Low Calorie Chicken Salad

Low Calorie Chicken Salad – the perfect HIGH protein meal prep idea! Lightened up with celery and pickled onions instead of relish. It also has greek yogurt and mayonnaise.

Low calorie chicken salad in bowls served with buns

This is my favorite HIGH protein meal prep idea. There are 133 calories and 18 grams of protein per serving.

I love to make this on Sunday and eat it for lunch or snack on it over the next few days. It makes for the easiest work from home lunch. And the best part is it actually keeps you full until dinner.

What makes this chicken salad low calorie?

I use very finely diced celery and pickled onions instead of relish. This cuts the calories by alot. And you get the same flavor profile and crunchy texture.

I also use non-fat greek yogurt and little light mayo. I learn this hack a while back. Mayo’s flavor is very strong so you can really only taste the mayo even when you only have a little mayo.

It would be even less calories if you subbed out the grapes. But grapes are a non-negotiable for Griffin.

What kind of chicken is best for chicken salad?

You can use any kind of chicken you have.

My favorite is rotisserie chicken for sure. I’ve started buying a rotisserie chicken from Costco whenever I go. Then I shred and freeze the chicken in a tupperware.. That way all I have to do is defrost it on a moments notice. It’s ~almost~ as easy as using canned chicken!

I use canned chicken when I need connivence.

But if you don’t have either of those, a baked/seared chicken breast works great. I like it really finely diced/chopped up rather than shredded.

Low calorie chicken salad ingredients

Other recipe modifications…

You can leave out the grapes!

Or add nuts if you like that. The bakery I used to work at always used sweet and spicy nuts in their chicken salad.

You can also use all mayo.

What to serve with this chicken salad

Of course it’s great on an open faced sandwich. Sometimes I add a piece of ham. A bakery near my house serves their chicken salad sandwiches this way. The salty ham pairs great with chicken salad.

I’ve also been very into tortilla scoops with chicken salad lately.

It would also be great with sweet potato fries. Or over a kale salad. Or with a fruit salad.

Watch the recipe video here:

Low Calorie Chicken Salad

The perfect HIGH protein meal prep idea! Lightened up with celery and pickled onions instead of relish. It also has greek yogurt and mayonnaise.
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Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 3 cups cooked and finely chopped rotisserie chicken (about 1.5 lbs chicken breast or 2 (12.5 oz) cans of chicken)
  • 1/2 cup non-fat greek yogurt (or more if you like)
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 cups diced celery (about 7 stalks)
  • 1/2 cup chopped pickled onions
  • 2 teaspoons dried dill
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 packet truvia (or 2 teaspoons granulated sugar)
  • 1 1/2 cups red grapes, halved and quartered (optional)

Instructions

  • Cut the chicken into very small cubes and roughly chop even smaller, if using rotisserie chicken or chicken breasts.
  • Add the chicken and remaining ingredients to a large bowl. Mix with a spatula until the mayo/yogurt/spices are evenly distributed.
  • Refrigerate until ready to eat.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 165kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 5g
Low Calorie Chicken Salad in bowls