Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad
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.
Wow that is a beautiful chicken salad! Great job, sounds delicious 🙂
nutmegnanny replied: — August 21st, 2013 @ 2:56 pm
Thank you! It was perfect for lunch 🙂
Pecans in chicken salad are the best! I love that you made it with yogurt, I’ll have to try that sometime.
nutmegnanny replied: — August 21st, 2013 @ 2:57 pm
I never knew how great it could be to add a little crunch until I tried it. Love it!
i love lightened up chicken salad..
nutmegnanny replied: — August 21st, 2013 @ 2:58 pm
Thanks! The best part is that it’s lightened up but without taking away any of the flavor.
Can I have this for lunch please?
nutmegnanny replied: — August 21st, 2013 @ 3:02 pm
Lunch date? 🙂
I was ob.sess.ed. with Dirty Dancing as a little kiddo! What were my parents even doing?! lol
nutmegnanny replied: — August 21st, 2013 @ 3:02 pm
Hahaha me too! Luckily I didn’t get half of the stuff that was going on in that movie. I just loved all the dancing 🙂
Beautiful photos!! I love LOVE chicken salad, and with greek yogurt it’s just that much better! YUMMY!
nutmegnanny replied: — August 21st, 2013 @ 3:03 pm
Thank you! I was surprised at how much I didn’t miss the mayonnaise.
The Urban Cowboy reference made me laugh out loud- how random of a movie for a 7 years old to love! But I agree- apples and nut in my chicken salad are a must. Love the grapes and yogurt, too! So deliciously Greek-ish. Who needs mayo?
nutmegnanny replied: — August 21st, 2013 @ 4:52 pm
I know! I was such a random kid.
Why haven’t I thought of swapping Greek yogurt for the mayo before? Brilliant. I love pecans and apples in chicken salad too. 🙂
nutmegnanny replied: — August 21st, 2013 @ 4:52 pm
The yogurt switch was the best decision ever! Hope you give it a try 🙂
I’ve been meaning to make chicken salad with Greek yogurt and THIS is the exact recipe I will use. Looks delicious 🙂 Thank you!
nutmegnanny replied: — August 21st, 2013 @ 4:59 pm
I hope you love it!
Dirty Dancing was one of my faves too! I remember watching it obsessively when I was way too young to be watching it!
I need to make this for my husband. He’s on a paleo kick and I’m sick of roasting whole chickens for him. This will shake things up a bit.
nutmegnanny replied: — August 21st, 2013 @ 10:21 pm
Yes! That was totally me. Thank goodness I never really understood the Penny situation until I was a teenager…haha. The chicken salad is great for Paleo!
I love this! Especially that it uses yogurt not mayo!
nutmegnanny replied: — August 21st, 2013 @ 10:26 pm
Thank you! I love the yogurt twist 🙂
Until I became a blogger I had never heard of all this STUFF mixed into tuna or chicken salad! At first I thought it was super weird…and now I think it’s fabulous!
nutmegnanny replied: — August 21st, 2013 @ 10:21 pm
Totally. I was such a tuna and chicken purest. Just a little onion and maybe celery. I’m totally digging all the fancy stuff now 🙂
Love Voskos Yogurt and this chicken salad looks just perfect!!
nutmegnanny replied: — August 27th, 2013 @ 12:52 am
Thank you Miss! I’m loving all the flavor option of the Voskos…so good!
Oh, I love using Greek yogurt as a replacement for mayo…and this chicken salad looks delish!!
nutmegnanny replied: — August 27th, 2013 @ 12:52 am
Thank you David! Now I’m looking for other areas where I can sub yogurt for mayo.
Aha! A chicken salad I might actually eat. (I hate mayonnaise.)
nutmegnanny replied: — August 27th, 2013 @ 12:53 am
Oh I could never hate mayonnaise. I actually dip my french fries into it…haha. However, I hope you give this salad a try because I have a feeling it’s right up your alley!
I always thought people who put fruit and nuts in their chicken/tuna salad were nuts…until I tried it! I am a convert for life. This sounds absolutely amazing!!! Love the yogurt in this!!!
nutmegnanny replied: — August 27th, 2013 @ 12:57 am
Thank you Jocelyn! I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought it sounded weird. I’m just happy I finally broke down and gave it a try!
This looks awesome, Brandy! Love grapes in chicken salad.
nutmegnanny replied: — August 27th, 2013 @ 1:23 am
Thank you Rachel!
Love it! This salad looks perfect!
I love grapes in chicken salad, this sounds wonderful!
I LOVE grapes, apples and nuts in chicken salad- you’re right- tuna is a no no but this looks perfect. Plus- I’m obsessed with subbing greek yogurt for where you’d normally find mayo- love this.
What a perfect weekend lunch! Thanks 🙂
I love making lightened up chicken salad. And yours has me craving a huge scoop of it right now. 🙂 Dirty dancing and little mermaid were my favorites!!
Yum! I love everything about this recipe! Never thought to use greek yogurt in chicken salad. Must try soon!
Oh man, I LOOOOOVED The Little Mermaid when I was little (and also now). I saw a preview for the remastered addition and I may or may not have cried a little. Anywho, beautiful salad. Sadly, doesn’t meet kosher criteria, but I’ll just enjoy and drool via pictures 🙂
nutmegnanny replied: — August 27th, 2013 @ 1:15 am
I used to say the lines along with the movie I watched it so much. It was the only movie my grandmother owned too so I watched it repeatedly when I spent the night.
I can totally get behind nuts and fruit in chicken salad and NOT tuna salad. I also despise mayonnaise, so this is perfect!
nutmegnanny replied: — August 27th, 2013 @ 1:11 am
I hope you give it a try! It’s really delicious and perfect if you’re not a fan of mayo.
I VERY much want this for lunch!
nutmegnanny replied: — August 27th, 2013 @ 1:01 am
You should definitely make it. It’s perfect for lunch 🙂
Love your addition of apple and grapes to this chicken salad – such an interesting flavor combo!
nutmegnanny replied: — August 27th, 2013 @ 1:01 am
Thank you Shashi! The apples are my favorite part 🙂
I’m with you – nuts and apples do not go in tuna salad – ONLY chicken salad. You’re spot on girl and this looks DIVINE!!
nutmegnanny replied: — August 27th, 2013 @ 1:01 am
Thanks Megan! Yeah, I’m a total traditionalist when it comes to my tuna salad!
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.
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.
Yummy! Love the photos!
This looks amazing! Sad thing is I don’t have have an electrical mixer 🙁
nutmegnanny replied: — May 7th, 2014 @ 10:40 am
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!
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 replied: — April 16th, 2015 @ 8:45 pm
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!