasoning (such as Savory Spice Shop® Park Hill)
salt to taste
6 ounces chopped, cooked chicken
½ cup chopped Honeycrisp apple
¼ cup chopped toasted walnuts
1 tablespoon milk, or as needed

Steps:

Stir together yogurt, vinegar, poppy seeds, maple pepper seasoning, and salt in a bowl. Add chicken, apple, and walnuts; mix to combine. If mixture seems too thick, add milk until desired consistency is reached

Nutrition Facts : Calories 179.3 calories, Carbohydrate 6.2 g, Cholesterol 38.2 mg, Fat 12.4 g, Fiber 0.9 g, Protein 13.1 g, SaturatedFat 3.1 g, Sodium 83 mg, Sugar 2.9 g

HEALTHY CHICKEN SALAD

Healthy Chicken Salad image

A protein-packed alternative to the normal chicken salad. This one is healthier, quick, and easy to make. I peeled my apple, personal preference, but feel free to add it unpeeled.

Provided by Yoly

Categories Salad

Time 15m

Yield 4

Number Of Ingredients 10

Ingredients

1 (6 ounce) container fat-free Greek yogurt (such as Fage®)
½ cup low-fat cottage cheese
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup diced apple
¼ cup sweetened dried cranberries (such as Craisins®)
2 tablespoons chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped pecans
½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 ¼ cups cubed, cooked chicken
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Steps:

Combine Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, celery, apple, cranberries, onion, pecans, and Dijon mustard in a bowl; stir until well combined. Mix in chicken and season with salt and pepper.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 168 calories, Carbohydrate 12.9 g, Cholesterol 28.5 mg, Fat 6.3 g, Fiber 1.4 g, Protein 14.6 g, SaturatedFat 1.5 g, Sodium 247.6 mg, Sugar 9.9 g

HEALTHY MEAL-PREP CHICKEN SALAD POCKETS RECIPE BY TASTY

Healthy Meal-prep Chicken Salad Pockets Recipe by Tasty image

Here's what you need: chicken, fat free plain greek yogurt, celery, sweet relish, dijon mustard, scallion, garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, pita breads

Provided by Camille Bergerson

Categories Lunch

Time 30m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

12 oz chicken, shredded
⅔ cup fat free plain greek yogurt, or low-fat
½ cup celery, finely chopped
1 ½ tablespoons sweet relish
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 scallion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon paprika
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
4 leaves lettuce
20 cherry tomatoes
4 pita breads

Steps:

In a bowl, mix all ingredients except for the pita, tomatoes, and lettuce.
Portion the chicken salad into 4 containers
Lay the lettuce on top of the chicken salad and add the tomatoes.
Refrigerate up to 4 days.
Serve inside a pita. (You can also toast your pita first for an added touch!)
Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts : Calories 361 calories, Carbohydrate 42 grams, Fat 4 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 37 grams, Sugar 11 grams

Tips:

For the best flavor, use high-quality, free-range chicken. Organic is even better.
If you're short on time, you can use store-bought rotisserie chicken.
Be sure to finely chop the celery and onion so that they don't overpower the chicken.
Use a light hand with the mayonnaise. You can always add more, but it's hard to take it out.
Season the chicken salad to taste with salt and pepper.
For a healthier version of chicken salad, use Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise.
Add some chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley, dill, or chives, for extra flavor.
Serve chicken salad on a bed of lettuce or in a whole-wheat pita pocket for a healthy and satisfying lunch.

Conclusion:

Chicken salad is a versatile and delicious dish that can be enjoyed in many different ways. It's perfect for a quick and easy lunch or dinner, and it's also a great way to use up leftover chicken. With so many different variations to choose from, there's sure to be a chicken salad recipe that everyone will love.