The BEST Chicken Salad Without Mayo

This is my healthy Chicken Salad without Mayo recipe. I've put a twist on the classic chicken salad by adding arugula, romaine lettuce, and tomatoes for extra crunch and nutrients, and used pre-cooked rotisserie chicken meaning it's all ready in less than 10 minutes.

This is my healthy take on a mayo chicken salad and it's so delicious. It's really simple to make. All you have to do is combine a handful of ingredients including rotisserie chicken, celery, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, arugula, and romaine lettuce with a homemade no mayo sauce and you've got yourself a tasty chicken salad to eat with friends and family.

If you're looking for a less healthier version that also doesn't include celery, then check out my Chicken Salad without Celery recipe. Or another fun salad recipe for you, my Dill Pickle Egg Salad recipe, great for summer!

For a simple pasta salad recipe, check out my bean pasta salad with a caesar inspired dressing!

This chicken salad would go so well in a sandwich (if you're wanting to make it more of a meal), and a couple of other chopped salad sandwich recipes that I love are my Banh Mi Chopped Salad Sandwich and my Marry Me Chicken Chopped Salad Sandwich.

Jump to:

• Why I Love This Recipe
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• Recipe Variations
• Step-by-Step Instructions with Photos
• Top Tips!
• What To Do with Leftovers
• FAQs
• Other related recipes you might enjoy!
• The BEST Chicken Salad without Mayo

Why I Love This Recipe

• It's healthy: A classic chicken salad has tons of mayonnaise in it. And don't get me wrong, it's delicious, but it may not be the healthiest thing you could eat. So, this is my healthy twist on a chicken salad. This recipe has no mayonnaise in it, and I've added in some extra greens to up the nutrient levels.
• Great for meal-prep: This no mayo chicken salad can be prepped in advance (leave the dressing off), and kept in airtight containers. The sauce can then be drizzled over the salad when ready.
• Simple to make: You only need a handful of ingredients to make this easy chicken salad without mayo, a lot of them will probably already be in your pantry! You can also optionally top it with my homemade ciabatta croutons for a bit of crunch!

Ingredients & Substitutions

Rotisserie chicken: Any kind of pre-cooked chicken is perfect for this recipe. I've used 2 pre-cooked chicken breasts, but you could use any part of the leftover rotisserie chicken. If you don't want to use chicken, ham would be nice! Or, if you're looking for a plant-based alternative, I'd recommend frying up some tofu with some thyme and oregano and then adding it to the salad for extra protein (see below under recipe variations for more information on this).

Celery: A handful of finely chopped celery sticks is great for this recipe. If you don't like celery, then you could replace it with finely chopped cucumber, cabbage, or radishes to get that crunch.

Parsley: Fresh parsley adds a lovely herbiness to the recipe. If you don't like parsley, you could add cilantro, a dash of fresh mint, or basil.

Arugula: This is optional but I love the pepperiness that arugula offers. You could also use watercress if you don't have any arugula.

Gem lettuce: Once again, this is optional but it makes a more healthy chicken salad. Any type of lettuce works.

Sun-dried tomatoes: The creaminess and tartiness of sun-dried tomatoes are such a great addition to salads. If you don't have sun-dried tomatoes, you could add tinned or jarred artichokes.

Fresh tomatoes: I've used baby tomatoes for this to add more colour and vitamin C.

For the no mayo sauce

Olive oil: I've used extra virgin olive oil for this recipe for the best quality and healthiest version, but general olive oil will do if that's all you've got. Don't use vegetable oil.

Balsamic vinegar: This adds an acidic element that I love. I like using a thick balsamic vinegar, but anything you have should work.

Lemon: Fresh lemon is another acidic element that adds a great flavour to our no-mayo chicken salad.

Dijon mustard: I love the addition of dijon as it adds a creaminess to the sauce and a pepperiness. My favourite to use is wholegrain, but smooth is great too!

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.

Recipe Variations

A bit more cream: if you're wanting the sauce to be a bit more creamy, then I'd recommend using low fat sour cream.

Mediterranean style: if you're looking for a salad with more mediterranean-style ingredients, then try adding some finely chopped olives, jarred artichokes, chopped walnuts, and even some fresh chopped mint.

Plant-based: I love vegan salads, so if you're looking to change up this chicken salad into a plant-based version, then I'd recommend substituting the chicken with some fried tofu. Get a pan, add in some oil, then fry cubed pieces of tofu with some oregano and thyme, with a dash of paprika too. Fry for 5-10 minutes until golden brown, then add that into your salad for extra protein.

Step-by-Step Instructions with Photos

Step 3: Pour your no-mayo dressing over the chicken salad and then toss with spoons so that the salad ingredients are coated in the dressing. Then serve up and enjoy!

What To Do with Leftovers

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container or cover the bowl tightly in plastic wrap. Leave in the fridge for up to 4 days. I'd recommend storing the salad separately from the dressing, as you don't want the leaves or the arugula to get soggy.

I wouldn't recommend freezing this salad, however, you can if you remove the lettuce, arugula, and fresh tomatoes. Place the chicken salad (minus the fresh leaves and ingredients) in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight when ready to eat!

FAQs

Other related recipes you might enjoy!

If you tried this Chicken Salad without Mayo recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thank you!