Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad
Aug 21, 2013, Updated Mar 05, 2017
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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.
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 🙂
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!
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!
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!
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!!
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.