High Protein Chicken Salad
40aprons.com/high-protein-chicken-salad/So delicious, this high protein chicken salad has 30+ grams of protein and is loaded with crisp apples, crunchy pecans, and juicy grapes. Perfect for busy weeknights or kids' lunches.
Recipe Makes (Approximate):
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- small mixing bowl
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Mixing spoon or large spatula
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (fully cooked, shredded or chopped into bite-sized pieces - approximately 4 cups)
- ½ cup red grapes (halved)
- ½ cup celery (diced)
- 1 ¼ cups green apple (diced - 1 medium apple, optional)
- ⅓ cup green onion (chopped)
- ½ cup pecans (chopped - toasted or raw, see Notes)
- ¾ cup Greek yogurt (up to 1 cup if desired½ teaspoon salt - more or less to taste)
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper (more or less to taste)
Instructions
- Add 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (fully cooked, shredded or chopped into bite-sized pieces, approximately 4 cups), ½ cup halved red grapes, ½ cup diced celery, 1 ¼ cups diced green apple, ⅓ cup chopped green onion, and ½ cup chopped pecans to large mixing bowl.
- Stir ingredients together until well blended. Set aside.
- Add ¾ cup Greek yogurt, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper to small mixing bowl. Stir ingredients together until fully combined.
- Transfer Greek yogurt mixture to large mixing bowl with chicken and vegetables. Gently fold chicken salad ingredients into yogurt mixture until all ingredients are mixed and well coated.
- Cover mixing bowl with lid or plastic wrap. Place bowl in refrigerator and chill salad at least 1 hour. Immediately prior to serving, remove salad from refrigerator and uncover. Gently stir salad again if needed and serve chilled.
Recipe Notes
Make it Strict Keto/Very Low-Carb: Skip the grapes and apple entirely to drop the carbs to around 2 to 3 grams per serving. Add extra celery for crunch or crispy bacon bits for extra flavor and fat.
Make it Traditional: Replace Greek yogurt with ¾ cup mayonnaise for classic deli-style chicken salad. Note that this significantly reduces the protein content.
Storage: Store chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The apples may brown slightly after day 3. Add a splash of lemon juice to diced apples before mixing to help prevent browning.
Make-Ahead: This salad tastes even better after sitting overnight in the fridge as the flavors blend together. If making more than a few hours ahead, wait to add the pecans until just before serving so they stay crunchy.
Toast the Pecans: For best flavor, toast pecans at 350°F for 5 to 7 minutes until fragrant. Let cool completely before adding to salad. Raw pecans work fine if you're short on time.
Adjust Greek Yogurt Amount: Start with ¾ cup and add up to 1 cup total if you prefer a creamier, saucier chicken salad. For meal prep, use less (¾ cup) since the salad will release some liquid as it sits.
Rotisserie Chicken Shortcut: One large rotisserie chicken yields about 4 cups of shredded meat. Let chicken cool completely before mixing with Greek yogurt to prevent watery texture.
Nutrition Information (Approximate)
Calories: 270calProtein: 36gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 193mgPotassium: 720mgTotal Carbs: 9gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gNet Carbs: 7gVitamin A: 167IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 52mgIron: 1mg
https://40aprons.com/high-protein-chicken-salad/