Lightened Up Honey Mustard Chicken Salad (no mayo, no yogurt!)

Meet my new go-to 15-minute lunch: Honey Mustard Chicken Salad made with tender shredded chicken breast, crunchy cabbage, celery, and red onion, plus juicy grapes-all tossed in creamy tahini honey mustard. This fresh and flavorful spin on the classic makes four hearty servings perfect for meal prep. Did I mention it holds up like a champ in the fridge? A hit for easy meals all week long!

I gotta be honest...chicken salad really solves the lunch problem for me. Like, does an easier high-protein, hella delish lunch ready in 15 minutes exist?! I'll wait.

Just like my curry chicken salad without mayo, we're combining leftover chicken with lots of texture-rich add-ins plus a dynamite sauce. Veggies, protein, healthy fats, 10/10 flavor...gang's all here!

Most importantly, we're also solving my biggest issue with most homemade chicken salad recipes--they only make 2 cups! Who's eating that little chicken salad? Not this hangry gal.

Introducing not heavy, veggie-loaded chicken salad that *actually* tastes amazing and makes enough for leftovers. Boom!

Behind the scenes of recipe testing

• Tahini honey mustard: While most chicken salad recipes rely on mayo or yogurt for creaminess, I went a different route. I developed this recipe with nutty tahini, bright lemon juice, tangy Dijon, and smooth extra virgin olive oil for mouthfeel. Dijon helps emulsify the dressing and the end result flavor is out of this world.
• Crunchy veggies: Mushy chicken salad is the worst. To avoid this being texturally one note, we're recruiting [underutilized] crunchy cabbage, red onion, and celery. I tested this without cabbage and I missed how it stretches the recipe and adds more dimension. Don't skip it!
• Season every layer: Whether you're cooking raw chicken breast or using rotisserie chicken, make sure it's seasoned well with salt, pepper and garlic powder. (For rotisserie, you can rub the seasonings on the skin into the breast). Seasoning every layer adds major flavor. This is, in my opinion, not optional. Bland chicken will taste like...bland chicken.

Let's make it!

I hope you're as obsessed with this fun flavor twist on classic chicken salad as I am!

I'd be so grateful if you'd take a moment to leave a quick star rating and review below. This is the best way to support food bloggers and your honest feedback helps me to continue to develop recipes you'll crave!

Lightened Up Honey Mustard Chicken Salad (no mayo, no yogurt!)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 7 reviews

• Author: Alexis Joseph, MS, RD
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 4 heaping cups 1x
• Category: Burgers and Sandwiches
• Method: No Cook
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

Meet my new favorite 15-minute lunch: Honey Mustard Chicken Salad made with tender shredded chicken breast, crunchy cabbage, celery, and red onion, plus juicy grapes-all tossed in creamy tahini honey mustard. This fresh and flavorful spin on the classic makes four hearty servings perfect for meal prep. Did I mention it holds up like a champ in the fridge? A hit for easy lunches all week long!

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the chicken salad:

• 2 ½ cups shredded or cubed chicken breast
• 1 cup coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage)
• ⅔ cup chopped celery
• ½ cup chopped red onion
• ½ cup grapes, halved or quartered (can sub dried cherries, golden raisins, etc!)

For the tahini honey mustard:

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp tahini
• 2 ½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp water
• ½ tsp fine fine sea salt + lots of freshly ground black pepper, to taste

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Instructions

1. Place chicken, cabbage, celery, red onion, and grapes in a large mixing bowl.
2. In a separate medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, add the tahini honey mustard ingredients. Whisk until smooth.
3. Pour dressing over the salad ingredients and use tongs to toss well. Taste and adjust seasoning to your tastes, adding more salt, pepper, or a drizzle of honey to taste until the flavors really pop.
4. Serve as is, as a sandwich, with crackers, or in a lettuce wrap! (If you have it on hand, a sprinkle of fresh parley makes a lovely green garnish.) Store tightly covered in the fridge for 3-4 days.

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Notes

A sprinkle of chopped walnuts or pecans for crunch + dried cherries for chew are a great addition!

I like to make shredded chicken in the Instant Pot. Place 1 cup water or broth in pot. Add 2 small chicken breasts and season well with kosher salt, garlic powder, and pepper. Cook for 9 minutes, quick release, then set it aside to cool before shredding.