This 4-ingredient chicken salad is not only a super easy recipe, but it’s absolutely delicious. It’s the perfect chicken salad recipe for when your low on time and ingredients. This homemade chicken salad is great for a quick lunch, meal prep, or even throwing together a high protein snack plate!

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Why you’ll love it

1. It’s fast and easy! This chicken salad recipe is a major time saver because truly takes five minutes to throw together, but it’s just as good as more elaborate recipes.
2. You only need four ingredients. I don’t know about you, but I just love a recipe that has a short list of simple ingredients.
3. No mayonnaise. Let me start by saying, there’s nothing wrong with mayonnaise! But instead of mayo, this recipe uses Greek yogurt, making this chicken salad even higher protein (and I promise you won’t notice!).
4. The secret ingredient is ranch, so if you’re a ranch lover like me, you’ll definitely be a fan of this one!
5. It’s meal-prep friendly. This is a great way to meal prep because you can make a big batch at the start of the week and have an easy protein ready to go for meals or snacks.

Let’s get into what you need to make this easy chicken salad recipe.

Ingredients

You only need 4 ingredients for this simple recipe!

1. Shredded or chopped cooked chicken: You can either make your own chicken breast from scratch and then shred it, or simply grab a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store.
2. Plain Greek yogurt: Instead of mayo, you’ll use plain Greek yogurt for this recipe. Plain Greek yogurt is very similar to sour cream, so it adds creaminess, a little bit of tang, and protein too! You won’t miss the mayo in this one.
3. Ranch seasoning powder: Since we’re keeping the ingredients low, a seasoning blend is the way to go. Ranch seasoning adds the perfect amount of flavor with low effort!
4. Celery or sweet onion: You can choose one or both to give some crunch and fresh flavor to this chicken salad. Green onion or red onion would also work great.

Other additions: You can also experiment with your chicken salad and add extra flavor by adding ingredients like fresh lemon juice, olive oil, fresh herbs like fresh parsley, dijon mustard, and spices like onion powder, garlic powder or paprika.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Add all of your ingredients to a large bowl and mix. That’s it! Add salt and black pepper to taste.

Recipe FAQ

Can I use mayonnaise instead of Greek yogurt?

Sure! If you want to swap out the Greek yogurt for a traditional mayo-based chicken salad, you can definitely do that.

How to serve this 4-ingredient chicken salad

There are so many different ways you can serve this simple chicken salad recipe, which is one of my favorite parts about it.

For chicken salad sandwiches, serve on some whole grain bread with pickles and some fruit, veggies, or a side salad.

To make a snack plate or use for an adult lunchable (one of my favorite ways), serve with crackers, cheese, and some sliced vegetables. I love making snack plates for a light dinner or lunch option.

You can also serve on a bed of lettuce as a salad, serve inside bell peppers, or serve in lettuce wraps.

How to store

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

Can I use tuna instead of chicken?

Yes! If you want to make tuna salad instead, go ahead and use tuna in place of the chicken.

More easy meal ideas:

Healthy Buffalo Chicken Salad (High Protein & Easy!)

Easy Healthy High Protein Pasta Salad

Kale Chicken Salad with Parmesan and Lemon Vinaigrette

The BEST Sauteéd Brussel Sprout Pasta Salad Bowl