Tangy and full of flavor. This Greek yogurt chicken salad is no boring chicken salad…
This is one of those posts where I tell you weird random facts about myself.
When I was a kid I was obsessed with a couple different movies. I went through my phases but I could normally be found watching one of these movies:
I was such a weird little 7 years old.
Now, this particular salad is based off my memories of watching Urban Cowboy. There is a scene where Bud’s aunt brings over tuna salad (don’t worry I will get back to the chicken) and Sissy is complaining about how it contains too much onion and not enough apple and pecans. I remember every time I heard that line I thought “who in the world puts apple and nuts into their tuna salad?”
Well, I’m now grown up and I still don’t like pecans and apples in my tuna salad. However, when put into the chicken salad it’s amazing. Now why it took a roundabout movie reference in order for me to try this I have no idea. And not just any movie reference might I add. A movie that is heavily based on riding a mechanical bull…
Good lord.
Ok, enough about cheesy 80’s movies and more about chicken salad. Especially chicken salad made with Voskos plain Greek yogurt! Yes, that is correct there is no mayonnaise in this salad. The plain Greek yogurt gives it just the right tang without being overpowering. Plus it works wonderfully with the sweet fruit and crunchy toasted pecans.
I served my chicken salad over a delicious spinach salad but it would be great on a toasted croissant too.
Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad
This tangy Greek yogurt chicken salad is the perfect lunchtime meal. Packed full of chicken, apples, grapes, pecans and Greek yogurt.
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 bone-in whole chicken breasts
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1/2 cup red seedless grapes, halved
- 1 fuji apple, diced
- 1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans
Directions:
Preheat you oven to 350 degrees.
Drizzle each chicken breast with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Add to a baking sheet and bake for about 35 minutes until fully cooked. Set aside to cool until room temperature.
Once the chicken has cooled pick all the meat off the bone and add it to a bowl of an electric mixer. Add in yogurt and celery.
Mix the chicken on medium/low speed until shredded and mixed.
Stir in the grapes, apples and pecans. Add more yogurt if needed and season with salt and pepper.
Lay out 2 cups baby spinach onto each plate and top each plate with equal amounts of chicken salad.
Chelsea Mills
Wednesday 15th of April 2015
You say this makes 4 servings? How large are those servings? I am trying scale it to fit the needs of a large crowd.
nutmegnanny
Thursday 16th of April 2015
Hi Chelsea! The serving size sorta depends on the size of the chicken breasts but I'm going to guess about 1/2 cup per serving. We usually get 4 croissant sandwiches out of a batch. Hope this helps!
Kristie Moore
Wednesday 7th of May 2014
This looks amazing! Sad thing is I don't have have an electrical mixer :(
nutmegnanny
Wednesday 7th of May 2014
Hi Kristie! The mixer is just to easily shred the chicken. You can also shred the fresh chicken by hand or just use canned chicken. I have totally gone the canned route if I'm short on time. It still tastes great!
Stephanie Manley
Tuesday 6th of May 2014
Yummy! Love the photos!
Jess britt
Tuesday 21st of January 2014
I made it just like the recipe, except, grapes are not in season here in TN. I used cherries they had in the grape section at the store, they are a sweeter cherry and give it the same texture as the grapes, but a little different flavor. I liked it, and my 3 year old too.
Ashley
Tuesday 3rd of September 2013
Your recipe was really yummy and uncomplicated, thanks. My weirdly obsessed movie list was 1. Dirty Dancing 2. Little Mermaid 3. Home Alone vs. Drop Dead Fred I definitely thought I was the only little girl to watch Dirty Dancing a billion times. When I watch it now, I realize just how oblivious I was at 6.