Blue Cheese Chicken Salad
Just 10 minutes is all it takes to make this Blue Cheese Chicken Salad Recipe. It’s a great way to combine simple flavors into a salad recipe that everyone will love. You’ll be hooked after the first time making it. It’s perfect for a light lunch or quick weeknight dinner.
There are so many flavors in this recipe that I love. From the homemade dressing to the tangy blue cheese crumbles, every flavor stands out on its own, but they still mesh together perfectly for a flavorful bite.
Using fresh ingredients also makes this dish have bright colors and a fresh taste. And I love that it can really be that simple to have a simple lunch or dinner ready to eat in just 2-3 minutes of time.
If you’re a fan of simple salad recipes, be sure to try this Banh Mi Salad and this Arugula Burrata Salad for two of my other top picks. Perfect any time of year.
Ingredients
- Plain yogurt – This adds creaminess to the dish. I like to use Greek yogurt for the added protein.
- Mayonnaise – Adds healthy fat and a tangy flavor. I normally use avocado oil mayo.
- Garlic powder and onion powder – For taste.
- Black pepper – For flavor.
- Cooked chicken – Use leftover rotisserie chicken, or cook up some skinless chicken breasts.
- Celery – Adds crunch. Chop it into small pieces before adding.
- Roasted pecans – Using roasted pecans gives the best flavor, but raw pecans will also work.
- Blue cheese – Adds a tangy taste and flavor.
- Apples – This is optional for anyone keto, but it’s nice for a sweet-and-savory twist. A few tablespoons of chopped apple really add negligible carbs.
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Blue Cheese Chicken Salad
Step One: Mix the yogurt, mayonnaise, and all the spices in a bowl. Mix well.
Step Two: Dice up the celery, apples, and pecans. Save yourself some time and let the food processor chop up the celery, apples, and pecans. They don’t have to be exact in size, just close. Add to the bowl.
Step Three: Add the dressing.
Step Four: Fold together the cooked chicken, chopped celery, pecans, and apple with the dressing. Combine well.
Step Five: Carefully fold in the blue cheese crumbles.
Step Six: Serve and enjoy.
Top Tip💡
You should not need added salt since blue cheese is pretty salty. If you want, after tasting the salad, you can add salt to taste.
Substitutions
- Sour cream – If you want to swap out some or all of the yogurt, you can use sour cream as a creamy base.
- Dressing – If you don’t feel like making your own, you can also use store-bought blue cheese dressing for a quick fix.
Variations
- Chicken – You can use any type of cooked chicken. My preference is grilled chicken breast. Leftover rotisserie chicken, shredded chicken thighs, chunks of chicken tenderloins, etc., all work well.
- Fresh onions – Dice up some green onions for a pop of flavor. Red onion works, too.
- Vegetables – You can also add other vegetables, such as a red bell pepper or a cucumber.
- Fruit – Swap out the apples for grapes or a chopped pear.
- Hot sauce – Want to turn this into a buffalo chicken salad? Leave out the apple or replace it with a chopped carrot. Add your favorite hot sauce and stir.
- Spinach – Either serve on a bed of baby spinach or mix some in.
See this Lemon Basil Chicken Salad for another fast and easy recipe.
Equipment
It’s not hard at all to make this chicken salad recipe, so you don’t really need any fancy equipment. A large mixing bowl, a spatula for stirring, a cutting board, and a sharp knife are really all that you need to get started.
Storage
Once you make this salad recipe, store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate. The flavors will continue to meld as it sets and chills, so don’t be surprised if it tastes a bit different the next day.
With the addition of sour cream and mayonnaise, I really feel like this dish is best served and eaten fresh. Keep it out of the freezer for the best results.
Common Questions
Absolutely. It’s a super easy dish to whip up and have waiting in the fridge. Some people actually prefer eating it chilled, so giving it a few hours or even overnight is a simple way to achieve that.
You have options. Serve it in a bowl and eat, or add it to bread or a low carb wrap for a fun sandwich option. You can also serve it on a bed of lettuce, mixed greens, or spinach.
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Blue Cheese Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp plain yogurt
- 3 tbsp mayo
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 10 oz cooked chicken cubed or shredded
- 1/4 cup celery chopped
- 1/4 cup roasted pecans chopped
- 1/4 cup apples chopped (optional)
- 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Combine the yogurt, mayo, and spices in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly.
- Fold in the chicken, celery, pecans, and apples.
- Very gently fold in the blue cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
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Loved this chicken salad! I don’t care for fruit in a salad unless it is an all fruit salad ( I think it is a dressing issue). I did give it a try & it was pretty good! So apples or no apple this is the best chicken salad recipe I’ve ever tried!!
Thank you for the recipe!
This salad really had good flavor! We ate it over lettuce the first time and in a spinach wrap the 2nd time. So good!
Love this combination
Thank you for showing the cholesterol. I have been diagnosed with high cholesterol, so I need to be able to count it.