This healthy, no-mayo Mediterranean chicken salad is hearty and packed with flavor and crunch! Cooked chicken, tossed with fresh herbs, shallots, celery, walnuts, and a couple of Mediterranean favorites including sundried tomatoes and artichoke hearts. You'll love the zippy Dijon dressing pulling this chicken salad recipe together!
The perfect way to use leftover rotisserie chicken!
I'll be the first to admit that a rotisserie chicken dinner is a lifesaver for busy moms.
And I've gotten creative with giving leftover rotisserie chicken a new life, tucked into something like breakfast egg muffins or shredded up and tossed with a few Mediterranean favorites to make a delicious chicken salad that packs crunch and flavor without the use of heavy mayo!
Healthy Chicken Salad, Mediterranean style
You'll love this Mediterranean twist on classic chicken salad, offering the right balance of crunch and flavor, thanks to fresh veggies, fresh parsley, walnuts, and artichoke hearts. And while I simply love sun-dried tomatoes tossed with pasta in a creamy sauce, they're delicious in this no-mayo chicken salad!
But to be honest, the biggest draw here is the bright Dijon dressing bringing this Mediterranean chicken salad to a new level of delicious!
Chicken salad dressing
Many people wonder how do I make a chicken salad dressing without using mayo? Dijon mustard, combined with lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil is your answer! This dressing is equally rich and tangy, it will add great flavor without drowning the salad. Here's what you'll need to make this chicken salad dressing:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 to 2 lemons
- 1 to 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tsp Dijon mustard
- Spices. I used sumac and paprika, but you can also use dried oregano
How to make healthy chicken salad
This recipe is easy to make in just three simple steps:
- Make the dressing
Combine ⅓ cup of good extra virgin olive oil, zest of 1 lemon, juice of 2 lemons (yes, you need the tang), 2 minced garlic cloves, and 3 teaspoons of good Dijon mustard. Season with Sumac and paprika (or you choice of spices). Whisk well to combine.
- Make the salad
In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked chicken (I used rotisserie chicken), chopped shallot, 2 chopped celery stalks, marinated artichoke hearts (I used one can, drained), and a couple ounces of chopped sundried tomatoes. Add about a cup of chopped fresh parsley and ⅓ cup chopped walnuts. - Add dressing and mix
Pour the delicious Dijon mustard dressing all over. Toss the chicken salad ingredients together, making sure the dressing is well distributed.
Tip for best homemade chicken salad
You can serve chicken salad immediately, but if you want the best flavor, allow 30 minutes to 1 hour for the flavors to meld. Cover and refrigerate the salad until you need it.
Serving suggestions
There is no wrong way to serve chicken salad with Dijon mustard. You can serve it out of the bowl for a potluck or picnic, or you can turn it into:
- Chicken salad sandwiches in your favorite bread
- Chicken salad lettuce wraps! This is a great low carb option using lettuce leaves to hold the chicken
How long will chicken salad last in the fridge?
Store leftovers in a tight lid containers in the fridge for 2 to 3 nights. If you are meal prepping and want it to last a day or two longer, you can prepare the chicken salad but do not add the dressing. Store the dressing in the fridge separately until you are ready to serve.
Variations
You can change up this Mediterranean chicken salad recipe. Here are a few ideas:
- Use olives in place of artichoke hearts
- Swap basil, dill, or cilantro (or a combination of fresh herbs) in place of parsley
- Use roasted garlic instead of or in addition to fresh garlic
- Throw in a handful of raisins for a hint of sweetness--a Sicilian twist
- Add a spoon or two of Greek yogurt in the salad dressing
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Healthy Chicken Salad, Mediterranean Style
Ingredients
For the Dijon Mustard Dressing
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of 1 to 2 lemons
- 1 to 2 garlic cloves minced
- 3 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon sumac
- ½ teaspoon paprika
For the Chicken Salad
- 12 ounces cooked chicken, shredded (Rotisserie chicken will work here)
- 1 to 2 shallots chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 1 15- ounce can marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
- 1 to 2 ounces sundried tomatoes chopped
- Handful fresh Italian parsley about 1 cup packed, chopped
- ⅓ cup shelled walnuts chopped
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add the dressing ingredients and whisk to combine.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, shallots, celery, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, parsley, and walnuts. Season with a good pinch of kosher salt and black pepper.
