This Green Goddess Chicken Salad comes together in just 20 minutes and is perfect for meal prepping during a busy week. With lots of fresh herb flavor in a creamy dressing. I’ll share my secret so it’s never dry!
I originally developed this recipe because lunch is hands-down the hardest meal for me to hit my protein goals. Breakfast and dinner? Easy. Lunch? Not so much. This chicken salad solved that problem in the most delicious way. I make a batch on Monday and enjoy it for quick lunches straight from the fridge, piled onto crackers, or tucked into lettuce cups.
I love the crunch from toasted walnuts and cucumber, and sometimes I mix in diced celery, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds, depending on what I have on hand. Most days, I eat it with whole-grain crackers because it’s easy, but let’s be honest, there are plenty of fork straight-from-the-container moments too. Oh and it’s never dry, my secret is be sure to shred that chicken nice and small, that way the dressing coats it all!
I also tweaked my classic Green Goddess Dressing to better fit the texture and flavor of chicken salad. It’s slightly thicker, extra herby, and ultra-creamy without feeling heavy.
If you like salads like this one, be sure to try my Chicken Salad Chick recipe or my Chicken Salad with Grapes recipe, too!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- High-protein and filling. Green goddess chicken salad is packed with protein, perfect for lunches that actually keep you full!
- Great for meal prep. Make it once and enjoy it all week! Easy as that!
- Creamy without being heavy. With Greek yogurt and avocado, you’ll need just a little mayo to make the salad super creamy!
- Packed with fresh herbs and bright flavor. The fresh herbs make this chicken salad vibrant and anything but boring!
- Super versatile. Serve it as a sandwich, wrap, in lettuce cups, or straight from the bowl!
- Easier than the Tiktok Viral recipe: Maybe you’ve seen the version on Tiktok with cabbage and nutritional yeast, I’m going for easy, tasty and delish here!
Ingredients
Green Goddess Dressing (or dip) yum!
- Greek Yogurt: Adds creaminess and protein! I like to use full-fat Greek yogurt for the best flavor and texture, but you can use your favorite.
- Mayonnaise: Just enough for a bit of richness (avocado mayo works great)!
- Avocado: Makes the dressing luscious and smooth
- White Wine Vinegar: Brightens everything up beautifully!
- Shallot & Garlic: This combo adds loads of savory flavor.
- Fresh Herbs: You will need fresh basil, fresh parsley and fresh dill! These are the heart of green goddess flavor.
- Kosher Salt & Black Pepper: To bring it all together!
Chicken Salad
- Cooked Chicken: Rotisserie chicken is a huge time-saver here! Try my meal-prep slow cooker shredded chicken.
- Red Onion: Adds a little bite! I like to soak it first just to mellow it out.
- Walnuts: Toasted for crunch and depth!
- English Cucumber: Fresh, crisp, and refreshing. Or Persian cucumbers, but you might want to peel them first.
- Lemon Juice: This is optional as a final pop of brightness.
Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.
How to Make Green Goddess Chicken Salad
Step 1 – Make the Dressing
Combine all of the dressing ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, high-speed blender or using an immersion blender. Blend until smooth, adding 1-2 tablespoons of water to thin if needed.
Step 2 – Combine Mix-ins and Dressing
In a large bowl, toss together the chicken (make sure it’s shredded nice and small), red onion (see notes), walnuts, and cucumber. Add dressing to the chicken mixture and toss to coat. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Taste, if it needs a bit more salt add it now, or a squeeze of lemon juice might add the perfect touch!
Top with some fresh chopped herbs, some chives or green onions and call it lunch!
Expert Tips
- Use rotisserie chicken to save time. Store-bought rotisserie chicken makes this recipe extra easy to make. Remove the skin and shred it while it’s still slightly warm for the best texture.
- Shred the chicken finely for the best texture. For the best texture, shred the chicken nice and fine. Smaller pieces soak up that Green Goddess dressing, so every bite is creamy and full of flavor. It also helps the salad hold together better—perfect for sandwiches, lettuce cups, or wraps. I usually grab one of these shredders to make quick work of it, but you can also toss warm chicken into a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for a few seconds. Just don’t overdo it—you want tender shreds, not chicken mush!
- Dice the red onion very small (and soak it first!). Finely diced onion adds flavor without overpowering the salad. A quick soak in ice water mellows the sharp bite and keeps it from dominating the herbs.
- Toast the walnuts for a deeper flavor and crunch. Toasting brings out the natural oils in the nuts and adds a richer, nuttier flavor. Let them cool completely before adding so they stay crisp.
- Taste and adjust seasoning before serving. Chicken salad almost always benefits from a final pinch of salt or squeeze of lemon. Adjusting at the end ensures the flavors are balanced and bright.
Variations
- Creamy Base: If preferred, use all Greek yogurt and skip the mayo!
- Vinegar: Replace the white wine vinegar with red wine vinegar, rice vinegar or champagne vinegar. You could even try using a couple lemons instead.
