This no mayo orange poppy seed chicken salad is a delicious, healthy lunch that's easy to make and meal prep friendly! (gluten-free)
When spring rolls around, it's time to put away the soups and bust out all the chicken salad recipes! Sure, chicken salad is great year-round, but the creamy, cool dish is a classic for spring and summer picnics, showers, brunches, and lunches. I love a good classic chicken salad, but I also love mixing things up, like with this healthy orange poppy seed chicken salad.
Why You'll Love This Chicken Salad Recipe
This orange poppy seed chicken salad is a bright twist on my everyday no-mayo chicken salad recipe. It's made with a citrusy orange poppy seed dressing that's naturally sweetened with orange juice. It's delicious on whole grain crackers, on a sandwich, or on top of your favorite salad. It's also easy to make ahead and a great way to use up leftover chicken.
What Makes This Chicken Salad Healthy?
The combination of ingredients in this chicken salad is packed with nutrients, including protein, vitamins C and A, folate, potassium, and antioxidants. All with no added sugar! Instead of mayo, the creamy dressing is made with protein-rich Greek yogurt.
How To Make Orange Poppy Seed Chicken Salad
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients.
- Chop the chicken, celery and green onion.
- Mix everything together in a large bowl until it's all evenly coated with dressing.
How Long Does Chicken Salad Last In The Fridge?
You can store the chicken salad in the refrigerator for 3-5 days safely. If you are going to be serving it at a shower or other get-together, chicken salad should only be left at room temperature for 2 hours. I don't recommend freezing chicken salad.
Here are a few more of my delicious, nutritious, no added sugar recipes using 100% orange juice!
- Cranberry Orange Baked Oatmeal
- No Added Sugar Orange Creamsicle Overnight Oats
- Healthy Orange Peel Chicken
- Easy Rosemary Orange Grilled Chicken
- Easy Orange Basil Chicken
If you made this recipe, please leave a star rating in the comments!
PrintNo Mayo Orange Poppy Seed Chicken Salad
This no mayo orange poppy seed chicken salad is a delicious, healthy lunch that's easy to make and meal prep friendly! (gluten-free)
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: about 3 cups 1x
- Category: lunch
- Method: no cook
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
For the Orange Poppy Seed Dressing:
- ⅔ cup 100% orange juice
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp poppy seeds
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
For the Chicken Salad:
- 2 cups cooked chicken (about 1 breast), shredded
- 1 stalk celery (about ¾ cup), diced
- 2 green onions (about ¼ cup), chopped
- ⅓ cup sliced almonds
- about ½ cup Orange Poppy Seed Dressing
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the dressing. Set aside.
- Add shredded chicken, celery, green onions, and almonds to a large bowl. Add dressing, and gently stir to coat.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3-5 days.
Notes
- If you don't already have cooked chicken, my favorite way to prepare it for chicken salad is to place it in a baking dish, sprinkle with salt, pepper and herbs de Provence, and bake, covered, at 375°F for 20-30 minutes.
- The dressing may separate a little bit as the chicken salad sits in the refrigerator. That's normal. Just give it a stir before eating.
Keywords: orange poppy seed chicken salad, no mayo chicken salad
Receitas says
This is really good! Tnks for sharing
Five stars for this recipe!
Kaleigh says
I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!
Sonali- The Foodie Physician says
I am loving everything about this mayo-free chicken salad recipe! The dressing sounds spectacular! Yum!
Kaleigh says
Thanks Sonali! The dressing really makes it!
Sarah says
Love this spin on chicken salad. We love to buy rotisserie chicken each week and this is a fun new flavor combo to try!
Kaleigh says
Thanks Sarah! Yes, a rotisserie chicken would be perfect for this!
Emily @Sinful Nutrition says
This sounds like such a flavorful lunch idea. Love the orange addition!
Deborah Brooks says
I don't eat chicken but I really like the sound of that dressing. I could use it on something else for sure
Kelly Page, Health Coach, CTNC (@TastingPage) says
I'm all about a mayo-free chicken salad. Love the addition of orange in here.
Nicole @ Fitful Focus says
This sounds delicious! Adding this to my to-make lunch list!
Abbey Sharp says
Mm I love that you added poppy seed to this salad! Looks delicious