Healthy Green Goddess Chicken Salad

An easy, high-protein lunch you can pack for work or school. Green goddess chicken salad is a healthy meal that actually tastes good. You’ll also love my classic chicken salad, ranch chicken salad, and pesto egg salad.

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The key to healthy eating might be chicken salad.

As a dietitian, I don’t take that statement lightly. In fact, you might call me a little obsessed with chicken salad because it’s an easy, meal prep-able, high protein lunch that always hits the spot. And this tasty green goddess chicken salad is no exception.

This simple recipe uses a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and comes together in minutes. It’s got everything you want in a satisfying chicken salad, but it’s lightened up with an herby dressing made right in your blender.

Why you’ll love green goddess chicken salad

High protein: One serving contains 26 grams of protein.

Filling: It’s got the perfect balance of protein and fat to keep you full.

Meal prep: Prep this ahead and pack for lunches all week.

Gluten-free: The perfect recipe if you’re sensitive to gluten or wheat.

Super flavorful: Healthy chicken salad packs way more flavor than most others.

What makes this recipe healthy?

Most chicken salad recipes use a heap of mayonnaise. This can be tasty, but it also makes for a higher calorie and higher fat chicken salad than what’s necessary.

This recipe for healthy green goddess chicken salad uses a blend of mayonnaise and Greek yogurt instead. The yogurt adds extra lean protein, while the touch of mayonnaise adds fat and creaminess. The blend offers a great balance of nutrition and satisfaction, while keeping the recipe lighter overall.

This chicken salad also contains chopped skinless chicken for protein, and slivered almonds for healthy fats and some dietary fiber. This recipe is nutritionally balanced to support your fitness goals and keep you full for hours.

Pair with bread, crackers, and/or veggies for a full meal.

Ingredients and swaps

Here’s what you’ll need to make green goddess chicken salad at home:

• Plain Greek yogurt — I prefer a mix of Greek yogurt and mayonnaise because it helps lighten up the chicken salad while still including some fat for satisfaction
• Mayonnaise — if you’d prefer, skip the mayo and use all Greek yogurt instead
• Lemon juice — fresh tastes best, but you could use about 2 Tbsp of bottled lemon juice if needed
• Garlic — I’d recommend a fresh clove for the best flavor
• Green onions — omit this or sub for more chives if you’re running low
• Fresh herbs — I use a blend of chives, parsley, and dill, but other herbs like tarragon or basil would also be delicious
• Honey — this is here for balance, but you can omit it for a totally sugar-free chicken salad
• Salt and pepper
• Cooked rotisserie chicken — about 4 cups of chopped or shredded cooked chicken, or about 3 medium chicken breasts
• Slivered almonds — sub any chopped nut like pistachios, pecans, or walnuts
• Celery — for good texture and crunch

Step-by-step instructions

Add greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, green onions, herbs, honey, salt, and pepper to a blender. Blend until smooth, pulsing or scraping down the sides as needed, about 40-seconds. Set aside.

Add rotisserie chicken, almonds, and celery to a large mixing bowl.

Pour blended dressing over your chicken. Mix with a large spoon until everything is well combined.

How to serve green goddess chicken salad

There are so many ways to enjoy this simple and delicious chicken salad!

• Sandwich: Add chicken salad to a sandwich with whole wheat bread, sourdough bread, or foccacia. Top with tomato slices, cucumber slices, and fresh lettuce.
• Wrap or pinwheels: Spread green goddess chicken salad in a large tortilla, roll it up tightly, and slice into pinwheels.
• Lettuce wraps: Spoon a healthy serving of chicken salad into bibb lettuce or butter lettuce.
• Dip: Scoop green goddess chicken salad with seedy crackers, tortilla chips, corn chip dippers, or sliced cucumbers.
• Salad topper: Add a serving of chicken salad to greens and quinoa for a quick and satisfying salad.

More add-ins

This chicken salad is delicious as is! If you want to add more mix-ins, here are some ideas:

• Chopped apple
• Dried raisins or cranberries
• Diced green onions or red onion
• Crumbled bacon or turkey bacon
• Chopped sun-dried tomatoes
• Canned lentils or chickpeas
• Chopped cabbage or coleslaw mix
• Sunflower seeds or pepitas
• Red pepper flakes

Storage instructions

This recipe will stay good in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To store, prepare your green goddess chicken salad as instructed and store in a sealed food container in the fridge. Stir before serving in case some of the dressing falls to the bottom of the container.

To make this recipe last longer, freeze half the chicken and dressing (separately). Defrost both in the fridge overnight before combining. Then, store in the fridge as normal.

Top tip

I’d highly recommend using a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken instead of chicken breast you make at home. Rotisserie chicken is super flavorful and well-seasoned, so it makes the whole chicken salad more delicious and satisfying. It’s also super easy to prep.

If you decide to cook your own chicken instead, make sure it’s well seasoned.