- Herbs: Use your favorite herbs, just plan to use 1 cup. Try tarragon, cilantro or your favorites!
- Mix-Ins: In addition to the cucumber or in place of it, you can use celery! When it comes to nuts, they are optional, but I personally love the additional protein and crunch in the salad. You can also try adding cooked bacon to the mix!
- Vegetables: This is a hearty chicken salad, but try serving it atop a bed of fresh baby spinach or kale, mixing in some shredded green cabbage, or chopped jalapeño.
- Lighten it up: I prefer using full-fat ingredients however, if preferred you can use non-fat yogurt and light mayonnaise.
- Protein: This also is delicious using 2 cans of albacore tuna, drained, of course!
- Use your favorite nuts or seeds: Try cashews, pecans, pistachios, slivered almonds, sunflower seeds, pepitas (pumpkin seeds) you get the idea!
What to Serve with Green Goddess Chicken Salad
For easy weekday meals, I love serving Green Goddess chicken salad with whole-grain crackers or spooned over a bed of greens for a simple salad. It’s also delicious tucked into pita bread, rolled into a wrap, or piled onto toasted bread or croissants!
When serving guests, set it out with butter lettuce leaves, sliced bread, and crackers so everyone can build their own plate. It also goes well with crunchy veggies on the side, like sliced cucumbers, radishes, or carrot sticks. And honestly, don’t underestimate how good it is straight from the bowl with a fork when you need something fast!
Storage
- To refrigerate: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Meal prep friendly: Stir before serving to redistribute the dressing!
- Freezing: Not recommended as the dressing doesn’t thaw well.
Dietary Notes
This is a naturally gluten-free recipe. To make it dairy-free, use your favorite dairy-free plain yogurt, and mayonnaise is naturally dairy-free. If making vegan, use plant-based yogurt and vegan mayonnaise.
FAQs
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work great, especially if they’re poached or roasted simply. Rotisserie chicken is also a fantastic shortcut and adds extra flavor.
Celery, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or cooked bacon all add great texture and flavor. You can also play with different herbs or add extra cucumber for even more crunch.
Finely shredding the chicken helps it absorb the dressing more evenly, which keeps it from being dry. Always taste before serving and add a little extra dressing or a splash of lemon juice if needed!
Yes, this chicken salad is perfect for sandwiches, wraps, and pita pockets. Its thicker, creamy texture holds up well without getting soggy.
More Delicious Chicken Recipes
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Ingredients
Green Goddess Dressing
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt I use whole milk, other % may be used but it won't be as creamy
- ¼ cup mayonnaise I like using avocado mayo
- ½ large avocado ripe or 1 whole small avocado
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar red wine vinegar works also
- 1 tablespoon shallot minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves roughly chopped
- ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped
- ¼ cup fresh dill roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- Black pepper to taste
Chicken Salad Ingredients
- 2 cooked chicken breasts or 4 cups cooked chicken, I used rotisserie chicken
- ¼ cup red onion diced (see notes for how to take the bite out of it)
- ½ cup walnuts chopped & toasted (See notes)
- ½ – 1 cup English cucumber finely chopped
- ½ lemon squeezed (optional)
Instructions
Green Goddess Dressing
- Combine all of the dressing ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or high-speed blender or using an immersion blender.½ cup plain Greek yogurt, ¼ cup mayonnaise, ½ large avocado, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon shallot, 2 cloves garlic, ½ cup fresh basil leaves, ¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, ¼ cup fresh dill, ½ teaspoon Kosher salt, Black pepper to taste
- Blend until smooth, adding 1-2 tablespoons of water to thin if needed.
Chicken Salad
- In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, red onion (see notes), walnuts, and cucumber.2 cooked chicken breasts, ¼ cup red onion, ½ cup walnuts, ½ – 1 cup English cucumber
- Add dressing to the chicken mixture and toss to coat. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
- Taste, if it needs a bit more salt add it now, or a squeeze of lemon juice might add the perfect touch!½ lemon
Notes
- Red Onion: Take the bite out of the red onion by placing it in a sieve in a bowl of ice water for 5-10 minutes, shaking out the water, and adding it to the chicken.
- Toasted walnuts: In a heavy-bottomed skillet (such as cast iron) over medium heat, toss around walnuts for 3-5 minutes until a nutty aroma develops. Don’t walk away they can burn quickly. Cool before adding to the chicken salad.
- If preferred, use all Greek yogurt in place of mayo
- Replace the white wine vinegar with red wine vinegar, or champagne vinegar.
- Use your favorite herbs, just plan to use 1 cup. Try tarragon, cilantro or your favorites
- In addition to the cucumber or in place of, you can use celery instead.
- Lighten it up further; I prefer using full-fat ingredients, however; if preferred; use non-fat yogurt and light mayonnaise.
- Nuts are optional, but I personally love the additional protein and crunch in the salad
- Try adding cooked bacon
- This also is delicious using 2 cans of albacore tuna, drained of course.
Nutrition
Naomi
So fresh! A wonderful change from typical chicken salad.
Thank you so much Naomi!