- Pour dressing over the chicken salad, toss to combine.
- For best flavor, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving.
Video
Notes
- For best flavor allow the salad to rest for a bit. This chicken salad is best if made about about half hour or so before serving to allow flavors to meld. Cover and refrigerate.
- Use rotisserie or cooked chicken. I often use rotisserie chicken, but you can use cooked chicken breasts (about 2 to 3 boneless and skinless chicken breast halves, depending on size.)
- Serving. If you're serving this chicken salad for dinner, it will definitely feed 4 people. But, it's the perfect potluck dish to share with a larger crowd.
- Variations. You can use olives in place of artichoke hearts, for example. You can also try different herbs. Roasted garlic is an option in place of or in addition to fresh garlic, it will add great earthy flavor with a hint of sweetness that compliments the raisins very well. You can use store-bought roasted garlic, or make your own at home. Roasted garlic can be made ahead and stored for use; see this tutorial. Throw in a handful of raisins for a Sicilian twist. Lastly, you can try adding a little Greek yogurt to the dressing if you like.
- Leftover Storage Instructions: Store leftover chicken salad in tight lid containers in the fridge. If stored properly, leftovers should be good for 2 nights or so (taste before serving.)
- Visit Our Shop for all-natural and organic spices and quality extra virgin olive oils and more!
Nutrition
*This post first appeared on The Mediterranean Dish in 2019 and has been recently updated with new information and media for readers' benefit.
Suzy! I made this for first time for a potluck with friends and the result was amazing!!!! This recipe is a 5 star!!! The combination of flavors is fantastic !!! Thanks for sharing!!
My pleasure, Lucia! So glad you enjoyed it!
Do you know if this will freeze well? I am going to be going on a trip and would love to make this and freeze individual serving sizes that I can just thaw and eat. What do you think?
Hi, Nikki. We've never tried freezing this one, so I'm not sure. I'd worry that it might affect the taste/texture in a not so great way.
Love love love. So tasty. I added my own spin. Didn’t have lemons in the house so I substitute with an orange and lime. Wow. Just awesome! Thank you for the great recipe.
Yum! Thanks for sharing, Amber!
I made this recipe with baby spinach, green salad olives/pimentos, sun flowers seeds, walnuts, white raisins, paprika, turmeric, black pepper with sliced avocado layered on toast Delicious with or without bread 👍
Thanks for sharing, Lou!
Absolutely fabulous!
I absolutely love this recipe! I make it all the time now. Recently, I had a tuna steak that I needed to cook and I didn't know what to do with it. I coated it in your Za'atar seasoning and baked it until it was just slightly pink in the middle, cut it up and used it in place of the chicken in this recipe.... Delicious! Now I have 2 easy go to meals... with chicken or fish!
Wow! Thanks for the idea, Nikki!
It works with canned tuna or salmon, too! Love the dressing.
Thanks, Sheila!
I made this again but this time I had some leftover grilled vegies that I added and it was amazing!!!
Had fun making this salad. I didn't have artichoke hearts but might add some olives next time. Great use of some leftover chicken breasts! Love it!
So deliciously nutritious! Definitely will be making it again! Thank you!
Wish I could give this even more stars!! Hands-down one of the best chicken salads I, and the rest of my family have ever had! I only had canned artichokes so I quartered them and tossed them in a bit of Italian dressing and set them aside while I combined the rest of the ingredients. Also, I added sliced black olives. I don't usually like a lot of lemon but boy am I glad I made the dressing as written. I will be making this again and again.
Thank you so much for this recipe!
So wonderful to hear, Betsy! Thank you!