When I tell you that this is the Best Ever Chicken Salad, I can only speak for myself…but I’m not kidding. This recipe totally hit the spot AND it’s on the healthy side to boot. Win, win!
I actually wasn’t planning on writing a blog post today. I didn’t really have anything on the agenda to share, and figured I’d just check back with ya on Friday. But then, we had dinner last night…and I just HAD to share it with you guys because it was so. freakin’. good.
I’ve always loved a good, homemade chicken salad. It’s not something I tend to order when I’m out (similar with tuna salad) just because I know it’s likely going to be laden with way more mayo than I’d prefer. I’ve been known to make my tuna and chicken salads a few different ways (both sweet and savory), but it’s typically made on the fly and usually either with some canned chicken or leftover grilled chicken.
So I saw this recipe in Cooking Light over the weekend (I’m telling you…this edition is great), and it inspired me to throw some chicken salad on our dinner menu this week. While I somewhat used their recipe as a guide, I wound up making a few changes to suit our tastes and what we had on hand. The end result? The absolute best chicken salad I think I’ve ever made. And, honestly, I really think that it was the rotisserie chicken I bought that made the world of difference. Just…wow.
So I’m telling you guys…go grab a rotisserie chicken this week (Price Chopper had them on sale last week for $4.99) and whip up a batch of this chicken salad. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s nothing short of spectacular.
The Best Ever Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 – 3 cups cooked rotisserie chicken cubed
- 6 green onions white and light green parts, chopped
- 1 celery stalk diced
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup light mayo
- 1/4 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 4-6 Bibb/Boston lettuce leaves
- Avocado chunks for topping optional
Instructions
- Throw everything in a bowl (minus the lettuce leaves), mix it all up, and toss in the fridge for a little bit (5-10 mins) just to let it cool/settle. Drop scoops of chicken salad into lettuce cups and top with avocado, if desired. Serve and enjoy!
It’s also worth noting that the flatbread I served along with our chicken salad was delicious and super easy to cook up, thanks to this mix from Krusteaz that I picked up at the store forever ago.
Sure, we could have gone the no carb/low gluten/no bread/whatever you want to call it route with the chicken salad in lettuce cups, but we’re total bread and carbs people over here in this house so we had to throw some on the side.
Between the two of us, we both had hearty servings for dinner, and I’ve got another decent size serving packed up for my lunch today. You could probably get 4 servings out of it (I’m pretty sure that’s what the Cooking Light recipe claimed) but we never get as many servings out of Cooking Light recipes as they show. Apparently we like big portions?
Anywho…alright, time to jet! Hope you guys are having a fantastic week so far…is it seriously already Thursday?!? I’ll take it!
Are you a fan of mayo-based salads? Do you ever order them out or prefer to make them at home?
Sarah @ Sarah Sincerely says
I saw that you shared this on Instagram and was hoping you’d share the recipe on the blog soon! Yay! This sounds absolutely delicious! My current favorite “chicken salad” is a mix of shredded chicken, mozzarella, and mashed avocado.
I’m not a mayo fan in the least, and am so glad this recipe has minimal mayo. Looking forward to giving it a try!
Danielle @ Little Mama Big Life says
Yum! I love homemade chicken salad! I usually put grapes in mine, but I’m totally trying out this recipe soon! Thanks for sharing!
Brynn says
i am not a fan of mayo, so I sub in greek yogurt or avocado. It does the trick for consistency! And rotisserie chicken is the best for quick, simple dinners- love them!
Linz @ Itz Linz says
definitely prefer to make it at home so it’s not quite so… mayo-y lol
Ali @ Whisk and Repeat says
Mmm! This looks great! I love tuna and chicken salads, especially on hot days. I usually make mine with curry or dill, but this looks so refreshing. Can’t wait to try it soon!
Jillie says
Chicken, tuna, salmon and even sardine salads always make an appearance on my place at least once a week. They’re super simple to whip up! Lately, I’ve been mixing in avocado and djion mustard instead of mayo to try something a little different. It’s delicious and still has that tang you get from mayo.
Holly @ EatGreatBEGreat says
Love, love, love chicken salad! Can’t wait to give this a try!
Ashley @ My Food N Fitness Diaries says
I actually think a good serving of mayo in tuna and chicken salads makes all the difference! I’ve tried making tuna or chicken salads with mostly Greek yogurt and it’s just not the same. I typically do what you’ve done here and do a bit of both (mostly mayo with a little Greek yogurt too) just so it’s not quite so heavy on the mayo, and it ends up turning out well. This one looks great and perfect for a summer meal!
Carrie (This Fit Chick) says
omg these look and sound delicious!!! I love using lettuce cup/wraps :)
Fiona @ Get Fit Fiona says
Cranberries are a favorite of mine, but I never would have thought to put them in chicken salad. It sounds really good!
Amanda Peterson says
From the second you shared this recipe, I’ve wanted to try it. I am a HUGE chicken salad fan and I finally got around to making it tonight. It is soooo good! I love it. Thanks for sharing!
Kate says
WOW this is good!