Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad (No Mayo, 44g Protein)
You open the deli container at your desk and the chicken salad is swimming. A glossy layer of mayo, a few shreds of chicken, and a label that says 480 calories for a scoop that won't last until three.
This version swaps the mayo for thick Greek yogurt, sharpened with Dijon and lemon, and puts the chicken back in charge. Gently poached breast, sweet red grapes, crunchy celery and toasted pecans, all in a creamy dressing that tastes like the classic. Each serving has 44 grams of protein and about 310 calories.
It takes 30 minutes and makes four lunches. The trick is how you cook the chicken, so start there.
Why it works
Yogurt adds protein where mayo adds fat
Three-quarters of a cup of nonfat Greek yogurt has about 17 grams of protein and 100 calories. The same amount of mayonnaise has more than 1,100 calories and almost no protein. The dressing stops being a calorie cost and becomes part of the protein, on top of 6 ounces of raw chicken per serving.
Poach while you chop
The chicken poaches in 15 minutes of mostly hands-off time, and you dice the celery, grapes and onion while it cooks. Everything mixes in one bowl. One batch covers four lunches, and it tastes better on day two, after the dressing has soaked into the chicken.
Gentle heat keeps it juicy
Chicken dries out when its proteins squeeze tight at high heat, which is why boiled chicken turns stringy. A bare simmer cooks it slowly and evenly to 165°F, so it stays tender. Dijon and lemon cover the chalky edge of plain yogurt, and grapes, celery and pecans bring sweetness and crunch.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 314 kcal
- Protein
- 44 g
- Carbs
- 11 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fiber
- 1.7 g
Nutrition calculated from USDA FoodData Central
Recipe
Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad (No Mayo, 44g Protein)
Protein in this batch: 176 g
Equipment
- Medium pot with lid
- Instant-read thermometer
- Small dry skillet
- Large mixing bowl
- Cutting board and chef's knife
Ingredients
Pick breasts of similar size so they finish together. Short on time? Use 3 1/2 cups of shredded rotisserie breast meat, skin removed, and skip the poaching.
It has to be Greek or another strained yogurt. Regular yogurt is too thin and makes a watery salad. 2% Greek yogurt tastes richer and adds only a few calories per serving.
Toast them. Raw pecans taste flat and soft next to the creamy dressing; three minutes in a dry skillet makes them crisp and buttery. Walnuts or sliced almonds work the same way.
Instructions
Poach the chicken gently
Lay the chicken in a single layer in the pot, cover it with cold water by 1 inch and add 1 teaspoon of the salt. Bring it to a bare simmer over medium heat, with small bubbles only at the edges. Lower the heat, cover and cook 10 to 15 minutes, until the thickest part reads 165°F (74°C) and the center is white with no pink.
Rest, cut and chill
Move the chicken to a board and let it rest 10 minutes so the juices settle. Dice it into 1/2-inch cubes, or pull it into bite-size shreds with two forks. It should look moist and white all the way through. Spread it on a plate and refrigerate 15 to 20 minutes, until it's cool to the touch.
Toast the pecans
While the chicken chills, put the chopped pecans in a small dry skillet over medium heat. Shake the pan every 30 seconds for 3 to 4 minutes, until they smell buttery and turn a shade darker. Tip them onto a plate right away so they don't keep browning in the hot pan and turn bitter.
Whisk the dressing
In the large bowl, whisk the Greek yogurt, Dijon, lemon juice, dill, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and the pepper until smooth and pale, flecked with green. It should be thick enough to hold a soft peak on the whisk. Taste it: it should be a little saltier and tangier than you'd like, because the chicken will mellow it.
Fold it all together
Add the chilled chicken, celery, grapes and red onion to the dressing. Fold with a spatula, scraping from the bottom, until every piece is coated and the dressing clings instead of pooling. If you're eating it today, fold in the pecans too. If it's for the week, keep them in a separate container so they stay crunchy.
Chill, then serve
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. The dressing thickens and the chicken absorbs the mustard and lemon. Serve a heaping 1 1/4 cups in butter lettuce cups, on a cottage cheese flatbread, on whole-grain toast or with sliced cucumber. Stir it once before serving, since a little liquid can settle at the bottom.
