This Chicken Salad with Herbs is completely customizable. Choose any nuts, fruits, and fresh herbs to stir into the mix. This recipe is perfect for picnics, camping, or meal prep throughout the week.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are my own; I never feature a brand that I don’t love! See my disclosure policy for more details.

Is chicken salad healthy?

I think sometimes chicken salad gets a bad rap. It’s often seen as a processed, calorie-laden dish. However, by making it at home with a few simple swaps–it turns into a lightened up, protein-packed meal!

As a dietitian, I recommend swapping full fat mayo for light mayo. This will help reduce the overall fat and calorie content. To go a step further, swap the mayo altogether for plain greek yogurt. This makes the chicken salad extra creamy and adds even more satisfying protein into the mix.

You can make this chicken salad even more nourishing by piling on the lettuce or eating with a side of crunchy veggies like carrots or snap peas.

How do you make chicken salad with herbs?

This recipe comes together in a matter of minutes. All you need is 8 ingredients and 10 minutes of your time.

• First, gather and prep your ingredients. If you’re using raw chicken, you’ll need to cook and cool this first. You can also buy a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken or pulled chicken from the deli section. To make it even easier, you can order pulled chicken in a Hungryroot order that’s delivered straight to your door! 
• Next, stir everything together. If you’re making this recipe ahead of time, save on dirty dishes by stirring everything together in a meal prep bowl so it can go straight in the fridge with a lid on top.
• Finally, serve over any “base” of your choice. This chicken salad is delicious served over croissants, whole grain toast, bagels, crackers, or leafy greens. Again, the cheerful choice is yours! 

Customize it your way

Like all of my recipes, this healthy chicken salad recipe is completely customizable. Here’s the general template to follow:

• Add creaminess – You can use either plain greek yogurt or light mayo. Greek yogurt will be much higher in protein but light mayo is still a good, lower fat option.
• Add nuts – You can use any nuts of your choice but ones that typically go best with chicken salad are walnuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, or pine nuts.
• Add fruit – Fruit adds a touch of sweetness and extra crunch to the chicken salad. You can use halved grapes, chopped apples, dried cranberries, orange slices, blueberries, or really any other fruit you like.
• Add herbs – Don’t skip out on the fresh herbs! They add loads of flavor. You can use any fresh herbs you’d like, but I have a few suggestions below.

What are the best herbs for chicken salad?

Some of the best fresh herbs to use for chicken salad are chives, dill, thyme, and tarragon. However, you could also try using herbs like parsley, basil, or cilantro. Have extra herbs? Try using them in egg frittatas, lamb meatballs, or chickpea salad.

If you’re in a pinch and don’t have fresh herbs, you can swap for 2 teaspoons of dried herbs. 

Can you make chicken salad ahead of time?

Yes! The great part about chicken salad is you can make it in advance. Feel free to store in an airtight container for 3 to 5 days. 

Need more hands-on help with recipes?

In my coaching + cooking program, I help busy people with beginner cooking knowledge become confident in the kitchen. Click here to learn more about this virtual program with a dietitian.

Want more? Try these other creamy salad recipes:

• Chickpea Salad
• Egg Salad
• Tuna Avocado Salad
• Pasta Salad 

save this chicken salad with herbs recipe on pinterest: