This keto chicken salad is easy, creamy, and flat-out delicious! It’s a flavor-packed salad that uses only a few ingredients and clocks in at only one net carbs per serving!
It’s the perfect easy meal and makes it great for meal prep or when looking for a light dinner made with only a handful of ingredients.
When it comes to classic all-American salads, chicken salad is right at the top of my favorite list.
Not only is it simple to make, but it can be customized by using leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken to save time, or even canned chicken if you’re in a pinch.
The key is to chop the pre-cooked chicken into small pieces so that your keto chicken salad can absorb all the flavors well.
I mean, what’s not to love about being able to share a keto salad recipe that you’ll be proud to serve?
You’re going to appreciate how fast you can make this recipe. In 20 minutes or less, you can have a family-friendly salad. That’s right, even the kids will ask for this salad!
What keeps this salad low in carbs and keto-friendly is the use of healthy fats by using both full-fat mayonnaise and sour cream.
This combination also ensures that it’s a low-carb chicken salad recipe that is moist and creamy.
If you’re a fan of cool refreshing salads, be sure to check out our collection of keto salads, where there is something for everyone.
Keto Creamy Chicken Salad
When the weather begins to warm up, and you are craving a cold, creamy salad, this is the recipe to make!
This healthy chicken salad is perfect for BBQs, family gatherings, picnics, and potlucks! Serve it on a bed of lettuce, inside a hollowed-out tomato, or between two slices of toasted keto white bread, keto high fiber bread, or on top of cloud bread.
You can even make these to be keto chicken salad lettuce wraps by adding the low-carb chicken salad into lettuce boats. I recommend using romaine lettuce for this or a low carb tortilla.
This easy chicken salad recipe does not use any added sugars, making it a great choice for those who are on low carb diets.
Main Ingredients Needed
The following are all the ingredients you’ll need for a creamy low carb chicken salad recipe. Note that the full printable recipe card is at the bottom of the page as well as the nutrition facts.
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- Shredded chicken breasts cooked
- Full-fat mayonnaise I recommend using an olive oil or avocado oil based mayo. You can even use homemade mayonnaise.
- Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
- Thinly sliced celery
- Fresh dill, two tablespoons
- Salt
- Ground black pepper
- Onion powder
- Apple cider vinegar
- Granulated sugar substitute, a tiny amount, and optional
How To Make Easy Keto Chicken Salad (Creamy)
This refreshing salad is pretty straightforward. Making it as easy as it gets. You’ll need to cook the chicken ahead of time for chicken salad as it needs time to cool completely before using.
You can either poach your chicken at least an hour beforehand or use the breast of a rotisserie chicken. If using a rotisserie chicken, you should take off the skin for a classic salad.
This recipe calls for cooked chicken breasts, but you can use chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat. I decided to keep things very basic for a classic chicken salad, allowing you to customize this to your preference.
The dressing is also very simple and uses a combination of mayonnaise and sour cream for extra flavor. You can even substitute the sour cream for full-fat yogurt if you prefer.
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In fact, you can swap out mayo entirely by using only Greek yogurt.
It offers the same creaminess as mayo and offers a little more protein. However, going this route will mean higher carbs, so keep that in mind.
As far as seasonings, I opted for the more commonly used salt and black pepper and used onion powder instead of raw onions.
I like the salad dressing to be a little on the sweet side, so I added a couple of teaspoons of sugar substitute.
The combo of sweetness with the tanginess of both the sour cream and apple cider vinegar makes it extra flavorful. It’s why our family considers it the best keto chicken salad.
That being said, you can leave out the sweetener entirely if that’s not your preference.
Once you have prepared the salad, it is important that any leftovers be stored in an airtight container for up to three days.
That being said, if you choose to use homemade mayo, it should be consumed the day it was created.
Some Of Our Favorite Keto-Friendly Chicken Salad Add-Ins
When it comes to add-ins for different ways of flavoring the salad, the sky’s the limit. The following are some wholesome ingredients. We recommend that you still keep the chicken salad low in carbs.
- Slivered almonds, 1/4 cup
- Chopped walnuts, 1/4
- 1/4 cup of chopped pecans
- Green onions, three tablespoons
- Chopped red onion, small
- Chopped pickles
- Ripe avocados
- 1/4 cup of sugar-free cranberries for a cranberry chicken salad recipe
- Fresh herbs
- 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
- Sunflower seeds, three tablespoons
- Two slices of chopped crispy bacon
- Swap the apple cider vinegar for lemon juice
- Add a teaspoon of chipotle powder for a southwestern flavor twist
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I sure hope you give this easy keto chicken salad recipe a try. Once you do make sure you remember to tag us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. It’s what keeps us encouraged to keep sharing and perfecting our recipes.
Be sure to also check out our entire collection of keto chicken recipes for more delicious options.
Also, check out our Amazon Store for our recommendations. You might be surprised by how many great keto options are at your disposal.
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Keto Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Keto Chicken Salad
- 4 cups of chicken breast cooked and shredded (both halves)
- 1/2 cup of full fat mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup of sour cream
- 3/4 cup of thin sliced celery
- 1 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon of onion powder
- 2 tablespoon of apple cinder vinegar
- 2 teaspoon of granulated sugar substitute (optional)
Instructions
Dressing:
- In a medium bowl mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, sugar substitute, salt, pepper, onion powder making sure it is well combined. Set aside.
Salad:
- Chop the celery into thin slices set aside.
- In a large bowl add the shredded cooked chicken.
- To the chicken add the dressing and chopped celery. Stir until well combined.
- Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
Chicken salad is best eaten fresh and it's why I do not recommend you freeze it. Freezing can cause the dressing to seperate and change its consistency.
If you choose to add sugar substitute be sure to use half the amount indicated if using a stevia erythritol blend since it is twice as sweet.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 246Total Fat: 15gCarbohydrates: 2gNet Carbohydrates: 1gFiber: 1gSugar: 1.4gProtein: 4.2g
Kate Horrell
Monday 17th of May 2021
First of all I LOVE ANY THING EASY, n this recipe is soooo easy. At first I was thinking with ACV in it I don't know, but OMG it is so good. I made some cheesy cheddar biscuits to eat this on, this is a keeper. I look forward to ur posts everyday, because us Floridians stick together. I'm also from Miami, Cutler Ridge to be exact.
Hilda Solares
Thursday 20th of May 2021
Hi Kate, So happy to hear that you loved the both the ease and flavor of the chicken salad!