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My keto chicken salad recipe is the perfect fuss-free, low-carb lunch or light dinner. It’s crunchy, creamy, sweet, and only 2 grams of net carbs per serving!
Salads often get a bad rap for being boring, but my easy keto chicken salad recipe is anything but that. There’s no lettuce or fillers, just hearty, flavorful ingredients that even your non-keto friends will love.
It featured diced chicken with fun mix-ins, such as celery, grapes, and the best dressing ever. I typically use leftover chicken, but you can prep any of my simple chicken recipes if you like.
Why I love this low carb chicken salad recipe
- Easy to customize. Add, swap, or skip any of the ingredients, or serve it alongside other keto dishes for a more complete meal.
- Interesting textures and flavors. Juicy chicken, sweet grapes, and crunchy celery are enveloped in creamy mayonnaise–how good does that sound?!
- Ready in minutes. Simply mix all the ingredients and let it chill in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
- Just like classic chicken salad. There are zero quirky ingredients or substitutions in this recipe. What you see is what you get.
Key Ingredients
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
- Chicken breast. Keep it simple by making boiled or baked chicken breasts, then chop them into bite-sized pieces. If you only have chicken thighs, that’ll work just as well.
- Grapes. I prefer using red grapes because they’re sweet and help balance out the other ingredients. And yes, while it is true that grapes are a higher-carb fruit, we’re only adding a small amount, so it won’t significantly increase the carb content.
- Celery. Chopped finely.
- Mayonnaise. Skip the store-bought varieties that often contain added sugar and make your own with avocado oil, eggs, Dijon, and lemon juice.
- Green onions. Adds a subtle peppery flavor that balances the creaminess of the mayonnaise.
- Flaked almonds. Gives the salad some delicious crunch and texture.
How to make keto chicken salad
Step 1- Combine ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix to combine.
Step 2- Serve or chill. Serve immediately or cover and chill for two hours.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“My husband and I follow Keto (to the best of our ability), and this recipe is outstanding. So easy to make and delicious! We love all of your recipes!” – Mary
Arman’s recipe tips
- Make it in advance. You can prepare this salad up to five hours in advance. In fact, I actually think this extra time gives the flavors a chance to mesh and taste even better. Just remember to give it a good mix right before serving.
- Save time. Use a rotisserie chicken or canned chicken in water instead.
- Make sure your chicken is cold. This one may go without saying, but if you’re cooking chicken fresh, make sure it’s completely cold before making the chicken salad. Otherwise, it’ll ruin the consistency of the other ingredients.
- Don’t skip the chill time. It must be chilled for at least 20 minutes so the ingredients can settle and thicken.
Recipe variations
- Add bacon. Fold in ½ cup of cooked and cooled chopped bacon and sprinkle extra on top before serving.
- Add cheese. Like feta cheese, cheddar cheese, or gorgonzola cheese.
- Add avocado. Fold in avocado chunks for extra richness and healthy fats.
- Make it creamier. Replace half the mayonnaise with softened and whipped cream cheese.
- Or make it tangier. Swap ¼ cup of mayonnaise for yellow or Dijon mustard.
- Add some crunch. Swap out the sliced almonds for roughly chopped walnuts.
- Lower the fat. Instead of using all mayonnaise, sub half of it with Greek or plain yogurt, and add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of salt (it’ll still be keto-friendly!).
- Fold in some spices. Like curry powder or paprika, or double up on the fresh herbs.
Storage and make-ahead tips
To store: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days.
To make ahead: Prepare the salad up to five hours in advance. This gives all the flavors to mesh well together and still taste fresh!
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can. I’ve had success making the dressing with a mix of sour cream and Greek yogurt (with added salt) and also with one of my keto salad dressings.
This recipe may be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge the day before serving.
We love this salad stuffed into toasted keto rolls, served as a lettuce wrap or in keto tortillas, or as a dip with keto crackers or keto tortilla chips.
If you tried this Keto Chicken Salad recipe, please leave a star rating and comment. It helps others thinking of making this.
Keto Chicken Salad
Video
Ingredients
- 2 cups chicken breast cooked and cubed * See notes
- 1/4 cup red grapes halved
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 green onions chopped
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1 teaspoon salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon dill optional
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add your chicken, grapes, and celery and mix until combined. Add the mayonnaise and mix well. Add the green onion, sliced almonds, salt, pepper, and dill, and mix until fully combined.
- Serve immediately or cover and chill for two hours.
Notes
- Leftovers: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 5 days.
- Freezing: This recipe may be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge the day before serving.
Very tasty! Can you tell me how much is considered a serving for this, please?
My favorite chicken salad ever. I have some just about everyday on my low carb, low sugar lifestyle.
My husband and I follow Keto (to the best of our ability) and this recipe is outstanding. So easy to make and delicious! We love all of your recipes!
Yummo
Unbelievably fantastic. The plums were firm sweet, just had to cut into small pieces. Enjoyable! Thank you for the beginning of a great meal…lol
Just reading the recipe, I will be making this salad tonight for dinner.The only thing that will be missing is grapes. I bought two other fruits. But may try plums in it instead. Thank you for your blog. I will be enjoying your site.
Oh wow- how did it turn out with plums? I’m so intrigued!