Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad with Toasted Pecans and Apples

4.34 from 6 votes

Switch up your lunch routine with this fun twist on a classic recipe.

greek yogurt chicken salad

Switch up your lunch routine with this fun twist on a lunchtime classic. Our Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad is a super simple recipe that takes only 15 minutes to make. By adding toasted pecans, tart Granny Smith apples, and Greek yogurt, we created a whole new flavor profile that takes a boring chicken salad to the next level. It’s sweet, tart, tangy, nutty, and overall delicious!

Chicken salad is one of my favorite low-calorie, low-carb, high-protein recipes. There are endless ways to create variations! You can switch up the crunchy elements by swapping in apples for celery. Or, if you like fresh and herbaceous flavors, you can add herbs to the mix, like dill, parsley, cilantro, rosemary, or more. So long as you toss it all in a creamy dressing to bring everything together, you can literally do anything you want with it!

Clean Eating Mayonnaise

If you’ve followed SkinnyMs for a while, you might have noticed that we absolutely love Greek yogurt. It’s tangy and delicious, and using it is the ideal way to skinny-up your favorite recipes (especially mayonnaise-based recipes, because yogurt has a fraction of the saturated fat and calories as compared to mayo). That being said, sometimes there’s a place for clean-eating mayonnaise.

Adding a few tablespoons of mayo creates the perfect dressing for this Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad recipe. It adds a tiny bit of fat, which helps carry all the rest of the flavors. If you’re at the store, look for mayonnaise brands that use only clean-eating ingredients, like Primal Kitchen or Chosen Food brands.

There are a lot of great vegan alternatives, too. If you’re adventurous enough to make your own, try our Plant-Based Avocado Mayonnaise. It only uses six ingredients, and it’s good in the refrigerator for up to a week.

The Best Way to Serve Chicken Salad

healthy chicken salad

You have a few options when it comes to serving this Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad. Our recipe has less than 300 calories, so you can eat it by itself for a super low-calorie lunch or midday snack. If you’re not following a low-carb diet, you could enjoy this chicken salad on crackers, whole-wheat pita, or sandwich bread.

If low-carb is more your style, you’ll want to think outside the box. Wrapping the chicken salad in lettuce cups is a classic way to create a sandwich without any carbs, but you could also serve it inside an avocado. That’s an especially good idea if you’re following the keto diet because you’ll get a full serving of healthy fats, too.

You don’t have to feel too much pressure to put your Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad on something, either. I’ve eaten chicken salad straight out of the container as a quick pick-me-up before a workout or as a midday snack. Since it’s a high-protein food, this salad is a great way to tide you over until the next meal.

Let us know how you enjoyed it in the comments!

4.34 from 6 votes

Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad with Toasted Pecans and Apples

Add all your favorite herbs to this low-calorie chicken salad. The tangy flavor and nutty crunch are an adventure for your taste buds.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Yield 6
Serving Size 4 oz
Course Salad
Cuisine Mediterranean

Ingredients

  • 2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts cooked and shredded
  • 1 medium Granny Smith apple diced small
  • 2 tablespoons red onion minced
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons clean eating mayonnaise
  • 1 cup pecans lightly toasted
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients and mix well. Let sit, refrigerated, for about 15 minutes before serving to allow flavors to combine.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 4oz | Calories: 215kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 271mg | Potassium: 263mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 37IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg |
SmartPoints (Freestyle): 5
Keywords Quick and Easy

Have you made this recipe?
Tag @skinnyms on Instagram or hashtag it #skinnyms

This post may include affiliate links.

Chef Nichole

Nichole has a culinary degree from Great Lakes Culinary Institute and has worked in the culinary industry for 10 years. She also has the knowledge to write recipes using the most nutritious, fresh, and balanced ingredients. Nichole enjoys creating healthy and tasty recipes anyone can prepare, no matter their cooking skill level.

More by Chef Nichole

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating