Description
A vibrant and flavorful California Chicken Salad featuring tender shredded chicken, sweet red grapes, crunchy celery, toasted pecans, and a creamy, tangy dressing made with Greek yogurt, avocado oil mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, honey, and white balsamic vinegar. This refreshing salad is perfect for a light lunch or picnic and can be enjoyed immediately or chilled for later.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 2 stalks celery, cut lengthwise then diced
- 1 cup red seedless grapes, halved
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced (green parts only)
- ½ cup pecans, chopped
- ½ tsp olive oil
Dressing Ingredients
- ⅓ cup full-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp avocado oil mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 tsp white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp poppy seeds
- ½ tsp sea salt (to taste)
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp coarse ground pepper
Instructions
- Toast Pecans: Heat a skillet over medium heat, add pecans, and drizzle with olive oil. Stir constantly for about 3 minutes until lightly toasted but not burnt. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Prepare Chicken: Place 4 rounded cups of shredded cooked chicken in a large mixing bowl. If the chicken has been stored in broth or water, drain it well and pat dry with paper towels to avoid watery salad.
- Prepare Vegetables and Grapes: Wash celery stalks, trim the ends, cut each lengthwise, then dice into small pieces. Wash grapes and halve them. Thinly slice the green parts of the green onions, discarding the white parts.
- Combine Salad Ingredients: Add diced celery, halved grapes, sliced green onions, and toasted pecans into the mixing bowl with shredded chicken. Gently toss together to combine.
- Make Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, avocado oil mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, honey, white balsamic vinegar, poppy seeds, sea salt, garlic powder, and coarse ground pepper until smooth and creamy.
- Toss Salad with Dressing: Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and toss thoroughly to ensure all ingredients are evenly coated.
- Serve or Store: Enjoy the salad immediately for best freshness or transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days. Serve chilled.
Notes
- Use cooked chicken breast or rotisserie chicken for convenience.
- For a lower sugar option, reduce honey or substitute with a sugar-free sweetener.
- Grapes add natural sweetness and moisture; be sure to pat dry if washed in advance.
- To make this salad dairy-free, substitute the Greek yogurt with a plant-based yogurt alternative.
- Store leftover salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator and consume within 4 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: No-cook with toasted nuts
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
Keywords: California chicken salad, chicken salad with grapes, healthy chicken salad, fruit and nut chicken salad, easy lunch salad, creamy chicken salad recipe
