Healthy Chicken Salad with Greek Yogurt

This healthy chicken salad swaps mayonnaise for plain Greek yogurt, Dijon, and lemon juice, creating a creamy, tangy dressing that doesn’t feel heavy. There’s plenty of chicken — diced or shredded chicken both work — for a genuine dose of protein, crisp celery and red onion for crunch, and red grapes for a little sweetness. Using Greek yogurt instead of mayo is really the only trick to this recipe; the lean protein and fresh vegetables do the rest.

I make a batch most Sundays and eat it for lunch through Wednesday. It’s the recipe that finally got me off sad desk salads: real protein, real crunch, and a dressing that doesn’t taste like a diet compromise.

Why Use Greek Yogurt in Chicken Salad?

Plain Greek yogurt gives chicken salad a creamy texture without relying entirely on mayonnaise. Its tangy flavor works especially well with Dijon mustard and lemon juice, while the chicken provides most of the protein in this recipe. For a richer flavor closer to classic chicken salad, you can also combine the Greek yogurt with a small amount of mayonnaise.

Recipe at a glance

• Prep: 15 min · Cook: 15 min · Total: 30 min
• Servings: 4
• Best for: meal prep, easy lunch, sandwiches and wraps

Full quantities and steps are in the recipe card below.

Chicken Salad Ingredients

For the chicken (skip if using leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken and If you have extra rotisserie chicken to use up, try these leftover rotisserie chicken recipes for more easy meal ideas):

• 1½ lb (680g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts — yields about 3 cups cooked, diced chicken. Homemade chicken you poach or bake yourself gives the most control over seasoning, but leftover chicken works just as well.
• Salt and pepper

For the dressing:

• ⅔ cup plain Greek yogurt fat-free Greek yogurt, 2%, or full-fat all work; fat-free is tangier and less rich, full-fat is closer to a traditional chicken salad’s richness
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp honey, optional (rounds out the tang if your yogurt is especially sour)
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

For the salad:

• 3 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded (from the chicken breasts above, or leftover/rotisserie chicken)
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• ¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup red grapes, halved
• 2 tbsp fresh dill or parsley, chopped

Optional, for a richer, more traditional chicken salad: 2 tbsp mayonnaise, whisked into the dressing along with the yogurt. Classic chicken salad gets its creaminess from mayonnaise; this version gets there with Greek yogurt instead, which cuts back on fat and calories while keeping the same creamy texture.

Optional crunch add-in: ¼ cup sliced almonds, added just before serving for a crunchy texture and best flavor — they soften if mixed in too early.

How to Make Healthy Chicken Salad

• Cook the chicken, if starting raw. Season with salt and pepper. Poach in barely simmering water or broth for 12–15 minutes, or bake at 375°F (190°C) for 20–25 minutes, until it reaches 165°F (74°C) at the thickest point. Rest 10 minutes, then chop or shred with two forks. Short on time? Use a rotisserie chicken instead — shred it and skip straight to the dressing step. (If you only have a whole chicken on hand, shred the breast and thigh meat together; it works fine mixed.)

• Cool the chicken completely before mixing. Warm chicken can thin the yogurt dressing and make the finished salad less creamy. If you’re short on time, spread the chicken on a plate and refrigerate it for 15 minutes.

• Whisk the dressing separately, in a small bowl: yogurt, Dijon, lemon juice, honey if using, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust before it touches the chicken.

1. Combine gently. In a large bowl, fold the chicken, celery, red onion, grapes, and herbs with the dressing so the chicken stays chunky and the grapes don’t get crushed.

1. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving — the flavor and texture are both better once it’s had time to settle.

Nutrition (per serving, mayo-free version with 2% Greek yogurt, estimated): ~230 kcal · 33g protein · 6g carbs · 5g fat · 1g fiber. Adding the optional mayonnaise adds roughly 45 kcal and 5g fat per serving. These are estimates based on the ingredients and quantities listed above, not a lab analysis — recalculate with a nutrition tool if you change the ratios.

Why This Creamy Chicken Salad Works

• Whisking the dressing separately, then folding it in, means you control the coating instead of drowning the salad — you can always add more, but not take it back out.
• A pound and a half of chicken across four servings is what gives this its protein boost — this isn’t a salad with a little chicken sprinkled in, the chicken is most of the dish.
• Celery holds up well for a few days mixed in — it’s sturdy enough to prep ahead. If you’re adding anything watery like cucumber, stir that in just before serving instead, since it releases moisture as it sits and can make the whole salad soggy.

