Creamy, Delicious, High-Protein Chicken Salad Recipe

Chicken salad used to be one of those foods I avoided completely. As a single dad with ADHD trying to lose weight, I saw it as a fat-loss trap. It was always swimming in mayonnaise, packed with hidden calories, and it felt like a “healthy” food that was anything but.

When I was deep in my journey of losing 65–70 pounds, I knew I needed meals that were fast, high in protein, and genuinely satisfying. I needed something I could make a big batch of and eat for days, because consistency is everything when you have ADHD. Decision fatigue is real, and having a go-to lunch ready in the fridge is a game-changer.

So, I set out to create a chicken salad recipe that worked for my goals and my brain. I swapped out most of the mayo for protein-packed Greek yogurt, loaded it with fresh herbs and crunchy veggies, and figured out a flavor combination that crushes cravings. This recipe became a cornerstone of my meal prep, both before and after I started medication.

This is the result of that process. It’s brutally practical, requires minimal effort, and supports a fit, sustainable lifestyle. It’s designed to keep you full, focused, and on track without ever feeling like you’re on a diet.

 

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Why Chicken Salad Is Great For Fat Loss

When we’re talking about fat loss, the game is all about managing hunger and staying consistent. Food is 75 percent of the battle, and this high-protein chicken salad is one of your best weapons. It’s built on the core principles we follow at ADHD FIT: protein first, hunger management second, and convenience third.

The main reason this recipe works so well is its incredible protein content. We use a massive 20 ounces of chicken breast and a full cup of non-fat Greek yogurt. Protein is the most satiating macronutrient, meaning it keeps you feeling full and satisfied for hours. When you feel full, you’re far less likely to get hit with distracting cravings or make impulsive food choices later in the day.

This isn’t your deli-counter chicken salad. By swapping heavy mayonnaise for Greek yogurt, we slash the fat and calories while dramatically increasing the protein. You still get that creamy texture you love, but now it’s working for your goals, not against them. A little bit of light mayo is still in there for that classic flavor, because flexible eating always wins over extreme restriction.

For the ADHD brain, this recipe is a lifesaver. You make it once and have a high-quality, delicious meal ready to go for several days. This eliminates the daily struggle of “What’s for lunch?” which drains your executive function. On low-motivation days, you can just grab a scoop from the fridge and eat it with some crackers or veggie sticks. No cooking, no complex decisions. Just simple, effective fuel that keeps you on track.

It’s a perfect example of how building simple systems around your food can lead to massive results. You’re not relying on willpower. You’re relying on a plan that makes the right choice the easiest choice.

Ingredients You’ll Need for Chicken Salad

We keep the ingredients list for this chicken salad simple and focused on flavor and macros. Everything here has a purpose, from adding protein to providing that essential crunch and freshness. There are no complicated or hard-to-find items because our goal is to make healthy eating as easy as possible.

The key ingredient that completely transforms this recipe is the plain non-fat Greek yogurt. This is our secret weapon. It replaces the bulk of the mayonnaise, cutting out a ton of fat and calories while adding a significant protein boost. It also provides a pleasant tangy flavor that pairs beautifully with the other ingredients.

Here’s exactly what you’ll need:

• 20 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
• 1 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

A quick note on a few key ingredients. For the chicken, using a store-bought rotisserie chicken is an amazing ADHD-friendly shortcut. Just pull the meat off the bone and shred it. If you’re cooking it yourself, poaching or baking the chicken breasts works perfectly. Using fresh dill and chives will give you the brightest, most vibrant flavor, but you can absolutely use dried herbs if that’s what you have. Just use about a third of the amount, as dried herbs are more potent.

How To Make Chicken Salad (Step-By-Step)

Making this chicken salad is incredibly straightforward. We’re basically just combining things in a bowl. But a few small details can make the process even easier and the final result even tastier. We want this to be a recipe you can pull off even on a day when your brain feels like a dial-up modem.

