This high protein chicken salad is the lunch I make when I have ten free minutes, a fridge full of leftover chicken, and a teenager who will absolutely judge me if I eat cereal for dinner a third night in a row. It swaps the mayo for Greek yogurt, lands around 35 grams of protein per serving, and tastes like the chicken salad you actually want — creamy, tangy, a little sweet, and crunchy in all the right places.
If you came here googling “is chicken salad healthy,” “how much protein in chicken salad,” or just “feed me, I’m busy,” you’re in the right kitchen. I’ll give you the recipe, the real numbers, the meal-prep notes, and the one trick that keeps it from turning into chicken soup by Wednesday.
High Protein Chicken Salad — 35g Protein, 10 Minutes
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, celery, red onion, grapes, almonds, and parsley.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, Dijon, lemon zest and juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Pour the dressing over the chicken and fold until everything is evenly coated. Add a spoonful more yogurt if you want it creamier.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper, then chill at least 20 minutes (overnight is even better).
- Serve on toast, in lettuce wraps, with crackers, or straight from the bowl with a fork.
Nutrition
Notes
Keep it from getting watery: pat the chicken dry, use thick Greek yogurt, and salt the diced onion for a minute then blot it.
Higher protein (40g+): fold in 1/2 cup blended cottage cheese, or add another 1/2 cup chicken.
Storage: keep in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days. Freezing isn’t recommended — yogurt dressings separate when thawed.
Nutrition is an estimate and varies with your specific ingredients and brands.
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!Okay, So Where Did This Come From?
I am the person in my house who sneaks protein into things nobody asked me to. It started years ago with a banana bread — I had a counter full of sad, overripe bananas and no plan. I packed it with protein, the kids and their friends inhaled it before I could even photograph the thing, and I knew I had something special. That recipe eventually became part of my first cookbook.
Chicken salad was the same energy, just savory. I wanted a protein chicken salad that ate like a real meal instead of a side dish at a baby shower. So I leaned on the trick I trust most: more chicken, Greek yogurt doing the heavy lifting, and just enough crunch and sweetness to make it feel like a treat. My picky family can’t tell I lightened it up, which around here is the highest possible compliment.
My son recently told his friends I’m “weirdly into protein.” Reader, he’s not wrong, and the feel goods I got from that were enormous.
How Much Protein Is in Chicken Salad? Let’s Talk Numbers
(makes “serious” face) Real quick, because half of you came here to find out exactly this. Chicken salad is only as high-protein as you build it. A version that’s mostly mayo with a little chicken is not going to move the needle. A version that’s chicken-forward and bound with Greek yogurt absolutely will.
Here’s where this recipe lands, per serving (it makes four):
PER SERVING | SERVES 4
35g PROTEIN
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~300 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | ~11 g |
| Fat | ~12 g |
| Fiber | ~2 g |
Estimate only. Actual numbers shift with your chicken cut, yogurt fat level, and how heavy-handed you are with the almonds (no judgment). For raw-ingredient references, chicken breast nutrition is well documented at USDA FoodData Central.
Is Chicken Salad Good for You? The No-Spin Version
I’m not here to make promises about your body — I’m a recipe developer, not your doctor. What I can do is hand you the facts and let you drive.
Chicken salad is built on chicken, which is a lean protein. After that, the whole nutrition picture comes down to two things: how much chicken you use and what you bind it with. A classic mayo-heavy scoop leans higher in fat and calories. Swap that mayo for Greek yogurt, like this healthy chicken salad recipe does, and more of the calories shift toward protein instead of fat. Same creamy texture, different math.
That’s the appeal of a high protein chicken salad with Greek yogurt: you get the comfort-food version without the “what did I just eat” feeling. The numbers are right there on the card — read them, then decide what fits your day.
Greek Yogurt vs. Mayo: What Actually Changes
This is the one swap that turns ordinary chicken salad into a chicken salad without mayo that nobody complains about. Here’s the honest comparison, spoon for spoon:
| Per 2 tbsp | Plain Greek yogurt | Mayonnaise |
|---|---|---|
| Flavor | Tangy, fresh, a little zip | Rich, neutral, oily |
| Protein | Adds a few grams | Adds essentially none |
| Fat & calories | Lower | Higher |
| Texture | Creamy, slightly looser | Thick, ultra-rich |
If you genuinely love that mayo richness, you don’t have to go cold turkey (sorry). Use half Greek yogurt and half mayo and you’ll still bump the protein while keeping that classic feel.
What You’ll Need
Nothing weird, nothing you need a specialty store for. This is a shredded chicken salad at heart, dressed up just enough.
- Cooked chicken (3 cups): Rotisserie is the fast lane. Poached or grilled chicken breast works beautifully too. Shred it for classic texture or chop it for more bite. Need a hand? Here’s how I shred chicken in 30 seconds.
- Plain Greek yogurt (¾ cup): Nonfat or 2%. This is your creamy base and your protein boost.
- Dijon mustard (1 tbsp): A little tang and backbone.
- Lemon (1, zested + juiced): Keeps the whole thing bright, even on day three.
- Celery (2 stalks) + red onion (⅓ cup): The crunch-and-bite team.
- Grapes (¾ cup, halved): The little pops of sweet that make people go “ooh, what’s in this?”
- Sliced almonds (¼ cup): For crunch and a few healthy fats. Pecans or walnuts work too.
- Parsley, garlic powder, salt, pepper: Fresh parsley earns its spot — it adds color and a fresh note.
