This chicken salad is deliciously creamy, dotted with sweet red grapes, crunchy celery, and crisp almond slices. Served on top of greens, it's a healthy, paleo and keto chicken salad.

This chicken salad recipe in a glass bowl with wooden salad spoons.

Chicken salad used to be a guilty pleasure, but it doesn't have to be. This recipe is made with lean chicken breasts, sugar-free mayo, fruit, veggies, and nuts. We love it on crunchy salad greens, but it's great in a sandwich, too.

Why we love this chicken salad recipe

  • It's deliciously creamy.
  • If you use quality mayo made with healthy fats and no sugar (or make your own!) then this is a healthy recipe.
  • Sweet bites of red grapes.
  • Even dotted with grapes, this is still a keto chicken salad.
  • Crunchy toasted almonds.
  • Lots of crisp celery.
  • A little sprinkle of fresh dill to liven things up.
All the ingredients for how to make chicken salad in a glass bowl.

How to make chicken salad

The only (slightly) time-consuming part of making chicken salad is cooking the chicken. But even that part is very easy.

  1. Put the chicken breasts in a pot and cover them with water. Let them simmer for 20 minutes then remove them from the pot and cut them into small pieces.
  2. Add the diced chicken and the rest of the ingredients to a large bowl and mix them together.
  3. Done!

I like to chop the veggies and add the ingredients to the bowl while the chicken is cooking. You'll even have time to tidy the kitchen before the chicken is ready.

To save a little extra time, you can use rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken. Both work great. You can either dice it (as the recipe calls for) or shred it.

A close up of this keto chicken salad with grapes and almonds.

Is this a keto chicken salad recipe?

It sure is! This chicken salad rings in at only 4.6 grams of net carbs, making it the ideal keto lunch recipe. It also keeps well for several days, so it's perfect for keto lunch meal prep.

But aren't grapes high in carbs?

Yes, they are. Most of the carbs in this recipe come from the grapes. We cut them into quarters so that we get a little sweetness with most bites.

Is chicken salad healthy?

It can be, and this one is healthy. We make it with homemade mayonnaise which uses quality oil (healthy fats!) and contains no sugar. If you serve it on salad greens or in a wrap, it is a Whole30, paleo, gluten-free, and a keto chicken salad recipe.

Lettuce greens in a bowl topped with chicken salad.

What to serve with chicken salad

I love to keep this a low carb chicken salad, so I tend to serve this with low carb veggies. 

  • On top of crunchy salad greens in a bowl
  • In a lettuce wrap
  • Stuffed in endive boats (pretty as an appetizer!)

But it's also delicious

  • In a sandwich
  • Or in a croissant
  • Stuffed into pita pockets
  • Piled on top of crackers
A salad bowl topped with chicken salad.

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Quick Chicken Recipes

This chicken salad recipe in a glass bowl with wooden salad spoons.

Best Chicken Salad Recipe

This chicken salad is deliciously creamy, dotted with sweet red grapes, crunchy celery, and crisp almond slices. Served on top of greens, it's a healthy, paleo and keto chicken salad.

If you love this recipe as much as we do, let us know with a 5-star rating!

4.97 stars (33 ratings)
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Ingredients

  • 2 lb chicken breasts, see notes
  • 1 cup mayonnaise, preferably sugar-free or homemade
  • 1 cup red grapes, quartered
  • ¾ cup sliced almonds, toasted
  • 4 green onions, sliced
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill, optional
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper

Instructions 

  • Place the chicken in a large pot and cover with an inch of water. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and, once cool, dice it into small pieces.
    2 lb chicken breasts
  • Add the diced chicken and all the remaining ingredients to a large bowl and mix well. Season with additional salt, as needed.
    1 cup mayonnaise, 1 cup red grapes, ¾ cup sliced almonds, 4 green onions, 3 stalks celery, 1 tablespoon fresh dill, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, ½ teaspoon EACH: salt and pepper

Notes

Rotisserie or leftover chicken works great in this recipe. You'll need about 4 ½ cups of cooked, diced or shredded chicken.
The little bit of dill really brightens up this salad. If you're not a fan, you can omit it.
Serving: 1 cup, Calories: 339kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 29g, Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 77mg, Sodium: 495mg, Potassium: 642mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 137IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 73mg, Iron: 1mg
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The best chicken salad recipe in a bowl with the recipe title on top of the picture.