Step 1: Combine The Main Ingredients

First, get your largest mixing bowl. You want plenty of space to work so you don’t end up flicking bits of celery all over the counter. In this bowl, add your 20 ounces of cooked and shredded chicken, 1 cup of diced celery, 1/2 cup of diced red onion, 1/4 cup of chopped fresh dill, and 2 tablespoons of fresh chives. Give these a gentle toss just to get them acquainted.

ADHD Tip: If shredding chicken feels like a huge task, use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. It will shred perfectly cooked chicken breasts in about 30 seconds. It’s a game-changer for reducing prep time and effort.

Step 2: Whisk The Dressing Together

Now, grab a separate, smaller bowl for the dressing. Combining the wet ingredients separately ensures everything is perfectly mixed before it hits the chicken. This prevents clumps of seasoning and ensures every bite is flavorful. In this bowl, add 1 cup of Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons of light mayo, 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, and all your spices: the garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.

Whisk it all together until it’s completely smooth. This should only take about a minute. Taste it and adjust if needed. Maybe you want a little more salt or an extra squeeze of lemon. This is your chance to customize.

Step 3: Mix Everything Together

Pour the creamy dressing over the chicken mixture in the large bowl. Use a spatula or a large spoon to gently fold everything together. You want to coat every piece of chicken and veggie without turning it into a mushy paste. Keep folding until it’s all evenly combined.

Step 4: Let The Flavors Meld

This step is optional but highly recommended. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and pop it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This gives all the flavors—the herbs, the onion, the lemon, the mustard—a chance to hang out and get to know each other. The chicken salad will taste significantly better after this short rest.

However, if you’re hungry and your executive function is running on empty, just serve it up immediately. Perfection is the enemy of progress.

How To Serve Chicken Salad (ADHD-Friendly)

Once your delicious, high-protein chicken salad is ready, the next step is figuring out how to eat it. For those of us with ADHD, having simple, grab-and-go serving options is critical for staying on track. The goal is to reduce decision fatigue and make your healthy choice the easiest possible choice.

I recommend thinking in terms of “systems” rather than individual meals. When you make a batch of this chicken salad, you’ve essentially prepped the core component of your lunch for the next few days. Now, you just need a few brain-dead simple ways to serve it up.

Here are some of my favorite brutally practical and ADHD-friendly ways to serve chicken salad:

• Lettuce Wraps: Get a head of iceberg, butter, or romaine lettuce. The big, crisp leaves make perfect, crunchy, low-carb boats for your chicken salad. It’s refreshing and requires zero cooking.
• With Veggie Sticks: Pre-cut celery sticks, carrot sticks, cucumber slices, and bell pepper strips are your best friends. They provide a satisfying crunch and add extra fiber and nutrients. You can buy them pre-cut to save even more time.
• On High-Fiber Crackers: Find a brand of crackers you like that has a good amount of fiber. This adds another layer of texture and makes it feel more like a substantial snack or mini-meal.
• In a Low-Carb Tortilla or Pita: A quick wrap is a classic for a reason. It’s portable, clean to eat, and feels like a proper sandwich experience without the extra carbs from regular bread.
• Stuffed in an Avocado or Bell Pepper: Cut an avocado in half or a bell pepper and scoop out the seeds. Piling the chicken salad inside is a nutrient-dense way to get in healthy fats and more veggies.

ADHD Pro-Tip: Portion out the chicken salad into single-serving containers as soon as you make it. When it’s time to eat, you just have to grab one container. This completely removes the friction of scooping, measuring, and thinking. You’ve already made the decision for your future self.

How To Store, Reheat, and Reuse Chicken Salad

Proper storage is key to making this recipe a true meal prep champion. The beauty of chicken salad is that it’s designed to be made ahead and eaten cold, which eliminates the entire “how to reheat” question. This is a huge win for simplicity and convenience.

When you’re done making your batch, the most important thing is to get it into the fridge quickly. You don’t want to leave a dairy and chicken-based dish sitting out on the counter. Transfer the chicken salad into an airtight container. I prefer using glass containers because they don’t absorb odors and are easy to clean, but any container with a tight-fitting lid will do the job.

