This healthy paleo chicken salad is packed with so many goodies like crunchy apples and celery, onions, cranberries, fresh herbs and tossed with an easy homemade mayo. It’s perfect over a salad, wrapped in greens or on its own for lunch or a snack! Family approved, sugar free, dairy free and Whole30 compliant.
Chicken salad is definitely one of my family’s favorite foods! This recipe disappeared right away, and Adam even claimed it was the best chicken salad I’ve ever made.
Which is why I boldly decided to give it the “best” label which I try to use very sparingly on this blog ;).
I truly think the key to a great homemade chicken salad is using homemade mayo. When I take the extra few minutes to make my easy homemade mayo, the flavor instantly goes to another level!
If you’re new to making homemade mayo, don’t be scared. With an immersion blender, it takes literally a minute and the result is well worth it!
What You Need to Make This Paleo Chicken Salad
I packed all my favorites into this chicken salad and it paid off!
The apples and celery give it a nice crunch and the pecans give it a nutty touch. The fresh herbs add to the flavor and the cranberries give it some sweetness and a “harvest” sort of feel which I love!
Here’s everything you’ll need to prepare the chicken salad:
- 3 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded (I used a rotisserie chicken)
- 1/4 cup onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 small apple, diced
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries, apple juice sweetened, or raisins
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 2/3 cup homemade mayo (you can also use store bought paleo mayo)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- rosemary leaves minced
- thyme leaves
- sage leaves, minced
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
How to Make the Best Paleo Chicken Salad
Once you have all your ingredients prepped, tossing together the salad is a breeze!
In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, onion, celery, apple, cranberries and pecans. Sprinkle the mixture all over with a little salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, garlic, herbs, and lemon juice. Toss with the chicken mixture, then season to taste with sea salt and black pepper.
Once it’s seasoned to taste, simply serve over a salad, alone, or in lettuce wraps. Or make a chicken salad sandwich on gluten free bread or my sandwich bread!
You can store leftover chicken salad in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
I hope your family loves this flavor packed chicken salad as much as mine does!
Grab all your ingredients and start chopping because it’s time for a healthy, seriously yummy salad that you’ll want to make over and over – let’s go!
Best Paleo Chicken Salad {Whole30}
Best Paleo Chicken Salad {Whole30}
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chicken (leftover, rotisserie, etc.) chopped or shredded
- 1/4 cup onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1 small apple diced
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries apple juice sweetened, or raisins
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 2/3 cup homemade mayo or use store-bought paleo mayo
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary minced
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp fresh sage leaves minced
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
-
In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, onion, celery, apple, cranberries and pecans. Sprinkle all over with a little salt and pepper. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, garlic, herbs, and lemon juice. Toss with the chicken mixture, then season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Serve over a salad, alone, or in lettuce wraps. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Want More Paleo and Whole30 Lunch Ideas? Try One of These!
Roasted Delicata Harvest Kale Salad
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So Tasty! I am newly committed to Paleo, and a brand new visitor to your site. I was looking for something tasty, easy and healthy, and this is definitely it. While I’ve never been a fan of mayo, I went ahead and made the Paleo Mayo linked in this recipe. Man, was that easy! I’m actually a little embarrassed that I haven’t been making mayo forever for my family members who do like it. The salad came together easily, is such a great base for add-ins or substitutions, and I don’t feel weighed down after eating it. (Just finished my first serving, and I couldn’t stop “mmmm”ing!). Can’t wait to try other recipes (hello, Paleo brownies!). Thank you so much for sharing your talents!
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This paleo chicken salad sounds absolutely delicious! 😍 Packed with fresh, crunchy, and flavorful ingredients, it’s a perfect healthy meal option. Love that it’s Whole30 compliant and family-approved! Can’t wait to try it! 🥗✨
This chicken salad sounds absolutely delicious! I love how it’s packed with healthy ingredients and perfect for any occasion. It’s no surprise that your family loved it sounds like a real winner! Just like in leadership styles in education, where the right approach can bring out the best in everyone, this recipe shows how combining the right ingredients creates something truly special.
salad chicken sounds incredibly tasty! I really appreciate how it’s filled with nutritious ingredients and suitable for any event. It’s no wonder your family enjoyed it truly a hit! Just like choosing the right approach can bring out the best in everyone, much like the intricate characters and plots in epic fantasy books, this recipe demonstrates how blending the right components results in something truly exceptional.
I made this today with what I had handy. Great Chicken salad but I used fresh blueberries instead of cranberries and more chicken (because that was what I had)and a paleo avocado mayo. Very tasty, simple to make and I am sure will taste even better tomorrow. Thank you for sharing!