Chicken Salad Recipe No Mayo

Creamy and packed with fresh flavors, this healthy chicken salad no mayo recipe cuts back on calories and fat, but not on flavor.

Chicken salad is a great anytime meal. It's made with convenient ingredients, is satisfying and versatile, and is of course, flavorful. But creamy chicken salads can also be laden with unnecessary fat and calories thanks to one particular ingredient—mayo. Mayonnaise is a key ingredient in most chicken salads, and for good reason—it's delicious! But with a few swaps you can easily replicate its function in chicken salad without the unwanted extra calories.

This chicken salad no mayo recipe utilizes regular nonfat plain yogurt, but for an added boost of protein, you can also use Greek yogurt. For a summery option, check out this yogurt-based chicken salad made with cantaloupe. Or check out our Buffalo Chicken Salad for creamy salad anytime.

Now, let's whip up a healthy chicken salad recipe.

How to Make a Creamy Chicken Salad—No Mayo Needed

This recipe serves eight, but keeps in the refrigerator for five days—hello, work lunches!

Ingredients

• ½ cup plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon minced lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• ½ cup thinly sliced celery
• ¼ cup chopped scallions
• ¼ cup chopped parsley
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• 2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds

1. Make the dressing.

To make this chicken salad recipe, start by whisking together the sauce ingredients in a large bowl. Add the yogurt, lemon juice, oil, Dijon, zest, salt, black pepper, and cayenne to a large bowl and combine.

2. Shred the chicken.

Utilize leftover cooked chicken, or stop by the store on your way home and grab a rotisserie chicken, to cut down on prep time for this recipe. Use two forks to shred the cooked chicken into bite-sized pieces, then toss into the bowl with the dressing.

3. Get chopping.

With any chicken salad, there's a bit of chopping involved. Luckily for no mayo recipe, we kept the knife work to a minimum. Thinly slice two ribs of celery and roughly chop scallions and parsley, add all three to bowl with dressing and chicken.

4. Personalize it.

Here's where you can make this recipe your own. To keep it classic, we added raisins and sliced almonds, but you can use whatever dried or fresh fruit you prefer as well as whatever nuts you have on hand.

5. Serve it up!

Serve this creamy, no-mayo chicken salad between toasted slices of sandwich bread, on a croissant, in a wrap or spooned into lettuce cups.

Chicken Salad Variations

• To make this healthy chicken salad dairy-free, mash up a medium avocado to use in place of the yogurt.
• To add more protein, use Greek yogurt instead of regular plain yogurt and throw in some canned chickpeas.
• To add a little more crunch, swap the raisins out for diced apples or even grapes.
• For an Indian twist, add a teaspoon of curry powder to the dressing, or whip up our curried chicken salad.

Our Best Chicken Salad Recipes

Cashew Chicken Salad Sandwiches

I think this is the best cashew chicken salad sandwich recipe around. It's good for you and quick to make, and it has wonderful flavor. —Peggi Kelly, Fairbury, Nebraska

Chicken Salad

This is a recipe that always seems to be used at our family gatherings. Everyone loves it. It's also great to make ahead for busy days. —Cathy Rauen, Ridgeway, Colorado

Strawberry Tarragon Chicken Salad

After thinking about creating this salad for some time, one spring I used my homegrown strawberries and fresh tarragon to do a little experimenting. It didn't take me very long to come up with a winner! My husband enjoyed my creation as much as I did, and now we can't wait for strawberry season to come around each year. —Sue Gronholz, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin

Almond-Apricot Chicken Salad

Here's a one-of-a-kind pasta salad that combines tender chicken, sweet apricots and crunchy vegetables. Plus, the lemony dressing can't be beat. —Susan Voigt, Plymouth, Minnesota

Curried Chicken Salad with Pineapple and Grapes

This fun and flavorful beauty turns last night's cooked chicken into a delightful salad that's perfect for lunch. —Linda Bevill, Monticello, Arkansas

Cool & Crunchy Chicken Salad

When the weather sizzles, get your chill on with a cool chicken salad. Mine uses grapes, pecans and celery for that signature crunch. —Sarah Smiley, Bangor, Maine

Summer Splash Chicken Salad

When it's too hot to eat inside, I head out to the patio. Shred some rotisserie chicken and toss with mango, watermelon and grapes for an ooh-ahh healthy chicken salad. —Barbara Spitzer, Lodi, California

Almond Chicken Salad

My mother used to prepare this chicken salad with grapes and almonds for an evening meal during the hot summer months. It's my favorite of my mother's chicken salad recipes. You can also serve it as a delicious but quick luncheon or potluck dish. —Kathy Kittell, Lenexa, Kansas

Special Sesame Chicken Salad

With its delicious mix of crunchy peanuts, tangy dried cranberries and mandarin oranges, this colorful Asian chicken salad is a definite crowd-pleaser. Water chestnuts and a teriyaki dressing give this main dish its Asian flare. —Carolee Ewell, Santaquin, Utah

Copycat Chicken Salad

This recipe is incredibly easy to make, and your family will love it. The sweet pickle relish gives it its signature taste. I like to use a thick, crusty oat bread for this sandwich. —Julie Peterson, Crofton, Maryland

Chicken Salad Recipe No Mayo

Source: https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/how-to-make-chicken-salad-no-mayo/

Posted by: kulikowskitheaught.blogspot.com

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