No Mayo Apricot Chicken Salad

This no-mayo apricot chicken salad with fresh apricots, toasted almonds, and a healthy rosemary dijon dressing is a delicious spring twist on chicken salad that's perfect for lunches or spring showers! (gluten-free)

I don't do meal prep very often, but one of my go-to meals to make ahead for the week is chicken salad. It's easy, healthy, and I know it will get eaten! I put a little twist on classic chicken salad with this delicious apricot chicken salad that's inspired by a recipe from a sweet little café in a tiny Texas town near my parents' house. It features fresh apricots, toasted almonds, and a healthy rosemary dijon dressing that's simply irresistible!

Why You'll Love This Apricot Chicken Salad

This apricot chicken salad is so simple, yet so tasty! It's the perfect use for spring apricots, accompanied by toasty almonds, crisp celery and a mild hint of green onion. The easy rosemary dijon dressing kicks it all up a notch for a delicious, make-ahead lunch! Using leftover or rotisserie chicken makes this dish even easier to make.

What Makes This Chicken Salad Healthy?

This healthy chicken salad is made with real, whole foods and no mayo. The dressing is made with protein-packed Greek yogurt with a hint of olive oil and dijon mustard for tons of flavor without all the saturated fat of mayonnaise. It's high in protein, with a dose of fiber thanks to celery, apricots and almonds, while olive oil adds a touch of heart healthy fat.

How To Make Apricot Chicken Salad

1. Toast the almonds in the oven at 400°F for 6-8 minutes. Watch them carefully so they don't burn!
2. Chop the apricots, celery, green onion, and rosemary. Shred the chicken.
3. Make the dressing by whisking all of the ingredients (Greek yogurt, dijon, olive oil, honey, rosemary, salt and pepper) together.
4. Add the chicken, apricots, celery, green onions and almonds to a large bowl. Pour the dressing into the bowl and gently mix until everything is fully coated.
5. Store chicken salad in an airtight container in the fridge. I think it tastes even better the day after you make it.

Ingredient Substitutions

• This recipe is a great use for rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken. You can also use canned chicken if you have it!
• If it's not apricot season yet (or you can't find fresh ones), you can use dried apricots. Chop about ¼ cup dried apricots for this recipe.
• If you don't have almonds, try finely chopped pecans or walnuts.
• You can use mayo in place of Greek yogurt if you'd like. I don’t recommend regular yogurt as it is more runny than Greek yogurt.
• If you don't have fresh rosemary, you can use dried rosemary (use about 1 tsp), or try another fresh herb, such as thyme.

How Long Does Chicken Salad Last?

Chicken salad will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days in a sealed container. It should not be left at room temperature for more than 2 hours. I don't recommend freezing chicken salad. The dressing will separate and the vegetables will get soggy as it thaws.

More Healthy Lunch Recipes You'll Love

• Orange Poppy Seed Chicken Salad
• Healthy Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad
• Strawberry Avocado Salad With Grilled Chicken
• No Mayo Coconut Curry Chicken Salad
• Thai Chicken Salad Spring Rolls
• Chicken Caprese Pasta Salad
• Mango, Avocado and Roasted Chicken Salad

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the comments!

No Mayo Apricot Chicken Salad

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

This no-mayo apricot chicken salad with fresh apricots, toasted almonds, and a healthy rosemary dijon dressing is a delicious spring twist on chicken salad that's perfect for lunches or spring showers! (gluten-free)

• Author: Kaleigh
• Prep Time: 15 min
• Cook Time: 6 min
• Total Time: 21 minutes
• Yield: about 4 cups 1x
• Category: lunch
• Method: no cook
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• ¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 1 large cooked, shredded chicken breast (about 2 cups)
• 2 fresh apricots, diced (about ½ cup)
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, diced (about ½ cup)

For the Rosemary Dijon Dressing

• ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• ½ tsp honey
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped (about 1 sprig)
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

1. Toast the almonds on a baking sheet in the oven at 400°F for 6-8 minutes, or until golden. Cool completely.
2. Make the dressing by whisking together all of the dressing ingredients.
3. In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, apricots, green onion, celery, and almonds.
4. Add the dressing and stir to coat.
5. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

• To cook chicken breast for chicken salad, bake it, covered, in a baking dish at 375°F until cooked through (about 30 minutes), or poach on the stove by cooking it in a pot, covered with water, on medium-low heat until cooked through(about 20 minutes). Let it cool before shredding.
• Chicken salad will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days in a sealed container. It should not be left at room temperature for more than 2 hours. I don't recommend freezing chicken salad. The dressing will separate and the vegetables will get soggy as it thaws.
• This recipe is a great use for rotisserie chicken or leftover cooked chicken. You can also use canned chicken if you have it!
• If it's not apricot season yet (or you can't find fresh ones), you can use dried apricots. Chop about ¼ cup dried apricots for this recipe.
• If you don't have almonds, try finely chopped pecans or walnuts.
• You can use mayo in place of Greek yogurt if you'd like. I don’t recommend regular yogurt as it is more runny than Greek yogurt.
• If you don't have fresh rosemary, you can use dried rosemary (use about 1 tsp), or try another fresh herb, such as thyme.

Keywords: healthy apricot chicken salad, no mayo apricot chicken salad, healthy chicken salad recipe