This Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad is a lightened-up version of a classic dish! Healthy AND delicious, this chicken salad is great eaten on toasted bread, over a bed of lettuce, on crackers, or just by the spoonful!
Once the weather gets warmer, comfort food takes a back seat to lighter, fresher, cooler foods. This greek yogurt chicken salad is the perfect example! It’s full of lean protein, crunchy cashews, chewy craisins, and tangy greek yogurt.
If it’s not warm where you are, that’s okay! Just crank the heat, throw on some shorts, and snack on this chicken salad. It’ll totally feel like summer. 😉
Ingredients
This chicken salad is packed with super healthy and delicious ingredients. I love the crunch from the cashews and the slight chew of the craisins.
- Chicken Breast – boiled in chicken broth to add tons of flavor and keep the chicken moist. Feel free to use whatever cooked chicken you have on hand.
- Greek Yogurt – the substitute for mayo in regular chicken salad. I used a non-fat plain greek yogurt but you could also use full fat greek yogurt.
- Dijon Mustard – adds a bit of tang to offset the creaminess of the yogurt.
- Craisins or Raisins – gives the chicken salad a chewy texture and a touch of sweetness.
- Cashews – provide a crunchy texture and extra protein. Feel free to use your favorite nut . . . pecans would be delicious!
- Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder – seasoned to taste!
How to make greek yogurt chicken salad
Healthy cooking doesn’t get any easier than this! Just 3 steps to a super good-for-you and delicious lunch, snack, or light dinner!
- Cook your chicken breasts by boiling them in chicken broth in a large stockpot.
- Use a whisk to mix together yogurt, dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl then stir in dried cranberries or raisins and cashews.
- Dice chicken and mix it into the sauce.
- Chill, serve, and enjoy!
Is greek yogurt healthier than mayo?
Greek yogurt is healthier than mayo, because it’s higher in protein, has fewer calories, and contains less fat. Don’t worry, it creates a similar consistency and taste to mayo. I love substituting greek yogurt for mayo to lighten things up.
Here are a few more of my lightened-up greek yogurt recipes:
- Healthy Greek Yogurt Lemon Parmesan Tilapia Recipe
- Walnut and Greek Yogurt Stuffed Dates Recipe
- Light Greek Yogurt Lemon Pasta
- Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing
Can i use regular yogurt instead of greek yogurt?
Yes, but the consistency, flavor, and nutritional information won’t be the same. Greek yogurt is thicker, has a stronger flavor, and contains more protein than “regular” yogurt.
If you use regular yogurt, your chicken salad mixture may be slightly looser.
Additional add-in ideas
If you want to bulk up your chicken salad a bit, try adding a few other ingredients:
- Diced Red Onion – add a nice zip. If you add these, make sure you chop them super small because they have such a strong flavor.
- Chopped Celery – adds crunch, freshness, and more veg!
- Diced Green Apple – adds a tart flavor and crisp texture.
- Halved Red Grapes – use grapes instead of raisins/craisins for less of a chewy texture.
- Relish – I love the brine-y flavor.
- Avocado – mash into the greek yogurt for an ultra creamy flavor and healthy dose of fat!
What are YOUR favorite things to add to greek yogurt chicken salad? Let me know in the comments below!
How to serve greek yogurt chicken salad
I love serving this for lunch or dinner on toasted bread with spinach! Here are some other super yummy ways to serve greek yogurt chicken salad!
- On a sandwich. Served warm or cold with avocado and tomato slices!
- As an appetizer. Serve them in wonton cups like I do in my southwestern chicken salad recipe.
- In a pita. With avocado, spinach, or both!
- On a bagel. Everything bagels for the win!
- On apple slices. Spread this over granny smith apple slices for extra crunch. Yum!
- As a salad. Serve this over a bed of your favorite greens for a lower carb variation.
- On crackers. Use this as a dip for your favorite cracker.
How to store
This chicken salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days!
Can i freeze greek yogurt chicken salad?
I don’t recommend freezing this recipe, because greek yogurt (and mayo for that matter) separates when frozen which can cause the chicken salad to be watery when thawed.
A dish that’s perfect for summer…or for those days that you just want to pretend it’s summer! 😉
– Jennifer
Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad
Equipment for this recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts cooked and cubed into bite sized pieces
- ½ cup non fat plain greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ⅓ cup craisins or raisins
- ½ cup cashews roughly chopped
- salt and garlic powder to taste
Instructions
- Start by cooking some chicken breasts. I like boiling them in chicken broth or stock, but feel free to boil in water, too. Boiling the chicken in broth, however, will give it significantly more flavor. Bring the chicken broth/stock to a boil and put in whole chicken breasts. Cook until no pink remains. Depending on the size of the chicken breasts, this could take anywhere from 15 - 20 minutes.
- While the chicken is boiling, put together your sauce. Whisk together greek yogurt, dijon mustard, and garlic powder together until well mixed. Add in salt and pepper, to taste.
- Next, stir in dried cranberries or raisins and cashews. If you're worried about the cashews getting too soft, you could add them right before serving!
- After the chicken is done boiling, I like to let it rest for about 5 minutes. This ensures that the juice stays in the chicken instead of spilling out when you cut it!
- Dice up the chicken and mix it into the sauce. You can either serve this immediately, or place in the refrigerator for up to 4 days!
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Nutrition Information
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
This post has been updated to provide more detailed content.
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