Healthy BLT Chicken Salad

This BLT chicken salad recipe is inspired by the classic flavors of a BLT, lightened up and ready to be a meal prep for easy lunches this week or a high protein snack! Packed with protein, this creamy chicken salad is an easy recipe that can be served in a variety of ways for a quick meal any time of the day.

This post may contain affiliate links.

Why you’ll love this

Is there anything better than a classic BLT sandwich? This chicken salad twist on the traditional BLT ingredients may be it! 

There’s more protein than the classic sandwich because of the chicken, plus just enough crunchy bacon and fresh tomatoes for that BLT flavor. It’s made with a light creamy dressing and is sure to be one of your new favorite things!

One serving has 20 grams of protein to keep you full for hours. You can up the fiber too by serving it on whole grain bread or by adding extra lettuce and tomatoes. You can even serve on a bed of greens for an easy salad.

This recipe is also a great way to use up leftover chicken! It comes together quickly and stores well for a few days in the fridge, making it an easy meal prep for your busy week.

Simple ingredients and tons of flavor have this BLT chicken salad sandwich ranking as one of my favorite new recipes for any time of the year.

Let’s get into what you need to make it.

Ingredients

• Cooked chicken: Cooked and shredded (or chopped) boneless, skinless chicken breasts works best for this recipe. This recipe is also a great way to use up leftover rotisserie chicken.
• Sweet Onion: I like to use sweet onion in this recipe because it has a more mild flavor that doesn’t overpower the salad and adds a great texture. Red onion or green onions work well here too!
• Celery: Diced celery adds both flavor and a little crunch to this creamy chicken salad. If you’re not a celery person you can always skip it!
• Plain Greek yogurt: Full fat Greek yogurt keeps this recipe creamy and mild in flavor, plus it adds a little more protein. It’s a great mayo swap for this chicken salad because it has so much other flavor. You can use reduced fat but it tastes a little more tart and tangy. 
• Mayonnaise: Just a little bit of mayonnaise gives this delicious recipe traditional chicken salad (and BLT) flavor.
• Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper and dried parsley enhance the flavors of a classic BLT without overpowering it.
• Bacon: I like to use center cut bacon because it has a little more protein and less fat than regular bacon but you can use any bacon you like! Turkey bacon works well here too. Extra crispy bacon holds up better in the refrigerator if you are using this recipe for a meal prep.
• Cherry tomatoes: No BLT is complete without juicy tomatoes! Cherry or grape tomatoes hold their texture well in this chicken salad without adding too much moisture.

How to make BLT chicken salad

1. In a small bowl, add Greek yogurt, mayonnaise and spices. Combine.

2. In a large bowl, add chicken, onion, tomatoes, bacon, and celery.

3. Add the dressing to the large bowl and combine gently until ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Add additional mayo or Greek yogurt, salt or pepper to taste.

4. Serve in between two slices of bread with lettuce as a sandwich, in a wrap, lettuce cup, over a salad, or with crackers and veggies.

Note: If you’re starting with raw chicken breast or tenders, season as desired and bake at 375 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches at least 165 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment for your bacon and bake alongside the chicken, begin checking at 20 minutes for desired crispness. 

How to store

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Variations

• No time to cook the chicken? Use rotisserie or canned chicken instead.
• To make things even easier, use real bacon bits. You can even use pre-cooked bacon that you just need to microwave.
• Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or dijon mustard for a little extra zip!
• Add sliced cheddar cheese to your sandwich. The sharp flavor complements this BLT chicken salad recipe nicely! You could even use cheddar cubes or shredded cheddar right in the salad recipe.
• Use this chicken salad as a high protein topper for a hearty salad: serve over any lettuce you like (be it iceberg lettuce, butter lettuce or even romaine lettuce) with extra veggies like cucumbers, peppers and carrots, crunchy croutons and a little drizzle of ranch dressing.
• Make it spicy: add a shake of crushed red pepper, hot sauce or buffalo sauce for a buffalo chicken salad.

More recipes you’ll love

• Cottage Cheese Chicken Salad
• 4-Ingredient Chicken Salad
• Buffalo Chicken Salad
• Cottage Cheese Tuna Salad

Sharing is caring!