Classic Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

If you ask me, chicken salad is one of those recipes that deserves a serious upgrade.

This Greek yogurt version takes everything you love about classic chicken salad and makes it lighter and fresher. Crunchy vegetables and crisp apples pair with a tangy, dill-packed Greek yogurt dressing.

It’s mixed with tender chicken and studded with grapes, almonds, and creamy avocado for good measure. Fresh cucumber and peppery radishes help round out all the flavors.

It’s a refreshing lunch or dinner option that feels filling without being heavy, perfect for serving over greens or piled onto your favorite bread.

What Kind of Greek Yogurt Should I Use?

For this chicken salad, you’ll want to use plain Greek yogurt – not the flavored stuff. Full-fat Greek yogurt will give you the creamiest, richest texture, but 2% or even non-fat will work just fine if you’re watching calories. The key is to make sure you’re using Greek yogurt specifically, not regular yogurt, since Greek yogurt is thicker and won’t make your chicken salad watery. If your yogurt seems a bit runny, you can strain it through a cheesecloth for about 30 minutes to thicken it up before mixing it into your salad.

Options for Substitutions

This chicken salad is really forgiving when it comes to swaps – here are some easy substitutions:

• Greek yogurt: Regular yogurt works fine, though you might want to strain it through cheesecloth for 30 minutes to thicken it up. Sour cream is another option, or you can use half mayo and half yogurt if you prefer a creamier texture.
• Fresh dill: If you don’t have fresh dill, use 1 tablespoon of dried dill instead. You could also swap it for fresh parsley or basil for a different flavor profile.
• Chicken: Rotisserie chicken from the store makes this super easy, but leftover grilled chicken, poached chicken, or even canned chicken in a pinch will work just fine.
• Almonds: Walnuts, pecans, or sunflower seeds all add that nice crunch. Toast them lightly for extra flavor.
• Fruits and vegetables: The apples, grapes, cucumber, and radishes can be mixed and matched based on what you have. Try dried cranberries, diced pears, or chopped bell peppers. Just keep the total amount of add-ins roughly the same.
• Scallions and chives: These can be used interchangeably, or you can substitute with finely chopped red onion if that’s what you have on hand.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake people make with chicken salad is adding the dressing while the chicken is still warm, which can cause the yogurt to separate and turn watery – always let your cooked chicken cool completely in the fridge before mixing.

Another common error is cutting your add-ins like apples, grapes, and celery into pieces that are too large, making the salad hard to scoop and eat, so aim for uniform bite-sized pieces about the same size as the chicken chunks.

To keep your apples from browning and making the salad look unappetizing, toss them in a little extra lemon juice before adding them to the mix.

Finally, don’t skip letting the finished salad chill for at least 30 minutes before serving, as this resting time allows all the flavors to blend together and makes for a much tastier result.

What to Serve With Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad?

This chicken salad is perfect stuffed into a pita pocket or rolled up in a soft tortilla wrap for an easy lunch. I love serving it on top of mixed greens or butter lettuce cups for a lighter meal, especially on warm days when you want something fresh and filling. You can also pile it onto toasted whole grain bread or crackers for a simple sandwich, or scoop it up with pita chips for a quick snack. If you’re feeding a crowd, set out the chicken salad with some fresh veggies like cherry tomatoes, bell pepper strips, and extra cucumber slices so everyone can build their own plate.

Storage Instructions

Store: This chicken salad keeps really well in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. I’d recommend adding the avocado right before serving though, since it can brown quickly. The flavors actually get better as they sit together, so it’s great for meal prep!

Make Ahead: You can prep most of the ingredients a day ahead to save time. Dice the chicken, chop the veggies, and mix up the yogurt dressing separately. Store everything in the fridge, then toss it all together when you’re ready to eat. Just wait to add the avocado and almonds until serving so they stay fresh and crunchy.

Serve: Give the chicken salad a good stir before serving since the dressing can settle at the bottom. It’s delicious cold straight from the fridge on a bed of greens, stuffed in a pita, or with some crackers on the side.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1050-1250
• Protein: 70-85 g
• Fat: 55-70 g
• Carbohydrates: 70-85 g

Ingredients

For the dressing:

• 1.25 cups yogurt (I prefer Fage 5% for a much creamier texture)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 5 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed for better acidity)
• 2 tbsp olive oil (I always use Bertolli Extra Virgin)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/3 cup fresh dill

For the salad:

• 3 cups cooked chicken (shredded or cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 3 scallions
• 1/4 cup onion
• 2 celery stalks (finely diced into 1/4-inch pieces for crunch)
• 1/2 cup apples
• 1/2 cup grapes (sliced lengthwise in halves)
• 1/2 cup almonds (I like Blue Diamond toasted slivered almonds)
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 cup cucumber
• 1/4 cup radishes
• 4 tbsp chives

Step 1: Prepare the Creamy Yogurt Dressing

• 1.25 cups yogurt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped

Mince the garlic cloves finely and add them to a medium bowl with the Greek yogurt, freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Whisk these ingredients together until smooth and well combined.

