Keto Chicken Salad (Classic Shredded Chicken Salad)

This creamy, shredded chicken salad is the perfect go-to chicken salad recipe… and it’s keto! Made in the style of beloved shredded chicken salads like Chicken Salad Chick or Costco’s rotisserie chicken salad, it’s quick and easy to make and perfect for meal prep all week. 0g net carbs!

What Makes This Recipe So Good

• This keto chicken salad is SO easy to make! Sure, you can cook chicken breasts specifically for your salad, buuuutttt…. If you want to make it even easier then you can start with cooked chicken, like a whole rotisserie chicken from Costco. Just make sure you remove the skin! Bonus: if you use a whole chicken then you can turn around and use the bones for collagen-rich Instant Pot Bone Broth That Gels.
• It’s got perfect keto macros! 1g total carbs, 0g net carbs, 31g of fat, 37g of protein… it’s a keto dream!
• If you end up with leftovers, refrigerate them in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days. Since it keeps well and there’s no reheating needed, it’s a great option for meal preps and make-ahead meals!

Chef’s Tips

• When you’re following a keto way of eating, the hard part with most dips and salads like this is finding a keto-friendly vessel to use. For this keto chicken salad, I like to serve it in lettuce cups, or with keto bacon chips, keto cheese chips, or keto almond flour crackers. You could also use celery stalks, or honestly, you could even enjoy it all on its own!
• I really recommend letting the chicken salad chill in the fridge for at least an hour before serving. It’s not a requirement or anything, but you’ll get much better flavors if you give everything time to mingle.
• If you’re serving keto chicken salad at a potluck or cookout, you want to be mindful of food safety recommendations! This recipe uses chicken and mayonnaise, so it should only sit out for 2 hours max at room temperature. If you’re serving it outside and the temp is over 90° Fahrenheit, it can only sit out for 1 hour max.
• Careful not to overcook your chicken! Remove it from the broth when it reaches 160° Fahrenheit, and let it rest 5 minutes before shredding it. It’ll cook a little more during that rest time, and should reach a food safe internal temperature of at least 165°F.

Flavor Variations

• For extra fat and protein, mix in chopped hardboiled eggs and cooked, chopped bacon! I like to top off a scoop of this variation with a little ranch dressing.
• Like your chicken salad a little spicy? Mix in buffalo sauce (as little or as much as you like) for a buffalo keto chicken salad.
• Finely chopped jalapeños are a great mix-in with a little kick! They give the chicken salad a nice, juicy crunch, too.
• On that note, if you’re a fan of pickles, you might like finely chopped pickles or keto-friendly sweet or dill relish in your keto chicken salad.
• For a Thanksgiving-season take on chicken salad, skip the celery and mix in fresh cranberries (yup – they’re keto-friendly!) and finely chopped walnuts or sliced, roasted almonds. You could even make your own dried cranberries with keto sweetener to use in your chicken salad.

🥑 Other Keto Recipes You’ll Love

• Keto Banana Bread
• 2-Ingredient Keto Magic Shell (Sugar-Free Chocolate Shell)
• Keto Lemon Bars
• Keto Tacos with Homemade Keto Tortillas
• Everything Bagel Chicken with Scallion Cream Cheese Sauce (Keto)
• Keto Sushi Rolls with Smoked Salmon
• Keto Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bites in the Air Fryer
• Creamy Keto Smothered Pork Chops
• Keto Sloppy Joes
• Cauliflower Potato Salad
• Keto Broccoli Cheese Soup
• Cheesy Italian Sausage & Bell Pepper Casserole (Low Carb, Keto)
• Keto Gravy
• Cottage Cheese Flatbread (Viral Tiktok Recipe)

Recipe By: Cheryl Malik

5 from 6 votes

Keto Chicken Salad (Classic Shredded Chicken Salad)

Prep 15 minutes minutes

Cook 0 minutes minutes

Total 15 minutes minutes

Made in the style of beloved shredded chicken salads like Chicken Salad Chick or Costco's rotisserie chicken salad, it's quick, easy to make, and totally keto – 0g net carbs!

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10 servings

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Equipment

• large mixing bowl with lid, or plastic wrap to cover
• large silicone spatula

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 ¼ pounds cooked, shredded chicken see Notes
• ▢ 1 ¼ cups mayonnaise plus more to taste
• ▢ 1 ¼ cups finely diced celery
• ▢ ¼ cup minced onion optional
• ▢ 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 ½ – 2 teaspoons salt more or less to taste
• ▢ 3-6 tablespoons low-sodium chicken broth or low-sodium chicken stock

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Instructions

 

• Add 2 ¼ pounds cooked, shredded chicken, 1 ¼ cups mayonnaise, 1 ¼ cups finely diced celery, ¼ cup minced onion (optional), 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, and 1 ½ – 2 teaspoons salt to large mixing bowl. Gently stir all ingredients together until well incorporated.
  
• Once incorporated, add chicken broth to mixture in 1-tablespoon increments, stirring well after each addition to fully incorporate broth. Continue adding broth until desired salad consistency is achieved. See Notes.
• Once desired consistency is achieved, taste salad mixture. Stir in additional mayonnaise, pepper, or salt as desired.
• Serve chicken salad immediately, or cover bowl with lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve.

• Chicken: If using store-bought cooked chicken, like rotisserie chicken, make sure to remove the skin first! See instructions below to cook chicken specifically for this recipe.
• Onion: Technically onions aren’t considered keto, but we only use a small amount in this recipe. They’re totally optional, though, so feel free to leave them out! Skipping them will save you 1-2 carbs overall.
• Chicken Broth: I typically use 4-6 tablespoons of chicken broth to get my perfect chicken salad consistency. You may need more or less depending on your preferences.
• To Shred the Chicken: Use your choice of method! See our post on the best shredded chicken for details on each.
• Make it Gluten Free: Be sure your chicken broth is 100% gluten free, with no chance of cross-contamination.
• Make it Paleo/Whole30: Make sure your chicken broth is gluten free and use a compatible mayo.

 

To Cook Chicken for Keto Chicken Salad

1. Place 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts in large skillet with high sides.
2. Pour 1 32-ounce carton of chicken broth into skillet, covering chicken completely.
3. Place skillet on stovetop over medium-high heat. Bring chicken broth to boil, then immediately reduce heat to medium-low.
4. Cover skillet with lid. Simmer chicken breasts, covered, 20 to 25 minutes, or until internal meat thermometer inserted into chicken breasts reads 160° Fahrenheit.
5. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside. Reserve chicken broth to use in chicken salad.
6. Let chicken rest, undisturbed, 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, chicken should read 165° Fahrenheit internally.
7. Shred chicken using method of choice, then continue with chicken salad recipe.

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Approximate Information for One Serving

Serving Size: 1servingCalories: 366calProtein: 26gFat: 28gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 88mgSodium: 633mgPotassium: 287mgTotal Carbs: 1gFiber: 0.3gSugar: 1gNet Carbs: 1gVitamin A: 118IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition Disclaimers

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

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