How to Make It
This is a high protein chicken salad recipe with exactly zero complicated steps. If you can stir, you’re qualified.
- Mix the base. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, celery, red onion, grapes, almonds, and parsley.
- Whisk the dressing. In a smaller bowl, whisk the Greek yogurt, Dijon, lemon zest and juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Fold it together. Pour the dressing over the chicken and fold until everything’s coated. Want it creamier? Add another spoonful of yogurt.
- Taste, then chill. Adjust salt and pepper. Let it rest in the fridge at least 20 minutes — overnight is even better — so the flavors get acquainted.
- Serve. Toast, lettuce wrap, crackers, or straight from the bowl standing at the counter (my preferred method, I won’t pretend otherwise).
How to keep it from getting watery / texture tips
This is the part nobody tells you, and it’s why some chicken salads turn into a puddle by day two. A few small moves fix it:
Insider tip
Pat the chicken dry, use thick yogurt, and tame the onion. Blot your cooked chicken with a paper towel before mixing. Use proper Greek yogurt (the thick stuff), not regular. And here’s the sneaky one: salt your diced red onion on its own for a minute, then blot it — it pulls out the water that would otherwise leak into your salad later. If you’re meal-prepping, you can even strain the yogurt for ten minutes first for an extra-thick result.
Variations & Swaps
This recipe is a base, not a rulebook. Here’s how to bend it to your day:
Push the protein higher (macro-friendly)
Want a true macro friendly chicken salad? Fold in ½ cup of blended cottage cheese with the yogurt, or just add another half-cup of chicken. Either move takes you north of 40 grams of protein per serving.
Lower-carb version
Skip the grapes and add diced cucumber or a few extra celery ribs for crunch. You keep the freshness and trim the carbs for a high protein low carb chicken salad.
Dairy-free
Swap the Greek yogurt for a thick unsweetened plant-based yogurt. Texture stays creamy; the protein dips slightly depending on the brand.
Nut-free
Drop the almonds and use roasted sunflower seeds, or just skip them. Still crunchy, still great in a lunchbox.
Buffalo, because why not
Add a couple tablespoons of Frank’s Red Hot and a little extra yogurt. Suddenly it’s buffalo chicken salad and your whole week improves.
Meal Prep & Storage
This is genuinely one of the best chicken salad meal prep options going. Make a batch Sunday, eat well all week.
- Fridge: Keep it in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The flavor actually gets better after a night in the fridge.
- Don’t leave it out: Two hours at room temperature is the limit — see the USDA cold-storage guidance if you want the official word.
- Freezing? I’d skip it. Yogurt-based dressings separate and go watery when thawed. This one’s built to live in the fridge, not the freezer.
Ways to Serve It
There’s no wrong way here, whether you’re packing a gym bag, building a desk lunch, or feeding a crowd:
- On toast. Sourdough, toasted, maybe a leaf of lettuce. The crowd favorite.
- Lettuce wraps. Big romaine leaves for a lighter, crunchier handful.
- With crackers. The classic scoop-and-go. Great for sharing.
- Stuffed in an avocado or tomato. Looks fancy, takes zero extra effort.
- Straight from the bowl. A fork, the container, no plate. We’ve all been there.
More high protein recipes
If this one hit the spot, you’re going to want these in your back pocket too:
- 5 High Protein Chicken Recipes
- High Protein Chicken Enchiladas
- High Protein Pasta
- High Protein Buffalo Chicken Dip
- High Protein Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese
High Protein Chicken Salad FAQs
Is chicken salad high in protein?
It can be, because chicken is a lean source of protein. The amount depends on how much chicken you use and what binds it. This version uses plenty of chicken plus Greek yogurt, which lands it around 35 grams of protein per serving.
How much protein is in chicken salad?
It varies a lot. A mayo-heavy version with little chicken is modest; a chicken-forward, Greek-yogurt version is much higher. This recipe comes in at roughly 35 grams of protein per serving based on the listed ingredients.
Is chicken salad good for you?
Chicken salad is built on a lean protein, but the full picture depends on the dressing and mix-ins. A mostly-mayo version is higher in fat and calories; a Greek yogurt version shifts more calories toward protein. The numbers are on the recipe card — that’s the honest answer, no spin.
Can I use Greek yogurt instead of mayo in chicken salad?
Yes. Plain Greek yogurt gives you the same creamy texture with a tangier flavor and more protein. If you miss the richness, go half yogurt, half mayo.
How do you keep chicken salad from getting watery?
Pat the cooked chicken dry, use thick Greek yogurt (not regular), and salt the diced onion for a minute then blot it. Prepping ahead? Strain the yogurt for ten minutes before mixing for an extra-thick result.
What’s the best chicken for chicken salad?
Any cooked chicken. Rotisserie is fastest, poached breast is leanest, and leftover roast or grilled chicken brings the most flavor. Shred it for classic texture or chop it for more bite.
Can you freeze chicken salad?
It’s not ideal. Yogurt-based dressings separate and turn watery once thawed, and the veggies soften. Store it in the fridge and enjoy within a few days instead.
How long does chicken salad last in the fridge?
In an airtight container, up to 4 days — which makes it great for meal prep. Keep it cold and don’t leave it out for more than two hours.
The Bottom Line
So that’s the whole playbook: one high protein chicken salad, about 35 grams of protein, ten minutes, and zero sad lunches. Make a batch, tell me what you mixed in, and leave a rating below — 99 problems, but lunch ain’t one of them.
