Healthy California Chicken Salad Recipe
This lighter chicken salad is packed with juicy grapes, crunchy celery, and a sweet poppy seed dressing made with creamy mayo and tangy Greek yogurt. It's a healthy, flavorful twist on the classic and a perfect copycat of the popular Whole Foods Sonoma Chicken Salad. Whether you're using rotisserie chicken or leftover grilled chicken, this easy recipe is ideal for summer lunches, meal prep, or a no-cook dinner. Fresh, simple, and full of texture—it's everything you want in a chicken salad.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Salad Dressing
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
- ¼ teaspoon seasoned salt
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
Chicken Salad
- 2 cups chicken, cooked and chopped *see notes
- ½ cup grapes, halved
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- ¼ cup pecans, chopped
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix the dressing ingredients.
- Chop the chicken, grapes, celery, pecans and green onions.
- Add all chopped ingredients to the bowl with the dressing and stir to coat.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve on bread or a salad.
Notes
* I like to use rotisserie chicken or poached chicken for chicken salad. You can also used canned chicken if you are short on time. Crockpots and Instant Pots are also great ways to make a batch of tender chicken that is easy to shred.
*Store leftover chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days for the best results.
Because of the mayonnaise based dressing in the salad I do not recommend freezing chicken salad.