Enjoy this chicken salad without mayo as a tasty summer lunch, BBQ side dish or to take to a potluck! Quick and easy to make in less than 30 minutes, this dairy free chicken salad is packed with tasty vegetables, herbs and has a lightly spiced olive oil based dressing that's so delicious!
Looking for more fun salad ideas for summer? Do have a peek at my no mayo turkey pasta salad and sweet potato beet salad too!
Chicken salad is such a popular go-to dish for summer don't you think? Whether it's for a family BBQ, to take to a potluck or to make a chicken salad sandwich, it's always such a crowd-pleaser.
But so many deli chicken salads in the store are quite heavy on the mayo, which doesn't work if you are egg free or just prefer something a little healthier. Similarly to my chicken and pomegranate salad, this no mayo chicken salad combines simple ingredients, has a good crunch from veggies and a tasty olive oil dressing. It will fast become a favorite I think!
Looking for more fast chicken recipes? Do check out my air fryer boneless chicken thighs, chicken pesto bowl and my Italian herb chicken recipe. And for summer grilling, my coconut chicken kabobs are delicious!
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⭐ Why this recipe is so good
Fresh and light. Made with an oil-based dressing, this chicken salad without mayo has a lighter taste and texture than many deli chicken salads.
Lots of veggies. We have a good crunch from celery and radishes!
Dairy-free, egg free and gluten free recipe. As we don't use mayonnaise, this chicken salad is suitable for those dietary requirements.
Quick and easy. Simply cook up your chicken and combine with the veggies, herbs and dressing for a summer lunch or side dish!
🥗 Ingredients
All the ingredients and their quantities are set out in the recipe card below.
Some notes on a few of them:
- Chicken - I suggest to use plain skinless chicken breasts if you wish to use fresh chicken. I often use mini chicken breast fillets for a faster cook time, or you can dice chicken breasts into a few pieces to cook.
- Celery and radish - these give the chicken salad a good crunch, so pick fresh unbruised produce.
- Turmeric and paprika - these are swaps for the traditional dijon mustard in a vinaigrette and give the dressing a little hint of spice.
- Olive oil - used as the swap for mayo, I suggest to use extra virgin olive oil for the dressing for a better depth of flavor.
📖 Swaps and variations
Use rotisserie chicken. If it works for you, then swap out cooking fresh chicken for rotisserie chicken. This likely isn't suitable for my low histamine readers, who may also like to see my low histamine chicken recipes round-up for more ideas!
Change up the vegetables. You could also use diced cucumber, apple or grated carrot as add-ins for your salad!
Swap the spices for mustard. Dijon mustard is a more traditional ingredient of salad dressings, but likely isn't suitable for my low histamine readers.
🔪 Step by step instructions
Making this chicken salad without mayo is very easy, and takes just a few steps. All the instructions are in the recipe card below, but these images should help guide you.
Step 1: Cook and shred the chicken
Add the boneless skinless chicken breasts to an oiled skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes each side. Check for 165F at their deepest point with a meat thermometer, cooking for longer if required. Set aside to cool, then shred with two forks (image 1).
Step 2: Dice the veggies
Use a sharp knife to dice the celery, radishes, green onion and parsley into small pieces. Dice according to whether you like them more chunky or very small (image 2).
Recipe tip: If using chicken breast, I suggest to either use mini breast fillets if you can find them in stores, or slice the breasts into 2-3 pieces for a quicker cook time.
For another easy cook method, you can make my air fryer shredded chicken and use for this salad recipe!
Step 3: Make the honey dressing
Combine the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, garlic, spices, salt and black pepper in a jar that can be sealed and shake to emulsify the dressing (image 3).
Step 4: Make the chicken salad
Combine the shredded chicken breast, diced vegetables and herbs. Pour on about half of the dressing, give it a taste test and add more dressing to preference (image 4).
💭 Recipe tips and notes
- I suggest to slice the chicken breasts into 2-3 pieces for a quicker cook time.
- This salad uses shredded chicken, but you can also dice into smaller pieces if you prefer.
