Keto Chicken Salad is so easy, you think to yourself, "How can this be this good?" The trick is to start off with a beautifully roasted bird and keep it simple with only 5 additional ingredients.
Making your own chicken salad at home is much healthier than buying it at the store. A typical chicken salad at the grocery store can have up to 400 calories in a ยฝ cup serving versus this homemade version with only 250 calories. Many times the chicken salad you find in the deli section has added sugar too.
5 Ingredient Keto Chicken Salad Recipe
Use this basic recipe and play with different variations (below) if you're in the mood.
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked chicken, chopped
- โ cups mayonnaise
- 1 celery stalk diced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 small onion minced (optional)
- ยผ cup fresh parsley chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine everything in a mixing bowl.
- Stir gently until combined.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Note: When I make chicken salad, it's usually the day after we've had roasted chicken for dinner. It's a fabulous use for leftovers. If you like the texture of shredded chicken breasts, by all means, use that.
I usually roast two chickens just to have enough for chicken salad. If you're short on time, forget roasting it yourself and grab one already done. I can't walk past the rotisserie chickens at Sam's or Costco without ending up with a couple of rotisserie chickens in my cart.
Chicken Salad YouTube Video
Here are 2 recipes for a basic chicken salad. The first recipe is a sweeter chicken salad made with Miracle Whip and the second is a little more savory and is made with real mayo.
Chicken salad Calories
The portion size for this recipe is โ cup and there are about 250 calories in each serving. One of the things I love about being on a keto eating plan is NOT having to count calories.
True, I do count Net Carbs (total carbs - fiber = net carbs). And this recipe for keto chicken salad only has 2 Net Carbs per serving. ๐
Meal Prepping Keto Chicken Salad
This is one of the BEST make-ahead dishes for those super busy weeks. It makes for great sandwiches and wraps or eaten on its own as a salad. Plus there are all those great variations (below) to jazz it up so you don't get bored.
How long will chicken salad last in the refrigerator?
If you put your chicken salad in an airtight container, you can safely refrigerate it for 3 to 5 days. Just make sure your refrigerator is set at 40โ or 4.5โ or lower. Ideally, it should be set between 35โ and 38โ (1.7โ to 3.3โ).
Can you freeze chicken salad?
As long as your chicken salad hasn't been sitting out for more than 2 hours, you can safely freeze. Put it in an airtight container and freeze it for up to 3 months.
Keto low carb Chicken Salad Variations
Summer chicken salad - Add 1 cup of sliced grapes and โ cup of toasted pecans. The grapes add a lovely pop of juicy sweetness and the nutty flavor of the pecans is delicious.
Lemon garlic chicken salad - Before adding all the ingredients together, mix the juice of 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 1 minced garlic clove to the mayonnaise.
Cranberry chicken salad - Add โ cup of dried cranberries and โ cup of toasted pecans.
Apple pecan chicken salad - Mix in 1 cup of diced apple and โ cup of toasted pecans.
Southern Style chicken salad - Use โ mayonnaise and โ cup yellow mustard, ยผ cup finely chopped dill pickles, 1 tablespoon fresh dill, ยฝ cup minced red onion, and 2 boiled eggs, chopped.
What are good keto options for eating a chicken salad?
This is the Achilles heel for anyone on a low-carb keto diet. How do I eat a sandwich without bread? Here are some options:
- Low-carb (gluten-free) bread or bagels
- Lettuce wrap
- Celery sticks
- Cucumber "boats" or slices
- Parmesan crisps
- Low-carb tortilla wraps
Keto Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked chicken chopped
- โ cups mayonnaise
- 1 celery stalk diced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 small onion minced (optional)
- ยผ cup fresh parsley chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
-
Combine everything in a mixing bowl.
-
Stir gently until combined.
-
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Variations:
- Substitute a homemade mayonnaise for store bought mayo
- Add a bit of summer by adding ยฝ cup of chopped green grapes and ยฝ toasted pecans
- 2 teaspoons of curry powder, ยฝ cup of dried currants or raisins, & ยฝ cup of pistachios
Deb Hatfield says
I'm always looking for a good chicken salad recipe and this sounds wonderful. Would a rotisserie chicken work in this?? Might just have to whip some up this week. Can't wait to try it!
How do you feel about using Miracle Whip in place of Mayo? lol
Carol G says
We enjoy chicken salad during our hot summers. Never thought about adding Italian seasonings, thanks for the idea. I have added curry powder and granny smith apples on occasion which is so good.