Healthy Chicken Salad (High Protein, High Fiber, No Mayo)

This Healthy Chicken Salad has 32g protein and 8g fiber per serving, with a creamy Greek yogurt honey Dijon dressing and a sneaky navy bean fiber boost. It’s a no mayo chicken salad recipe that’s perfect for meal prep lunches.

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Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe:

• Protein AND fiber packed with 32 grams of protein and 8 grams of fiber per serving. This is the combo that actually keeps you full for hours, not hungry again by 2 PM.
• No mayo. The dressing is Greek yogurt based, so it is creamy and tangy while keeping the chicken salad light and the protein high.
• Sneaky fiber boost. Navy beans have a mild flavor and creamy texture, so they fit right in while doing a lot of nutrition work behind the scenes.
• Made for meal prep. It takes about 10 minutes to chop and stir together, holds up well in the fridge, and the flavors keep getting better as it sits.
• So many ways to serve it. Crackers and fruit on the side, a sandwich, a wrap, lettuce cups, or over a bed of greens.

Ingredients & Substitutions:

For a full ingredient list with quantities, please check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Cooked Chicken Breast: The leanest, highest protein option. Leftover cooked chicken works great here too, which makes this a perfect use it up lunch. [Link your go-to cooked chicken recipe here if you want.]
• Navy Beans: Drain and rinse them well before adding. Their mild flavor is exactly why they work here. They add body, creaminess, and a big fiber boost without making the salad taste like beans. Cannellini beans or great northern beans are the closest swaps.
• Greek Yogurt: This is the base of the dressing instead of mayonnaise. It keeps things creamy and adds extra protein. Use plain Greek yogurt so the honey and Dijon can do their job.
• Dijon Mustard: Adds that classic chicken salad tang and depth.
• Red Wine Vinegar: A tablespoon brightens the whole salad and keeps the creamy dressing from tasting heavy.
• Honey: Just enough to balance the tang from the yogurt, Dijon, and vinegar. It should not taste sweet.
• Celery: Fresh crunch in every bite. Dice it small so it is in every scoop.
• Red Onion: A little sharp bite. Dice it finely, and if raw onion is too strong for you, a shorter soak in cold water for a few minutes mellows it out.
• Carrot: Shredded or finely diced. It adds color, crunch, and a little natural sweetness.
• Salt, Garlic Powder, and Black Pepper: Simple seasoning that pulls the dressing together.

How to Make Healthy Chicken Salad

For complete instructions, please check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

1. Prep the mix ins. Finely dice the celery and red onion, shred or finely dice the carrot, and chop or shred the cooked chicken. Drain and rinse the navy beans.
2. Whisk the dressing. In a large bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, honey, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper until smooth.
3. Add everything else. Add the chicken, navy beans, celery, red onion, and carrot to the bowl.
4. Stir and taste. Stir until everything is evenly coated in the dressing. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper if needed.
5. Chill if you can. It is ready to eat right away, but 30 minutes in the fridge lets the flavors meld and makes it even better.

Tips and Variations

• Chop everything small. Chicken salad is best when every bite has a little bit of everything. Small, even pieces make it easier to scoop with crackers, too.
• Make it a grown up lunchable. Pack a serving with crackers and fruit on the side. Balanced, filling, and zero reheating.
• Swap the beans. Cannellini or great northern beans work in place of navy beans. Chickpeas work too, they just have a firmer bite.
• Add fresh herbs. A little fresh dill or parsley is lovely if you have it on hand. Totally optional.
• Add a sweet crunch. A little diced apple or halved grapes is a classic chicken salad move if you want to change it up. Note that additions are not included in the nutrition below.

Serving Suggestions

One batch, a whole week of different lunches. Try it:

• With crackers for scooping, lunchable style, with fruit on the side. This is my favorite meal prep serving.
• In lettuce wraps or cups for a lighter, crunchy option. Butter lettuce and romaine both hold up well.
• Over a bed of salad greens with extra veggies on the side, for a bigger lunch salad.
• On a sandwich on your favorite bread, with lettuce and tomato if you have them.
• Open faced on toast when you want something warm and crunchy under the creamy salad.
• With tortilla chips or pita chips for scooping, snack plate style.
• In a wrap or pita pocket for an easy grab and go lunch.
• Stuffed in a tomato or avocado half for a yummy, no bread option.

Meal Prep & Storage

This chicken salad is perfect for meal prep. The flavors keep developing as it sits in the fridge, and it just keeps getting better.

Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 to 4 days.

I do not recommend freezing it. The yogurt based dressing can separate and the celery loses its crunch once thawed.

Recipe FAQs

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More Chicken Salad Recipes to Love

• Buffalo Chicken Salad
• Creamy Honey Mustard Chicken Salad
• Poppy Seed Chicken Salad
• Cranberry Chicken Salad

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