Keto Bacon Ranch Chicken Salad

My Bacon Ranch Chicken Salad is bursting with flavor. It is rich and creamy with cheddar, bacon, and dill. This is the BEST keto chicken salad you will ever eat. It comes together in minutes as a delicious lunch or summer dinner.

Over the last few years, the bacon ranch flavor combination has become a favorite of my entire family. They love any dish with those flavors. Throw in some cheddar too and you have a real winner.

We love my Bacon Ranch Chicken Casserole so much that I needed to come up with a version for the warmer weather in June, July, and August. This low carb chicken salad recipe does the trick.

Homemade Ranch

I get a lot of questions about my ranch recipes because I do not use bottled ranch dressing or ranch dressing packets. I use a specific blend of herbs and spices to create a ranch flavor from scratch!

You do not need the processed versions with all their additives to get a ranch flavor. Making your own keto friendly spice mixes and dressings for your keto diet is an easy way to ensure they are low carb and gluten free.

I tend to use dried herbs but fresh dill is great if you have it. With my ranch seasoning, this really is the best homemade keto chicken salad out there.

You can change up the seasoning in this and replace the ranch with my Keto Fajita Seasoning or Smoked Paprika Rub.

What type of chicken do I use for Keto Chicken Salad?

I use grilled chicken marinated in my Ranch Yogurt Marinade for this recipe for double the ranch flavor. I love ranch. Whenever we grill chicken I make enough to have leftovers for quick and easy lunches. Chicken salad is one of our default summer keto recipes.

Any type of leftover cooked chicken is fine as long as it doesn't have a contrasting flavor. I wouldn't recommend using leftover chicken with an Asian marinade or spicy Mexican rub.

Leftover Chicken for Chicken Salad

Yes! This is a great way to use up leftover chicken from other low carb recipes, from meal prep, grilled, baked, or made in the instant pot. You can make this keto chicken salad with leftover rotisserie chicken or even canned chicken breast. If you use canned chicken breast just make sure to cut back on the salt or it might be too salty.

Can I use leftover shredded chicken?

Sure! If you prefer shredded chicken in your easy keto chicken salad you can use that instead of cubed chicken breasts.

Most days I eat leftovers from dinner for lunch. When it's just me and my toddler I don't feel like cooking another meal. But there are times I get tired of the leftover options. It is much easier to transform leftovers to have a different flavor or application than to make a whole new meal.

If you are looking for a lighter chicken salad using Greek yogurt try this Healthy Chicken Salad.

Want to add in some crunch? Add chopped celery or onion. Love avocado? That is great in this too!

How many servings does this make?

This makes 2 servings of keto chicken salad. Feel free to double or triple to serve your entire family. I normally just make this for myself for lunch for a couple of days.

How many carbs in chicken salad?

This varies A LOT. Many store-bought chicken salads add sugar so if you are buying chicken salad instead of making it always read the label.

My keto chicken salad has 1 carb per serving so it is a great choice in place of higher carb chicken salad recipes and store bought salads!

What to serve with Keto Chicken Salad

Chicken salad is great served with a fork. I tend to just eat it plain but other times I'll put it inside a low carb tortilla, lettuce leaves, or serve it on top of baby spinach. If you have a low carb bread you like chicken salad sandwiches are delicious too.

You can also serve it on these Cheddar Ranch Keto Biscuits for extra ranch flavor!

 

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Originally published May 20, 2016, Revised and republished April 8, 2020.