Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe (with Greek Yogurt) 

The best chicken salad is a combination of Greek yogurt with tender chicken, fresh herbs, the crunch of walnuts, and the sweetness of craisins. 

Originally released on June 23, 2019, this chicken salad with yogurt recipe has undergone updates to enhance our readers’ experience, including simple details and new images.

Our easy Chicken Salad Greek Yogurt recipe makes a delicious healthy lunch option or elegant lettuce wraps for entertaining. We’ll show you our favorite ways to serve it and great options to make it your own.

Up until now, I haven’t shared a lot of salad recipes like this light chicken salad with yogurt recipe. The reason is that John has a major aversion to mayonnaise.

I grew up eating chicken salad sandwiches, ham salad, and egg salad, but once I married, I thought those days were over.

I bought a large package of boneless skinless chicken breasts when they were on sale. Usually, I’ll do this and put them in smaller packages before freezing them but didn’t get that done this time. So, when I thawed them we grilled up the entire package with just a little olive oil, salt, and pepper.

It doesn’t break my heart if we have chicken breasts to use up. I can always make Thai Sandwich, some Chicken Marsala, or our amazing Chipotle Salad. This Chicken salad no mayo recipe was a great choice too.

Hostess At Heart participates in affiliate programs. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Please refer to my disclosure page for more information.

What we used to make Chicken Salad with Yogurt

• Cutting Boards – I use these cutting boards when I want to put my cutting board into the dishwasher, such as when cutting cooked meat.
  • Wooden cutting boards are better on your knives. I’ll use this cutting board for fresh veggies and making salads.

Ingredients and Variations

Chicken – For a healthy meal, we grill boneless skinless chicken breasts. You can use store-bought rotisserie chicken for a quick meal.

Yogurt – We use plain Greek yogurt or Icelandic yogurt which are higher in protein and often have less sugar. They’re often thicker and less watery than other types of yogurt. Use the variety that you prefer. Full-fat to fat-free is acceptable. We don’t recommend using flavored yogurt.

Veggies – Celery and green onion add flavor and a crispy crunch. They’re a great contrast to the creamy texture. You’ll want to chop them into small pieces. You could substitute or add diced avocado, bell peppers, or red onion.

Craisins – While a traditional chicken salad recipe will include red grapes, we enjoy the sweet-tart flavor of craisins (dried cranberries). 

Walnuts – In addition to adding a delicious nutty flavor and more crunch, walnuts also provide healthy fats that aid in reducing inflammation. Toasted almonds or cashews would be delicious too.

Parmesan Cheese – Just a little bit adding a rich complex flavor. It’s optional so you could leave it out or substitute it with Asiago.

Fresh Herbs – We kept it simple and used fresh thyme. Other herbs that would be delicious are fresh parsley or fresh dill.

Fresh lemon juice – Adds a bright fresh flavor. You could include lemon zest too.

Spices – Salt and pepper and garlic powder are what we used. Curry is another spice that is a popular addition to many classic chicken salad recipes.

How to make Healthy Chicken Salad with Greek Yogurt

1: Chop and Mix

Chop the grilled chicken into small bite-sized pieces and add it to a large bowl. Combine the thinly chopped onion, celery, craisins, and walnuts with the chicken. 

2: Creamy Yogurt Sauce

In a separate bowl mix the Greek yogurt, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper together.

3: Combine

Add just enough of the yogurt sauce to the chicken salad ingredients to tie it together. A good chicken salad isn’t overdressed causing it to be wet or mushy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you substitute yogurt for mayo?

Yes, you can substitute mayonnaise with yogurt one for one or mix chicken salad with Greek yogurt and mayo according to your taste until you have a total of one cup.

How do you store chicken salad with Greek yogurt?

Chicken salad Greek yogurt can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days. We don’t recommend freezing chicken salad with yogurt because the yogurt can break down as it thaws and becomes watery with a grainy texture.

Can you make Greek yogurt chicken salad ahead of time?

Yes, you can make chicken salad ahead of time. We do a lot of our meal prep for the next day the night before. Storing individual serving sizes makes a quick lunch. If you’re making wraps or sandwiches, store the bread separately and assemble them before eating.

Serving Suggestions

Make a sandwich with our whole-grain bread, homemade pita recipe, or delicious flatbread. Adding a smear of whole-grain Dijon mustard is a delicious way to add variety as well. Get fancy and serve it as finger sandwiches or on mini croissants for a special occasion.

Serve chicken salad recipe with yogurt on a bed of lettuce, make lettuce Greek yogurt wraps or cut crunchy celery, and use them as scoops. Your body will thank you for the extra fiber and eliminating bread keeps it low-carb too. Red lettuce provides a nice color contrast or Romaine lettuce is sturdy and allows a larger serving. You choose.

Rolling this salad in our homemade jalapeno tortilla makes them perfect for a grab-and-go lunch or picnic. Kiddos love wraps, and who doesn’t love a picnic?

What should I serve with chicken salad?

I would serve a very minimal side like our Orange Salad or Fruit Cocktail Salad. A simple dessert like our Crumbl Cookies or Soft Peanut Butter Cookies and, who wouldn’t love a cool beverage like a Watermelon Agua Fresca.

You’ll be glad to know that John loves this Chicken Salad with Greek Yogurt recipe.

I hope you enjoyed this delicious recipe as much as we do. Drop me a comment below, and don’t forget to give it a star rating. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐. Your comments and ratings help others decide if this recipe is for them too.

Chicken Salad with Yogurt

Author: Julie Menghini

Chicken Salad with Yogurt makes a fresh delicious sandwich or low carb lettuce wrap. You'll never miss the high-fat mayonnaise version and using leftover chicken makes it a quick meal too.

4.67 from 18 votes

Print Recipe CollectSaved! Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Lunch

Cuisine American

Keyword: chicken salad with yogurt

Servings: 6

Equipment

• Plastic Cutting Board
• Mixing Bowls

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 2 cups diced chicken I used leftover grilled chicken
• ¼ cup celery thinly sliced
• ¼ cup Craisins
• 1 green onion sliced thinly
• ¼ cup walnuts chopped
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp thyme fresh or dried
• ⅛ tsp garlic powder
• ⅛ tsp kosher salt
• ⅛ tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

 

• In a large bowl mix the chicken, celery, craisins, green onion, and walnuts together.
• In a separate bowl mix the greek yogurt, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper together.
• Combine the ingredients of the two bowls together.
• Store covered in the refrigerator.

Notes

This salad takes on flavor as it sits so it’s a great dish to make ahead.  

Note: Calories don’t include bread or tortillas.  

Nutrition

Calories: 86kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 6gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.002gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 131mgPotassium: 95mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 90IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 96mgIron: 0.3mg

Nutritional Disclaimer

This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.

Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was!

Did you enjoy this recipe? Don’t forget to pin it for later and follow me on Pinterest for more delicious recipes like this one!

What is your favorite salad recipe? I hope you’ll give this easy Chicken Salad with Greek Yogurt a try and let me know what you think. If you make changes, please share! Our community loves ideas and I love your inspiration!