Healthy Chicken Salad Recipes

Shaving the vegetables for this easy salad recipe makes them deliciously tender-crisp without having to cook anything and helps them stand up to the bright homemade vinaigrette and salty Parmesan cheese.

Poaching chicken in turmeric-infused milk for this healthy salad recipe yields tender results with a golden hue. Bright yellow turmeric has been used for centuries in traditional Indian medicine. The early spice's potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compound, curcumin, shows promise in fighting certain cancers, including breast, pancreatic, colorectal, lung and prostate. (See Tip to learn more about turmeric's health benefits.) Don't toss the cooking liquid: some of it goes into the salad dressing and you can use what remains to cook grains or as a soup base. Make sure to use whole milk and don't go beyond a bare simmer, otherwise it may curdle.

Looking for a clean, packable lunch for work? This healthy homemade chicken salad served inside an avocado instead of with bread is just the ticket. Plus, this recipe makes enough for ready-made lunches for the week! If you have leftover cooked chicken on hand, skip Step 1 and use about 2 1/2 cups shredded chicken in Step 2.

This herb-loaded green goddess-inspired dressing gets a color boost from creamy avocado. Make a double batch of this healthy salad dressing to keep on hand for salads throughout the week.

Everything you need (just 4 ingredients!) to prepare a week's worth of healthy, low-carb lunches can be found at your neighborhood grocery store. A bag of prechopped red and green cabbage serves as the crunchy low-carb base in these chicken salad bowls, which only require 10 minutes to assemble. Top with sesame-flavored almonds and a sesame dressing and you have one irresistible lunch you'll look forward to all week. Shopping at Trader Joe's? See Tip (below) for our product recommendations.

Eating probiotics--live bacteria in raw fermented food, such as tempeh and miso--can rev up the good bacteria in your body, which may help you with weight loss. Look for tempeh near the tofu in the produce section. Try vegan mayo for a completely plant-based lunch.

We're pairing two shortcut products you can likely find at your local specialty grocery store--Middle Eastern bean salad and microwaveable farro--to add protein, fiber and satisfying texture to these high-protein lunch bowls. To cut down on prep time, we're also using preseasoned grilled chicken breasts from the refrigerated section, bottled balsamic vinaigrette and a few other ready-to-use ingredients to make these quick and easy meal-prep lunches.

This vibrantly colorful and healthy make-ahead salad is sure to become a go-to weekday lunch, though it's pretty enough to serve to guests. Fresh ginger gives a pleasant bite to the toasted sesame salad dressing, which is inspired by the dressings served at Japanese hibachi restaurants.

In this Buffalo wings-inspired chicken salad, Greek yogurt replaces more than half of the mayonnaise. We like the flavor of Frank's RedHot hot sauce, but Sriracha and Tabasco are delicious options too. Serve this healthy chicken salad as an open-face sandwich or scoop it on top of fresh salad greens.

A simple dressing, using yogurt rather than mayo, moistens the chicken in this tasty lightened-up chicken salad. Plus, it's flavor-packed thanks to a quick-to-fix honey mustard. Whip up a batch while you're meal prepping for easy, packable lunches.

Sweet chili sauce spikes the creamy yogurt dressing in this healthy chicken salad recipe for a fun taste of Thai flavors. If you don't have sweet chili sauce, try substituting 1 tablespoon ketchup, 1 teaspoon Sriracha, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Serve the salad open-face on toasted bread or scoop it atop more shredded napa cabbage.

Packed with seven kinds of veggies, this salad will make a dent in your daily vitamin recommendations. Top your veggies with lean juicy chicken, tangy feta, and roasted red pepper hummus.

This hearty grilled chicken salad recipe highlights the classic combination of sharp Cheddar and sweet crunchy apples. For a fabulous starter anytime you entertain, simply skip the chicken.

This salad comes together in a snap. Using leftover chicken, canned artichoke hearts, packaged shredded carrots and a ready-made veggie dip, this quick-and-easy salad will be on your table in just 15 minutes!

Packaged broccoli slaw shortcuts the prep for this honey-mustard chicken salad. Dried cherries add a pop of color and tart-sweetness.

Chilling the poached chicken breasts in the cooking liquid ensures moist, succulent results in this curried chicken salad. Stuff into whole-wheat pita pockets with shredded lettuce.

In this healthy chicken salad recipe, a combo of mayonnaise and plain Greek yogurt makes up the lightened creamy dressing. Serve this main-dish twist on broccoli salad as an open-face sandwich on toasted bread or scoop it on top of fresh salad greens.

The buttermilk dressing for this easy and healthy chicken salad recipe calls for using dried herbs, which gives you a more intense flavor blast and cuts down on prep time. But if you prefer the flavor of fresh, use 3 tablespoons fresh for each 1 tablespoon dried. Using leftover cooked chicken further speeds prep in this 20-minute dinner recipe.

Hazelnuts, blueberries and fresh ginger are welcome additions to this kale and chicken salad.

A healthier twist on a classic, this recipe uses Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise. Serve over fresh greens to make it a delicious lunch or simple dinner.

Crunchy vegetables and tender chicken breasts tossed in a tangy vinaigrette make a refreshing main-dish salad. If you poach the chicken yourself, reserve 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid to make the dressing.

No cooking necessary and ready in just 25 minutes, this Southwestern-inspired recipe is a great choice for a quick lunch or dinner. Don't have leftover chicken? No problem--use turkey!

Snow peas aren't just for stir-fries. Thinly sliced, their crunchy texture and sweet taste combine with a creamy Asian dressing to make this salad special.

This hearty chicken salad recipe is full of grilled sweet corn, scallions, salty feta, escarole, pine nuts and spicy chicken. Smoked paprika gives the tomato dressing a bacon-like flavor.