Classic chicken salad is lightened up with the help of Greek yogurt and creamy mashed avocado for an added boost of protein plus good-for-you fats that make this salad so tasty no one will ever miss the mayo.
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“I had my doubts when I saw this recipe. I always used mayonnaise, but I want to stop using processed food. This was an unexpected surprise. Very good and don’t miss the mayo at all.” ~Jessie, FoodieCrush reader
This post is in partnership with Oikos Greek Nonfat Yogurt who has compensated me to create a recipe using their product. All opinions are my own.
Your Favorite Chicken Salad, Minus the Mayo!
Continuing with tradition is so good in so many ways. But continuing to evolve is even better.
I mean, why use the answering machine when you have voice mail at your fingertips instead? And just think of what we’d all sound like if language didn’t change over time …”If your great umbrage would care to meet my high dudgeon at 12 paces, I would be happy to entertain you at dawn.”
Huh?
So while this Greek yogurt chicken salad has a whole lot of the classic flavors (shredded chicken, grapes, celery, pecans, red onion), it has also taken a turn for the better-for-you by subbing in mashed avocado mixed with Oikos Greek Nonfat Yogurt in place of the typical mayonnaise binder.
This change is good, and good for you, friends.
Heidi’s Tips for Chicken Salad Success
- Because Plain Greek yogurt has that distinctively fresh tang, I mellow the tartness of the yogurt with a mash of avocado and a bit of fresh lemon juice mixed into this creamy mayonnaise alternative.
- I used sliced red grapes in my mix to give the salad a bit of sweetness, but you could substitute sweetened dried cranberries or pomegranates, or use a bit of both.
- The distinctive crunch factor of any great chicken salad is delivered with celery and chopped pecans. I prefer a big celery bite so I give mine a generous cut, but if you’d like a more mellow munch, dice yours instead.
The Main Ingredients
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
Chicken
The essential ingredient in any chicken salad is, of course, chicken. I prefer shredded chicken over chunked in my chicken salad so cooking a few chicken breasts in my Instant Pot is a really quick and easy way to prepare it.
I cooked just about 1 pound of skinless, boneless chicken breast to yield 2 cups of shredded chicken.
Greek Yogurt
Using Oikos Greek Nonfat Yogurt as a substitute for mayonnaise is just one of the many reasons for adding it to your diet, including these healthful yogurt facts:
- Greek nonfat yogurt is higher in protein and lower in fat than regular mayonnaise.
- 64% of Americans don’t meet their daily calcium needs. Each 5.3 oz cup of Oikos Nonfat Yogurt supplies 15% of the daily calcium our bodies need, so eating even just one yogurt a day becomes a first step to a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.
- Greek yogurt contains active yogurt cultures and the balance and diversity of bacteria in your gut is associate with better health.
- Greek yogurt contains less lactose than regular nonfat yogurt, making it helpful for yogurt lovers who are lactose intolerant.
Heidi’s Tip: I LOVE the herby flavor of fresh tarragon with chicken and so it’s always included in recipes like this.
How to Make Chicken Salad With Greek Yogurt
- Make the creamy dressing. I find it easiest to mash the avocado with a fork, then stir in the Greek yogurt (this way you wind up with a smooth dressing without any avo chunks). Add a squeeze of lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring it all together. Add the chicken salad fixings to a large bowl, top with the dressing, and toss to combine.
My Favorite Ways to Serve Chicken Salad
There are plenty of ways to serve your just-made chicken salad. Here are just a few:
- Serve as a sandwich on slices of thick, whole-wheat bread (with more avocado slices of course!) or serve open faced with a slice of melted cheese.
- Pass as an appetizer in phyllo cups, hollowed out slices of cucumber, or serve in endive lettuces leaves.
- Stuf in a pita with greens, made into a wrap of lavash bread, or in between an everything bagel.
- Place a scoop on a bed of fresh greens, spinach, or grilled greens or scooped into avocado halves.
- Sometimes I’ll even add pasta to make a chicken salad pasta salad. Sounds kinda wacky, but it’s so good!
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.
Creamy Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain Dannon® Oikos® Greek Nonfat Yogurt
- 1 avocado , mashed
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups cooked and shredded chicken (from about 16 ounces of skinless, boneless breast)
- ¾ cup celery (about 2 ribs), chopped
- ½ cup red grapes , halved
- ⅓ cup pecans , chopped
- ⅓ cup red onion , chopped
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries , (optional)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix the nonfat Greek yogurt with the avocado mash and add lemon juice to taste. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper and set aside.
- Add the shredded chicken to the chopped celery, grapes, pecans, red onion, tarragon and cranberries (optional) to a large bowl. Add the yogurt avocado sauce to the chicken mixture and toss until well combined, then season with more salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve the chicken salad as a sandwich, salad, or as the filling for an appetizer.
Notes
Nutrition
Storage Tips
Chicken salad will last up to 5 days in the fridge. Because fresh fruit and veg are used in this recipe, some separation may occur — just give it a good stir before eating.
More Easy “Salads” You’ll Love
- Simple Egg Salad
- Ham Salad
- Classic Chicken Salad
- Dill Pickle Chicken Salad
- Tuna Salad (perfect for making Tuna Melts!)
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This post is in partnership with Dannon Oikos. As always, thank you for reading and supporting companies I partner with, which allows me to create more unique content and recipes for you. There may be affiliate links in this post of which I receive a small commission. All opinions are always my own.
Kari
Serving size says 1 gram…is this correct? I’m coaching someone who is counting their macros and we were wondering. Thanks.
Hayley
Hi Kari! Please ignore the gram. The nutrition facts calculated are per serving.
TED WILLIAMS
I made this today and cut the recipe in half. Probably too much yogurt but totally delicious . Placed on Rosemary bread with a little layer of mixed greens.
Jessie
I had my doubts when I saw this recipe. I always used mayonnaise,but I want to stop using processed food. This was an unexpected surprise. Very good and don’t miss the mayo at all.
Ashley @ Foodie Crush
I am so glad to hear that Jessie! I am glad it’s a hit!
foster
good post.thank you
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Katie
This recipe was delish…my only change would be leave out the tarragon. Other than that, I loved it! Love the healthy alternative to mayo! <3
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Corey Mclean
Thank you so much for this recipe. Everything with avo is just worth trying though I’m not so sure of my talent. Haha! Hope my kids will love my version of this. Will update!
Juan Besh
3. This is really great work. Thank you for sharing such a good and useful information here in the blog for a couple.
Laura | Tutti Dolci
Love this lightened up take on chicken salad! Bring on the pita and greens too!