Per serving: 314 kcal · 44 g protein · 11 g carbs · 10 g fat · 1.7 g fiber. Nutrition calculated from USDA FoodData Central.
Mistakes to avoid
Boiling the chicken hard
A rolling boil pushes the outside of the breast well past 165°F before the center gets there, and the meat turns dry and stringy. Keep the water at a lazy simmer, with bubbles only at the edges, and use a thermometer instead of guessing by time.
Mixing while the chicken is warm
Warm chicken thins the yogurt, and the dressing slides off into a puddle at the bottom of the bowl. It can also make yogurt look slightly curdled. Let the chicken cool until it's no longer warm to the touch before it meets the dressing.
Under-seasoning the dressing
Plain yogurt is mild and the chicken is lean, so a dressing that tastes right on the spoon tastes flat once it coats a pound and a half of chicken. Season it until it's slightly too bold on its own. Adjust salt and lemon again after chilling.
Adding the pecans too early
Nuts soak up moisture from the dressing and go soft within a day. For meal prep, pack the toasted pecans in a small container and stir them in right before eating. The same goes for crackers or anything else you want to stay crisp.
Variations
Apple walnut chicken salad
Swap the grapes for 1 cup (150 g) of diced Gala or Honeycrisp apple and the pecans for 1/4 cup (28 g) of toasted walnuts. Toss the apple with the lemon juice first so it doesn't brown. It's crisper and a little tarter (about 44 g protein, 307 kcal).
Curry chicken salad
Leave out the grapes and dill. Whisk 2 teaspoons (4 g) of curry powder into the dressing and fold in 1/4 cup (40 g) of golden raisins. The curry turns the dressing a warm yellow and pairs well with the pecans and red onion (about 44 g protein, 321 kcal).
Rotisserie shortcut
Skip the poaching and use 3 1/2 cups (490 g) of shredded rotisserie chicken breast with the skin removed. It's ready in 10 minutes and slightly smokier. Rotisserie chicken is usually brined, so taste before adding salt to the dressing (about 44 g protein, 312 kcal).
Storage
- Fridge
- Keep it in an airtight container for up to 4 days, with the pecans stored separately. Stir before serving.
- Freezer
- Don't freeze the finished salad: the yogurt separates and the celery and grapes turn soft and watery when thawed. You can freeze the poached, diced chicken for up to 3 months and mix a fresh batch after thawing it overnight in the fridge.
- Reheat
- It's served cold, so there's nothing to reheat. Take it out of the fridge 5 minutes before eating if you want the dressing a little softer.
FAQ
Can you use Greek yogurt instead of mayo in chicken salad?
Yes, and it's the easiest swap to make. Use the same amount of plain Greek yogurt as you would mayo, then add Dijon mustard and lemon juice to round out the tang. The texture stays creamy, the salad gains protein, and a batch made with a cup of Greek yogurt has well over 1,000 fewer calories than one made with a cup of mayonnaise.
Does Greek yogurt chicken salad taste like yogurt?
Only slightly. On its own, plain Greek yogurt is tangy, but once you add Dijon, lemon, salt, dill and a sweet ingredient like grapes, it reads as a bright, creamy dressing rather than yogurt. Letting the salad chill for 30 minutes before eating softens the tang even more.
How long does Greek yogurt chicken salad last in the fridge?
Up to 4 days in an airtight container. The chicken is the part that sets the limit, so count from the day you poached it. A little liquid may collect at the bottom after a day or two; just stir it back in. Keep crunchy toppings like pecans separate so they stay crisp.
Can I use canned chicken for Greek yogurt chicken salad?
Yes. Use two 12.5-ounce cans of chicken breast, drained very well and pressed with a fork to squeeze out the liquid. The texture is softer and finer than poached chicken, and canned chicken is saltier, so cut the salt in the dressing in half and taste before adding more.
What do you eat Greek yogurt chicken salad with?
Lettuce cups and sliced cucumber keep it light. For a heartier lunch, roll it in a cottage cheese flatbread or a whole-wheat wrap, pile it on toasted whole-grain bread, or scoop it with high-fiber crackers. It also works on top of a green salad with extra lemon.
