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    Home » Recipes » Lunch

    By Kaleigh McMordie - February 28, 2019, Updated June 27, 2021

    No Mayo Orange Poppy Seed Chicken Salad

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe
    orange poppy seed chicken salad on top of a piece of bread on a white plate with text overlay.

    This no mayo orange poppy seed chicken salad is a delicious, healthy lunch that's easy to make and meal prep friendly! (gluten-free)

    no mayo orange poppy seed chicken salad on a piece of bread with greens on a white plate.

    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.

    no mayo orange poppy seed chicken salad on greens in a bowl

    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

    four image collage showing steps for making orange poppy seed chicken salad.
    1. Whisk together the dressing ingredients.
    2. Chop the chicken, celery and green onion.
    3. 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.

    two halves of a chicken salad sandwich stacked on top of each other on a white plate.

    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!

    Print

    No Mayo Orange Poppy Seed Chicken Salad

    no mayo orange poppy seed chicken salad on a piece of bread with greens on a white plate.
    Print Recipe

    This no mayo orange poppy seed chicken salad is a delicious, healthy lunch that's easy to make and meal prep friendly! (gluten-free)

    • Author: Kaleigh
    • 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

    Scale

    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

    1. In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the dressing. Set aside.
    2. Add shredded chicken, celery, green onions, and almonds to a large bowl. Add dressing, and gently stir to coat.
    3. 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

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @livelytable on Instagram and hashtag it #livelytable

     

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    This post may contain affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission off of your purchase with no extra cost to you. Please read my affiliate disclosure for more information.

    About Kaleigh McMordie

    Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RDN, LD, is a Registered Dietitian and Licensed Dietitian in Abilene, Texas, as well as a member of the Baby Led Weaning Dietitians Network. Kaleigh can be found at kaleighmcmordie.com.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Receitas says

      March 07, 2019 at 6:16 pm

      This is really good! Tnks for sharing
      Five stars for this recipe!

      Reply
      • Kaleigh says

        March 08, 2019 at 6:48 am

        I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe!

        Reply
    2. Sonali- The Foodie Physician says

      March 05, 2019 at 9:48 am

      I am loving everything about this mayo-free chicken salad recipe! The dressing sounds spectacular! Yum!

      Reply
      • Kaleigh says

        March 08, 2019 at 6:48 am

        Thanks Sonali! The dressing really makes it!

        Reply
    3. Sarah says

      March 05, 2019 at 9:21 am

      Love this spin on chicken salad. We love to buy rotisserie chicken each week and this is a fun new flavor combo to try!

      Reply
      • Kaleigh says

        March 08, 2019 at 6:49 am

        Thanks Sarah! Yes, a rotisserie chicken would be perfect for this!

        Reply
    4. Emily @Sinful Nutrition says

      March 04, 2019 at 7:13 pm

      This sounds like such a flavorful lunch idea. Love the orange addition!

      Reply
    5. Deborah Brooks says

      March 04, 2019 at 4:07 pm

      I don't eat chicken but I really like the sound of that dressing. I could use it on something else for sure

      Reply
    6. Kelly Page, Health Coach, CTNC (@TastingPage) says

      March 04, 2019 at 4:02 pm

      I'm all about a mayo-free chicken salad. Love the addition of orange in here.

      Reply
    7. Nicole @ Fitful Focus says

      March 04, 2019 at 11:47 am

      This sounds delicious! Adding this to my to-make lunch list!

      Reply
    8. Abbey Sharp says

      March 04, 2019 at 10:37 am

      Mm I love that you added poppy seed to this salad! Looks delicious

      Reply

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