Your chicken salad will stay fresh and delicious in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. After that, the texture can start to get a bit watery as the vegetables release moisture, and the flavors might not be as vibrant.

Here are a few tips for storing and reusing your chicken salad:

• Stir Before Serving: It’s normal for a little bit of liquid to separate and pool at the bottom of the container. Just give the chicken salad a good stir before you serve it to recombine everything.
• Don’t Freeze It: Freezing is not recommended for this recipe. The dressing, which is based on Greek yogurt and a little mayo, will separate and become grainy when it thaws. The celery and onion will also lose their crunch and turn mushy. Stick to making a batch you can comfortably eat within 4 days.
• Refresh The Flavors: If you find that on day 3 or 4 the salad tastes a little flat, you can easily liven it up. A fresh squeeze of lemon juice, a sprinkle of salt, or some freshly chopped herbs can make it taste like you just made it.

Reusing leftovers is all about thinking of them as a “meal component.” You can take a portion of your stored chicken salad and instantly create a new meal. Stuff it into a baked sweet potato, pile it on top of a bed of mixed greens for a quick and massive salad, or mix it with some cooked pasta for a high-protein pasta salad. This flexibility helps prevent food boredom and ensures none of your hard work goes to waste.

Easy Swaps & Variations for Chicken Salad

One of the best things about a recipe like chicken salad is how incredibly flexible it is. The version I’ve laid out is a fantastic, high-protein base, but you should feel free to adjust it to fit your tastes, your budget, or whatever you happen to have in your fridge. Remember, we value flexible systems over rigid perfection.

Don’t let a missing ingredient stop you from making this. There’s almost always a simple swap that will work just as well. This is about building a meal that you genuinely enjoy and will eat consistently.

Here are some easy swaps and fun variations you can try:

• Protein Swaps: No chicken breasts? No problem. Canned chicken (packed in water) is a fantastic, low-effort alternative. A store-bought rotisserie chicken is my favorite shortcut. You could even try this recipe with canned tuna or salmon for an omega-3 boost.
• Change The Veggies: If you’re not a fan of celery or red onion, swap them out. Diced bell peppers, shredded carrots, chopped water chestnuts for extra crunch, or even some sweet corn could be great additions.
• Herb Variations: Dill gives this salad its signature flavor, but you can go in many different directions. Fresh parsley, cilantro, or even tarragon would create a completely different but equally delicious profile. If you only have dried herbs, just use about one-third of the amount called for.
• Add Some Sweetness or Fat: For a more classic flavor profile, try adding some halved red grapes or diced apple for a burst of sweetness and crunch. For healthy fats and extra creaminess, a bit of mashed avocado or some chopped walnuts or pecans are excellent additions.
• Spice It Up: If you like a little heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper, a dash of your favorite hot sauce, or some finely diced jalapeño to the dressing.

The goal is to make this recipe your own. Experiment with different combinations until you find the perfect chicken salad that makes you excited to eat healthy. Having a go-to recipe that you love is a cornerstone of a sustainable fitness lifestyle.

FAQs About Chicken Salad For Weight Loss

Here are some straightforward answers to the most common questions I receive about this chicken salad recipe.

Is chicken salad actually healthy for weight loss?

This is a fantastic question because traditional chicken salad can often be a calorie bomb that sabotages fat loss goals. The stuff you find at many delis or grocery stores is typically loaded with full-fat mayonnaise, which is very high in calories and fat without offering much in terms of protein or other nutrients. A single serving can easily pack 400-500 calories, most of it from fat. This can make it a poor choice if you’re managing your calorie intake for weight loss.

However, this recipe completely flips the script. By making a strategic swap—replacing most of the mayo with non-fat Greek yogurt—we dramatically change the nutritional profile. Greek yogurt is a protein powerhouse with very few calories and almost no fat. This allows us to create a chicken salad that is incredibly high in protein, which is crucial for satiety and muscle maintenance during a diet. This version is creamy, delicious, and actively supports your goals by keeping you full for hours on a minimal calorie budget. So yes, this specific chicken salad is an excellent tool for weight loss.

How can I make my chicken salad taste less like Greek yogurt?

