This lighter California Chicken Salad recipe is full of juicy grapes, crunchy celery, and a creamy dressing made with mayonnaise and tangy Greek yogurt. If you are a fan of the Whole Foods Sonoma Chicken Salad recipe, you will love this healthier copycat recipe. Make this easy salad for your lunch meal prep for the week!
California Chicken Salad is a delicious recipe that typically features cooked chicken breast as the primary protein source, along with grapes, celery, walnuts or pecans, poppy seeds, and a creamy mayonnaise dressing.
The combination of these ingredients creates a balanced and satisfying meal that's rich in nutrients, textures, and flavors. I like to prepare a large batch of this salad on Sunday, so I have it on hand for quick lunches during the busy work week.
If you are looking for other quick, high-protein lunch options, check out my Dill Pickle Egg Salad, Mexican Chicken Salad, Tuna Caesar Salad, Tuna Mousse, Salmon Sushi Stacks, or Cottage Cheese Pizza Bowls.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Healthy And Delicious: This recipe includes good fats such as avocado oil-based mayonnaise, and Greek yogurt. It's also packed with protein. You can serve on butter lettuce for a low-carb meal, or on bread if you enjoy carbs.
- Quick And Easy: This is a great way to use up any leftover chicken you have, making it a quick and delicious meal.
- Versatile: You can totally tailor this recipe based on your preferences or dietary requirements.
Ingredients
- Chicken: For the best quality, you will want to use organic pasture-raised chicken breasts. You can chop or shred the breasts, it's up to you! Personally, I love smoking a whole chicken, or using my Dutch Oven Pulled Chicken for this recipe. If you are in a pinch, you can use a store-bought rotisserie chicken, but be sure to read the labels.
- Mayonnaise: The mayonnaise is part of the creamy component of this salad. I'm a big fan of Chosen Foods mayo as it's Whole30 compliant and made with avocado oil, rather than canola oil.
- Greek Yogurt: Greek yogurt helps cut the heaviness of the dish, while still contributing to the creamy texture. It also adds a little extra protein to the salad. I personally prefer an organic grass-fed Greek yogurt like Maple Hill Creamery, however, any full-fat Greek yogurt will work.
- Grapes: Sweet red grapes are perfect in this recipe. They add a touch of sweetness and texture. If you don't have red grapes you can certainly substitute with green grapes.
- Celery: Celery adds a bit of freshness and crunch to this delicious salad.
- Walnuts: The traditional Sonamoa Chicken Salad contains pecans, but in this recipe, I used walnuts, because that's what I enjoy. You can certainly use pecans if that's what you have on hand.
- Thyme: Fresh thyme adds a nice touch of brightness. If you don't have fresh thyme you can undoubtedly use dried thyme. You can also substitute for another herb if you choose.
- Black Pepper: Just a pinch will do ya!
- Sea Salt: Taste and adjust based on your liking.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions And Variations
- Swap Out The Mayo: If mayonnaise is not your jam, you can omit it and only use Greek yogurt. Alternatively, you could use a poppy seed dressing instead.
- Hint Of Spice: If you haven't tried Primal Kitchen's Chipotle Lime Mayonaise, you're missing out! You can swap out regular mayonnaise for the Chipotle Lime variation to add just a kick of heat to the salad.
- Touch Of Sweetness: If you want a touch of additional sweetness, try adding a tiny bit of raw honey or pure maple syrup.
- Herb It Up: For additional freshness play around with adding different fresh herbs to this dish. You can use whatever you have on hand or in your garden. You could also add green onions or a little red onion for some extra fresh flavors.
- Different Protein: Try using canned tuna instead!
- Dairy-Free or Nut-Free: You can use coconut yogurt to keep this dairy-free. Also, omit the walnuts and use pumpkin seeds for a nut-free version.
How To Make California Chicken Salad
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Step 1. Shred or chop your chicken breasts into small pieces and add to a large bowl.
Step 2. Top the shredded chicken with the mayonnaise, greek yogurt, grapes, celery, walnuts, and thyme, and fold everything to combine. Add a pinch of black pepper and toss again.
Step 3. Cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Expert Tips And Notes
- Shred Your Chicken: The easiest way I have found to quickly shred chicken is by placing the cooked breasts in a stand mixer and mixing on low for about 1 minute while using the paddle attachment.
- Meal Prep: The flavors only taste better the longer it sits, so go ahead and make a large batch to use for meal prep all week long. It's perfect for a quick lunch or dinner.
- Touch of Zing: I love adding just a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to add some extra brightness.
How To Serve California Chicken Salad
- Sandwich Or A Wrap: Use it as a delicious filling for sandwiches or wraps. You can spread it on sourdough bread, rolls, croissants, or tortillas, and add some lettuce for additional crunch. This is a great option for a quick and portable meal, and it is one of my favorite ways to enjoy this great recipe.
- With Crackers Or Crostini: You can serve this classic chicken salad as an appetizer by spooning it with crostini, pita chips, or gluten-free crackers. This is a great option for parties or gatherings.
- Stuffed In Veggies: For a creative low-carb option, try stuffing it into hollowed-out vegetables like bell peppers, or avocados.
- Lettuce Cups or Lettuce Wraps: For another low car option try making a lettuce cup or wrap. You can create a bed of greens or lettuce, and then arrange the salad on top and roll it up.
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Storage and Reheating
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. I'm telling you, it tastes better the next day!
- Reheating: There is no need to reheat this, but you can serve it at room temperature.
Recipe FAQs
You can bake it, slow cook it, poach it, or cook it in an instant pot. My favorite way is to make an entire smoked chicken and then shred it up. You could also use pre-cooked chicken or grilled chicken for this dish.
Yes! You can use more Greek yogurt and less mayonnaise to make it lighter. You could also opt for a low-fat Greek yogurt as well.
I would not recommend freezing this dish. It will change the texture of the dressing making it watery when it defrosts.
Other Related Chicken Recipes
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California Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 16 oz Cooked Chicken Breast
- ¼ cup Mayonaise
- 3 tablespoon Greek Yogurt
- ⅓ cup Grapes
- 2 stalks Celery
- 3 tablespoon Walnuts chopped
- ¼ teaspoon Thyme
- 1 pinch Black Pepper
- 1 pinch Sea Salt
Instructions
- Shred your chicken breasts and add to a large mixing bowl.
- Top the shredded chicken with the mayonnaise, greek yogurt, grapes, celery, walnuts, and thyme, and fold everything to combine. Taste for seasonings and add black pepper and a pinch of sea salt if you desire.
- Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
- Shred Your Chicken: The easiest way I have found to quickly shred chicken is by placing cooked breasts in a stand mixer and mixing on low for about 1 minute while using the paddle attachment.
- Meal Prep: The flavors only taste better the longer it sits, so go ahead and make a large batch to use for meal prep all week long. It's perfect for a quick lunch or dinner.
- Touch of Zing: I love adding just a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to add some extra brightness.
Anonymous says
Had to stop myself from eating it all 🫣 excited for leftovers!!
Nadia Shatila says
So glad you enjoyed it! It's so great for meal prep!
K says
Tastes good, but the 4 portions are ridiculously small. Each portion is only about a 1/2 cup big. The whole thing would be about 1,400 cals.
Nadia says
Hi K-
Thanks for the feedback. The recipe is written so that each portion contains 4oz of chicken. Feel free to adjust the quantities as needed. You can use more low-fat Greek yogurt to reduce the calories if that's the concern. Have a great day!