- Adjust the amount of spice in the dressing to taste preference.
- The typical ratio of oil to vinegar (or other acid) in a salad dressing is 3:1 but adjust to preference if you like a sharper flavor.
- You may not use all the dressing - drizzle on about half, mix, then taste test and add more to preference.
📋 Frequently asked questions
Fresh chicken breast that is cooked then shredded is good for chicken salads, but you can also use rotisserie chicken if it is suitable for you.
Chicken can easily be shredded using two forks to 'pull' the chicken apart into small pieces, or you can use an appropriate attachment on a stand mixer.
Yes, we don't use mayo or any butter, cream or cheese, so the salad is both dairy free and egg free. Have a look at my chicken and kale salad for another dairy free option too!
It's very easy to make a no mayo chicken salad by using an oil-based dressing rather than mayonnaise.
🍽 How to serve chicken salad
- Serve as a BBQ side dish, at potlucks or picnics as a tasty summer salad, or take to work or school in a tupperware for a filling lunch. It goes perfectly with my cucumber potato salad without mayo!
- Enjoy in a lettuce wrap or make a mayo free chicken salad sandwich (have a peek at my low histamine sandwich fillings post for more ideas!).
- Top baked potatoes to make a more hearty meal.
- Pair with my air fryer sweet potato wedges or my potato fritters, or for a lower carb option my skillet cauliflower rice from frozen.
🥬 More salads
Looking for more summer salads for BBQs and picnics? There are so many to choose from including my popular apple and cucumber salad, pak choi salad and my beet broccoli salad, as well as these recent recipes:
I'm always in the kitchen, so come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to be the first to hear of new recipes! And I love to hear from you - so please do leave a star rating ⭐⭐⭐ and comment if you've tried the recipe!
📖 Recipe
Chicken Salad without Mayo
Equipment
- Forks or stand mixer
Ingredients
- 2 skinless chicken breasts or rotisserie chicken*
- 1 stalk of celery diced
- 4 radishes diced
- 2 green onions diced
- 2 tablespoon parsley diced
For the oil-based dressing
- 6 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch salt
- pinch black pepper
Instructions
- Slice your chicken breasts into 2-3 pieces. Heat olive oil in your skillet and use tongs to place the chicken pieces. Cook for 4-5 minutes each side, adjusting the time if your chicken breasts are larger in size. Use a meat thermometer to check for an internal temperature of 165F at their deepest point.
- Once the chicken has cooled, shred with two forks or use the appropriate attachment of a stand mixer.
- Dice the celery and radishes into small pieces, slice the green onion and finely dice the parsley.
- Combine the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, honey, turmeric, sweet paprika, salt and black pepper in a jar that can be sealed. Shake well to emulsify the dressing.
- Add the shredded chicken to a large bowl, and tip in the salad vegetables and herbs. Drizzle about half the dressing into the bowl, toss the salad, taste test, then add more dressing to preference. Spoon onto your serving plate.
Notes
- Slice the chicken breasts into 2-3 pieces for a quicker cook time.
- Adjust the dressing with more spices or garlic to taste preference. Fresh garlic can also be used if you prefer.
- You may not use all the dressing. Drizzle on about half, mix the salad, then add more to preference.
- Nutritional information is auto-generated and should be understood to be an estimate.
- green onion, which is not rated. You can swap for white onion.
- apple cider vinegar and garlic, which score 1.
- black pepper, which scores 2.
Ashley Meyers says
Such a tasty and satisfying recipe! I’ve been so sad about such a restrictive diet and this recipe was comforting and lifted my mood. Your recipes have been just what I’ve needed. Thank you!
Claire says
So lovely to hear that you enjoyed the salad Ashley!
Alice says
I really liked this recipe.
Claire says
So lovely to hear you enjoy the salad Alice!
Audrey says
Great recipe for leftover chicken. I blended some pepitas with the dressing to make it a touch creamier.
Claire says
Glad you enjoyed it Audrey, and that's a great idea for the dressing!