Some people are sensitive to the tangy flavor of Greek yogurt, and that’s completely understandable. The key to balancing that tang is to use other strong, complementary flavors in your dressing. This recipe is designed to do exactly that. The Dijon mustard provides a sharp, savory kick, while the fresh lemon juice adds a bright acidity that cuts through the yogurt’s flavor. These two ingredients do a lot of the heavy lifting.

Furthermore, the use of powerful aromatics like fresh dill, chives, garlic powder, and onion powder all work together to create a complex flavor profile where the Greek yogurt becomes a creamy, background element rather than the star of the show. If you’re still finding the tang too prominent, you can try a couple of things. First, make sure you’re using a high-quality, thick Greek yogurt, as some brands are tangier than others. You could also slightly increase the amount of light mayonnaise to 3 tablespoons or add a tiny pinch of a natural sweetener like stevia to the dressing to balance the acidity.

What is the fastest way to make chicken salad when I have no energy?

This is a question I deeply appreciate because low-energy, low-motivation days are a reality for everyone, especially those of us with ADHD. On days like that, you need a zero-friction plan. The absolute fastest way to make this chicken salad is by leaning heavily on store-bought shortcuts. First, buy a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. This eliminates the need to cook chicken from scratch, which is often the biggest hurdle. Just pull the meat off the bones and shred it.

Next, head to the produce section and look for pre-chopped celery and onion. Most stores sell these in small containers, saving you the time and effort of washing and dicing. For the dressing, you can simply dump all the ingredients into a bowl and stir—no need for a separate bowl if you’re short on energy. If you’re really in a pinch, you can even use canned chicken. It’s a fantastic pantry staple for emergency protein. By using these shortcuts, you can assemble a batch of this healthy chicken salad in less than 10 minutes from start to finish.

Can I meal prep this chicken salad for the whole week?

This chicken salad is perfect for meal prep, but I would recommend planning for about 4 days’ worth at a time rather than a full 7 days. The recipe will be safe to eat for longer, but the quality starts to decline after the fourth day. The primary reason for this is that the vegetables, particularly the celery and onion, will slowly release their water content over time. This can make the salad a bit watery and will soften the crunch of the celery.

For best results, I recommend making a batch on a Sunday to cover you for lunches until Thursday. If you want it for the entire week, you could make a second, smaller batch on Wednesday evening. Another pro-tip for extending its freshness is to store the dressing separately from the chicken and vegetable mixture. You can then mix a single serving together each day. This requires a little more daily effort but will guarantee the best possible texture and flavor every single time.

Why does my chicken salad get watery and how do I fix it?

Watery chicken salad is a common issue, and it’s almost always caused by excess moisture from the ingredients. The two main culprits are the vegetables (celery and onion) and sometimes the chicken itself if it wasn’t dried properly after cooking. As the salad sits in the fridge, the salt in the dressing draws out water from the cells of the vegetables through osmosis. This liquid then pools in the bottom of the container, thinning out your creamy dressing.

There are a few easy ways to prevent or fix this. First, after dicing your celery and onion, you can gently pat them dry with a paper towel before adding them to the bowl. This removes a surprising amount of surface moisture. Second, ensure your shredded chicken is cool and not steaming hot when you mix everything, as condensation can add water. If you find your already-made salad has become a bit watery, simply give it a thorough stir to re-emulsify the dressing. If it’s still too thin for your liking, you can thicken it by stirring in an extra tablespoon or two of Greek yogurt right before you serve it.

Try These High-Protein Recipes Next

If you loved how simple and effective this chicken salad recipe is, I think you’ll enjoy these other ADHD-friendly meals as well.

• ADHD-Friendly Protein Pasta: A quick and satisfying pasta dish that’s loaded with protein to keep you full and focused.
• 15-Minute Air Fryer Salmon: Get your healthy omega-3 fats with this incredibly fast recipe that delivers perfectly cooked salmon every time.
• No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Bars: A perfect grab-and-go snack or dessert that crushes sweet cravings without the sugar crash.

Building a collection of simple, reliable recipes is the key to long-term success.