Finely chop the fresh dill and stir it into the dressing.

I always make the dressing first so the garlic has time to meld with the yogurt and develop more flavor by the time you’re ready to serve.

Step 2: Prep All the Vegetables and Fruits

• 3 scallions
• 1/4 cup onion
• 2 celery stalks
• 1/2 cup apples
• 1/2 cup grapes
• 1/2 cup cucumber
• 1/4 cup radishes
• 1 avocado

While the dressing is resting, prepare all your vegetables and fruits.

Thinly slice the scallions (both white and green parts), finely dice the onion into small pieces, and cut the celery stalks into 1/4-inch pieces for consistent crunch.

Core and dice the apple into bite-sized chunks, halve the grapes lengthwise, and dice the cucumber.

Thinly slice the radishes and cut the avocado into chunks just before assembly to prevent browning.

Step 3: Assemble the Salad Base

• 3 cups cooked chicken
• prepared vegetables and fruits from Step 2
• 1/2 cup almonds, toasted slivered
• creamy yogurt dressing from Step 1

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked chicken with the scallions, onion, celery, apples, grapes, and toasted almonds.

Pour the creamy yogurt dressing from Step 1 over the chicken mixture and gently fold everything together until the dressing is evenly distributed and all ingredients are well coated.

I like to use a rubber spatula and fold gently rather than stir vigorously to keep the chicken from breaking apart and the almonds intact.

Step 4: Finish and Serve

• assembled salad from Step 3
• 1/2 cup cucumber, diced
• 1/4 cup radishes, sliced
• 1 avocado, chunked
• 4 tbsp chives, chopped

Transfer the chicken salad to a serving bowl or individual plates.

Top with the fresh cucumber, radishes, and avocado chunks that you’ve set aside from Step 2.

Garnish generously with fresh chives and serve immediately.

The fresh vegetables and avocado on top stay crisp and create a beautiful presentation rather than getting soggy mixed into the salad.

Classic Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

Delicious Classic Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 17 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 1150

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the dressing

• 1.25 cups yogurt (I prefer Fage 5% for a much creamier texture)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 5 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed for better acidity)
• 2 tbsp olive oil (I always use Bertolli Extra Virgin)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/3 cup fresh dill

For the salad

• 3 cups cooked chicken (shredded or cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 3 scallions
• 1/4 cup onion
• 2 celery stalks (finely diced into 1/4-inch pieces for crunch)
• 1/2 cup apples
• 1/2 cup grapes (sliced lengthwise in halves)
• 1/2 cup almonds (I like Blue Diamond toasted slivered almonds)
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 cup cucumber
• 1/4 cup radishes
• 4 tbsp chives

Method

 

1. Mince the garlic cloves finely and add them to a medium bowl with the Greek yogurt, freshly squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Whisk these ingredients together until smooth and well combined. Finely chop the fresh dill and stir it into the dressing. I always make the dressing first so the garlic has time to meld with the yogurt and develop more flavor by the time you're ready to serve.
2. While the dressing is resting, prepare all your vegetables and fruits. Thinly slice the scallions (both white and green parts), finely dice the onion into small pieces, and cut the celery stalks into 1/4-inch pieces for consistent crunch. Core and dice the apple into bite-sized chunks, halve the grapes lengthwise, and dice the cucumber. Thinly slice the radishes and cut the avocado into chunks just before assembly to prevent browning.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cooked chicken with the scallions, onion, celery, apples, grapes, and toasted almonds. Pour the creamy yogurt dressing from Step 1 over the chicken mixture and gently fold everything together until the dressing is evenly distributed and all ingredients are well coated. I like to use a rubber spatula and fold gently rather than stir vigorously to keep the chicken from breaking apart and the almonds intact.
4. Transfer the chicken salad to a serving bowl or individual plates. Top with the fresh cucumber, radishes, and avocado chunks that you've set aside from Step 2. Garnish generously with fresh chives and serve immediately. The fresh vegetables and avocado on top stay crisp and create a beautiful presentation rather than getting soggy mixed into the salad.