How to Cook Chicken Breasts for Chicken Salad

Poached chicken is the best default — mild and tender, so the dressing and mix-ins lead rather than competing with a smoky or heavily seasoned crust. For more ways to cook chicken breast beyond this recipe, see our full chicken breast recipes guide.

Whichever method you use, pull the chicken at 165°F (74°C) measured with a thermometer at the thickest part.

Variations on This Classic Chicken Salad

• Dairy-free: swap the yogurt for ½ a mashed ripe avocado plus 1 tbsp olive oil, or a tahini-lemon dressing (3 tbsp tahini, 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2–3 tbsp water to thin).
• Higher-fiber: fold in ½ cup cooked chickpeas or black beans along with the vegetables.
• Apple instead of grapes: a diced Honeycrisp or Granny Smith adds a tarter crunch and a different kind of sweetness.
• Cranberry-almond: swap the grapes for ¼ cup dried cranberries and add the ¼ cup sliced almonds mentioned above, for a classic combination with real crunch.
• Chicken thigh variation: Replace part of the chicken breast with cooked boneless, skinless chicken thighs for a richer flavor and juicier texture.
• Lower-sodium: skip the Dijon (or use a low-sodium version) and lean on lemon juice, black pepper, and fresh herbs instead.

These add-ins change the flavor and texture without complicating the base recipe — the dressing and method stay exactly the same.

How to Make Chicken Salad Ahead (Meal Prep and Storage)

This is a great option for meal prep specifically because the base holds up well and the toppings can change daily.

Sunday: make the chicken salad as written and refrigerate. Monday–Wednesday: serve it a different way each day — a wrap one day, over greens the next, in lettuce cups after that — so it doesn’t feel like the same lunch three times. Keep anything especially watery, like cucumber, separate until the day you serve it; celery is fine mixed in from the start.

Storage: refrigerate within 2 hours of making it, in an airtight container at or below 40°F (4°C) — it keeps 3 to 4 days. If the salad looks a little dry after a day or two, a small spoonful of fresh yogurt or a squeeze of lemon juice brings it back without remaking the batch.

Ways to Enjoy Chicken Salad

Over greens: romaine lettuce, arugula, or baby spinach, for a light, easy lunch.

As a chicken salad sandwich: whole-grain bread, toasted if you want the extra crunch.

In lettuce wraps: romaine or butter lettuce leaves, for a lower-carb option with all the same flavor.

In a grain bowl: over quinoa or brown rice with roasted vegetables.

With crackers: whole-grain crackers turn it into a quick snack instead of a full lunch — good for when you just want a protein boost between meals.

Common Mistakes

Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe FAQ

Can I make this dairy-free? Yes — mashed avocado or a tahini-lemon dressing both work well in place of the Greek yogurt (see Variations above).

What can I use instead of mayonnaise? You don’t need mayonnaise in this recipe. Greek yogurt provides the creamy base, while Dijon and lemon juice add flavor and tang. If you prefer a richer, more traditional chicken salad, stir 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise into the dressing along with the yogurt.

Is this good for meal prep? Yes — it’s a genuinely easy option for meal prep. Keep watery add-ins like cucumber separate until serving day; celery is sturdy enough to mix in from the start. See the meal-prep section above.

How long does it keep in the fridge? 3 to 4 days in an airtight container.

Can I use a rotisserie chicken for this recipe? Yes — it’s the fastest way to make this. Shred about 3 cups of meat and skip straight to whisking the dressing.

More Chicken Recipes

• Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Recipes — for the nights you’re starting from an already-cooked bird
• Easy Chicken Breast Recipes for Dinner — more ways to cook the same cut used here
• Slow Cooker Chicken Thigh Recipes — if the “more protein” variation above has you wanting a full thigh-based dinner
• Sheet Pan Mediterranean Chicken Thighs — another high-protein, low-effort dinner in the same spirit as this salad

This one’s quick and easy to throw together, flavorful without being fussy, and great for meal prep — a genuinely healthier chicken salad recipe than the mayo-heavy classic, and, among high protein recipes for a workday lunch, one you won’t get tired of. It also works well as a high protein snack straight from the fridge if you don’t want a full meal, or piled onto romaine lettuce leaves if you want it without the bread. I won’t claim this is definitively the best chicken salad recipe on the internet, but it’s the one I actually make — quick and easy meals like this are worth more than a fancier version I’d never bother with on a Tuesday. Change the mix-ins, try different ways to eat it through the week, and make this chicken salad again once you realize how little effort the ratios take to remember. The second time you make this recipe, you probably won’t need to measure much of anything — as far as a chicken breast recipe you can make on autopilot goes, this is about as close as it gets.