Healthy Chicken Salad With Greek Yogurt (For People Who Don’t Love Mayo)

I’m not the biggest mayonnaise person, but I love this healthy chicken salad made with Greek yogurt, sour cream and just a bit of mayo (only if you want it!) This chicken salad is healthy and delicious. You can also make it without mayo entirely!

As the weather starts to get warmer I start craving different foods.

Every year, without fail, we have an unseasonably warm period here in Michigan.

We enjoy a week or so of gorgeous 70-and-sunny days and start to forget what it was even like to brace yourself before going out the door.

Even as I type, however, the wind is gusting and I’ve hardly set foot outdoors because, of course, that gorgeous week was just a tease.

And yet, it’s staying light until 8 pm now (albeit thanks to daylight savings time), and as soon as the weather turns again I’ll be back to forgetting what this feels like.

All that to say, I’ve already been hard at work testing out new spring recipes and boy was I ready for it.

This recipe in particular is one I’ve been meaning to nail down. It’s great for an outdoor gathering, potluck or picnic. A good healthy chicken salad with Greek yogurt is a spring and summer staple, for sure.

What You Need For This Healthy Chicken Salad

• About 1 1/2 lbs of chicken breasts (or leftovers from a whole chicken)
• 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt or sour cream, or a combo of both
• 1/3 cup good quality mayonnaise (homemade is amazing!)
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup for a touch of sweetness
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup dried cherries
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• Medium sized bowl with a lid, or plastic wrap
• Sturdy spoon for stirring
• Crackers, toasted bread, brioche bun or lettuce cups for serving!

How To Make This Chicken Salad

1. Chop cooked chicken into small pieces (or shred if you prefer) on a cutting board and set aside.
2. In your medium bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt or sour cream, or a combination of both. (If you don’t have or don’t want to use mayo, you can replace this with additional Greek yogurt.)
3. Add 1/3 cup of homemade or good quality mayo, 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup, 1 cup chopped pecans, 1/2 cup of dried cherries, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper and 1/8 tsp garlic powder.
4. Whisk or stir until well combined, then add the chicken. Stir again until chicken is well coated. You can now taste and adjust as needed. Remember that flavors will develop and become stronger as it sits in the fridge. If you’re making this 12 hours or more in advance, be sure to keep that in mind. You can always wait and see how it turns out, then adjust as needed right before serving.
5. Serve on toasted bread, wheat crackers, lettuce cups or romaine leaves, or (my favorite) brioche buns.

Is Chicken Salad Healthy?

Yes! Chicken salad is a great source of protein and healthy fats. It’s a filling meal that can be tailored to your own specifications.

I actually have a great homemade Greek yogurt recipe that you’ll love in this! (I show you how to get it super thick and creamy.)

While I’m a big proponent of high quality dairy, there are certainly lots of dairy-free alternatives if that’s what you need, like coconut yogurt.

I also love that you can add in things like grapes, celery, onion, and nuts to boost the nutrition even more.

And you can always pick and choose how you wish to serve chicken salad- lettuce cups are a personal favorite way to keep everything lower carb and super healthy.

And if you do choose to use mayo in your healthy chicken salad with the Greek yogurt, homemade mayo is actually super good for you!

Substitutes and Additions For Healthy Chicken Salad

• If you’re not into the cherry-pecan thing, swap the nuts and fruit, or leave them out. Pistachios would be delicious, as well as toasted walnuts, and dried cranberries or golden raisins could replace cherries.
• If you want to go another flavor route entirely, try the classic grapes and celery.
• Try red onion and diced apples for some crunch.
• I also love a curry variation. I keep in the pecans but opt for regular raisins, and add curry powder to taste along with the maple syrup. It’s a slightly sweet, spicy flavor that goes great on those brioche buns.
• Fresh dill and chopped pickles are another popular variation.

Will Chicken Salad Make Bread Soggy?

If you’re using store-bought white bread, things can get a little mushy, especially if you’re preparing them on a tray for an event like a baby shower.

That’s why I prefer to use something sturdier like an artisan sourdough loaf, but you can always toast the bread you’ll be using!

Crackers and lettuce cups help avoid this problem altogether.

If you really want to use soft white bread, I’d try putting out a bowl of the chicken salad and precut bread (like in triangles if you want) and let everyone spoon on some salad themselves.

One last tip: If you put lettuce on the sandwiches, and use it as a sort of barrier between the chicken salad and the bread, this can also help prevent sogginess!

Will Chicken Salad Freeze Well?

Under very specific circumstances, yes.

This particular recipe probably wouldn’t. Mayo and Greek yogurt both separate when thawed, and the crunchy aspects will be more chewy and soggy than crunchy when thawed.

If you want to make a chicken salad recipe that you can freeze, you’d probably need to use Miracle Whip or something similar, which I’m personally not a fan of.

If you do decide to, make sure your chicken salad hasn’t been sitting out for more than 2 hours and get as much air out as possible before freezing.

One great way to do this is to use a plastic freezer bag, seal it almost all the way, then use a straw to suck as much of the air out as you can, then seal the last bit and popping into the freezer.

It should be good frozen for 3 months, then you can simply stick it in the fridge the day before you want it thawed.

Pin for later!

Don’t forget to grab that homemade yogurt recipe:

And if you’re looking for more fresh spring flavor, try my homemade lavender syrup!

Thanks so much for being here!