Cottage Cheese Chicken Salad

A protein-packed twist on classic chicken salad. This creamy cottage cheese chicken salad is mayo-free, super satisfying, and perfect for meal prep.

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Craving a creamy, protein-packed chicken salad without the heaviness of mayo? This cottage cheese chicken salad is just as tasty and satisfying as the classic—but lighter, fresher, and way more filling.

Blended cottage cheese creates a smooth, protein-packed dressing that keeps this salad light while still delivering that rich, crave-worthy texture. Plus, it’s easy to make, perfect for meal prep, and dietitian-designed for nutritional balance.

Want to switch it up? The blog post includes swaps for dietary restrictions, serving ideas, and tips to customize it to your taste. Or, scroll down for the full recipe.

Why you’ll love this dietitian-made recipe

1. High protein. This chicken salad recipe swaps mayo for blended cottage cheese for 36 grams of filling protein per serving.
2. Lower in calories. Traditional chicken salad uses a lot of mayonnaise, which adds a considerable amount of calories and fat. Nothing wrong with mayo — but a calorie-balanced version is great for weight loss.
3. Creamy and satisfying. Even though this cottage cheese chicken salad is light and balanced, you’ll still enjoy the delicious and rich taste of more classic recipes.

Why use cottage cheese?

Cottage cheese is a protein-rich, nutrient-dense food that I love to recommend as a Registered Dietitian.

If you’re working on gaining muscle, losing fat, or simply adding more nutrition to your diet, it’s a wonderful food to eat regularly. Here’s why it’s so healthy:

• 1 cup of low fat cottage cheese contains up to 24 grams of protein for only 170 calories
• It’s rich in micronutrients like vitamin B12, calcium, and phosphorous
• Low fat cottage cheese is filling and low in saturated fats

Need something different but just as quick? Try this 5-minute tuna mayo rice bowl!

Ingredients in cottage cheese chicken salad

Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed recipe and full ingredients list.

Low fat cottage cheese: I like 2% cottage cheese because it has a lot of protein while still being creamy. You can use any fat percentage you like. We’ll blend this so it has a totally smooth texture.

Dijon mustard: This helps add some balance to the chicken salad flavors. You can use any mustard you like.

Lemon juice: I highly recommend using fresh lemon juice for the best flavor.

Chives: You could use other fresh herbs like dill and parsley in addition or instead of the chives.

Honey: You can skip this to keep your cottage cheese chicken salad free of added sugars, but I like the flavor balance with a hint of sweetness.

Salt and pepper: To season your chicken salad. Feel free to adjust the quantities to fit your taste.

Rotisserie chicken: I love the flavor and ease of rotisserie chicken. If you shred your own chicken breast at home, you may find your chicken salad needs extra seasoning.

Honeycrisp apple: I love the flavor and texture of skin-on honeycrisp apples in my chicken salad. You can use any other apple you like.

Green onions: These add a subtle flavor that’s perfect for midday. You could substitute for diced red onion if preferred.

Chopped pecans: Substitute any other chopped nuts like almonds, pistachios, or cashews.

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Dietary restrictions

Make these simple swaps to fit your dietary needs:

• No added sugar — omit the honey
• Lower fat — use shredded chicken breast instead of rotisserie chicken
• Lower sodium — use shredded chicken breast instead of rotisserie chicken and halve the salt
• Lactose-free — use lactose-free cottage cheese
• Gluten-free — ensure all ingredients are certified gluten-free

How to make cottage cheese chicken salad

Step 1: To your small blender cup, add cottage cheese. Blend until completely smooth, shaking the blender as needed, about 40-seconds.

Step 2: Transfer blended cottage cheese to a small mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients for the cottage cheese dressing. Whisk until completely smooth and combined, and set aside.

Step 3: To your large mixing bowl, add rotisserie chicken, celery, apple, onion, and pecans.

Step 4: Pour cottage cheese dressing over top. Mix until combined. Taste, and adjust salt and pepper as desired.

Tips to blend cottage cheese

• Use a small blender with a cup, not a full sized blender. If your blender is too big, it can have a hard time blending such a small quantity of cottage cheese.
• Shake the cottage cheese in your blender cup between spins so it stays near the blades.
• If needed, add a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of milk to the blender to get things going.

How to serve cottage cheese chicken salad

As a dip: with crackers, sliced bell pepper, or sliced cucumbers.

In sandwiches: using whole wheat bread, sourdough bread, or high fiber wraps.

As a topper: over salads, grain bowls, on open-faced toast, or on rice cakes.

More healthy lunch ideas

High protein tomato soup
Lemon basil pasta salad
Air fryer tortilla pizza
Chicken pesto pasta salad
High protein minestrone soup
High protein cottage cheese salad

Other important tips

1. Use rotisserie chicken, don’t make it yourself. It has the best texture and seasoning for chicken salad, in my opinon.
2. Measure your chicken. If you have more than 3 cups of chopped chicken, add an extra scoop of cottage cheese to your blender. You’ll need more to make sure it stays creamy.
3. Cut your ingredients really small. Small chopped ingredients are the key to a creamy chicken salad with great texture.