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You are here: Home / Healthy Recipes / Chicken / Creamy Avocado Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

June 17, 2015 69 Comments

Creamy Avocado Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

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Creamy Avocado Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad- a healthy spin on chicken salad with no mayonnaise involved!

I haven’t been this excited to share a recipe with you in a while! Today we’re talking chicken salad, and specifically, mayo-free, creamy avocado Greek yogurt chicken salad.Avocado Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad- so delicious and made with NO mayo! | www.healthy-liv.comI bought a rotisserie chicken with no real plan other than maybe using it on salads for dinner, and I happened to be talking to my mom on the phone while I was at the grocery store.

When she suggested making chicken salad, it sounded great except for one thing: I really dislike mayonnaise. I can just barely tolerate mayo in chicken salad, but there was no way I was going to buy a whole jar of it, especially since it’s not the healthiest condiment out there.

So, I started brainstorming what I could substitute for mayo that would add a similar creaminess to the salad. My first thought was plain Greek yogurt…and then I thought of avocado, too.

So, I came up with a simple recipe that combines shredded chicken, avocado, plain Greek yogurt, lime juice, red onion, and cilantro for a healthy and unique alternative to the traditionally mayo-heavy chicken salad.

Avocado Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad- so delicious and made with NO mayo! | www.healthy-liv.comMy only concern was that the avocado would quickly turn brown, which would make the chicken salad look less appetizing, even though it’d still taste the same. I ate my avocado Greek yogurt chicken salad over the course of three days, though, and there was no brown avocado to be seen. Maybe the lime juice worked some magic!

After making the recipe and calculating the nutritional info, I was surprised by how great the stats are. One serving of this avocado Greek yogurt chicken salad has 26 grams of protein with only 200 calories.

On a piece of whole-grain bread or a sandwich thin, or even straight up with a spoon, this chicken salad makes a perfect lunch to pack for work, school, or a picnic.

Hope you enjoy!

If you try this avocado Greek yogurt chicken salad, leave a comment and a star rating or take a photo and tag me @livbane on Instagram!

Avocado & Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad- a healthy version of chicken salad with NO mayonnaise!
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Creamy Avocado Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

A healthy spin on chicken salad with no mayonnaise involved!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 200kcal
Author: Liv

Ingredients

  • 3 cups shredded chicken
  • 1 ripe avocado, mashed
  • 2-3 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon finely diced red onion
  • 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

  • Stir together shredded chicken, mashed avocado, plain Greek yogurt, and lime juice. If mixture seems dry, add another spoonful of Greek yogurt.
  • Add diced red onion, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cilantro, and stir to combine. Taste to adjust spices to your preference.
  • Serve on wheat bread or a sandwich thin, with crackers, or enjoy by itself.

Notes

I used a small rotisserie chicken to save time.
To tell if an avocado's ripe, gently squeeze it. It should feel just slightly squishy.

Nutrition

Calories: 200kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Fiber: 3g
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Comments

  1. Stacie @ SimplySouthernStacie says

    June 17, 2015 at 8:38 am

    I might be drooling over this. Thankfully, I have some avocado packed in my lunch today, so that should hold me over until I can give this a try!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      June 17, 2015 at 6:13 pm

      I can’t believe I used to be an avocado hater- they’re SO good!

      Reply
  2. Alison @ Sweetly Petite says

    June 17, 2015 at 10:07 am

    Yum! What a perfect balance of healthy fats and protein!

    Reply
  3. Jamie says

    June 17, 2015 at 9:07 am

    Love the macros of this recipe! So healthy and fresh. Great spin on your typical tuna sandwich! Thanks for sharing : )

    Reply
  4. Brie @ Lean, Clean, & Brie says

    June 17, 2015 at 9:19 am

    I just made a similar recipe to this, but a tuna salad instead and that avocado just does wonders to it!! I try not to eat a lot of mayo and usually sub it with hummus, but avocado just might be my new go-to for it!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      June 17, 2015 at 6:12 pm

      My roommate for the summer loves tuna and has been eating it a lot- I wish I could get behind it, but I just can’t get over the fishiness!

      Reply
  5. Abbie says

    June 17, 2015 at 10:14 am

    Liv, you’re brilliant! I use Greek yogurt in chicken salad, but sometimes it tastes a little too Greek yogurt-y. I love, love, love avocados, so I’m going to have to try this! Do you think that combo would be good in egg salad as well, or do you think that would taste weird?

    Reply
    • misty says

      June 17, 2015 at 11:42 am

      i can’t wait to try it! 🙂

      Reply
      • Liv says

        June 17, 2015 at 6:15 pm

        You’ll have to let me know what you think! 🙂

        Reply
    • Liv says

      June 17, 2015 at 6:12 pm

      That’s actually why I ended up using avocado, too- I didn’t want the Greek yogurt to be overpowering! I’m not sure about in egg salad but I’d definitely try the chicken salad version first if I were you and then decide from there 🙂

      Reply
    • Amanda says

      November 22, 2017 at 10:18 pm

      Do you think you could sub the Greek yogurt for cottage cheese?

      Reply
      • Liv says

        November 23, 2017 at 4:34 pm

        Hi Amanda,
        I wouldn’t recommend subbing in cottage cheese, since the curds have a quite different texture. You could use regular yogurt instead of Greek yogurt if you have that! (Or you could try blending your cottage cheese for a smoother texture.)

        Reply
  6. Alexa @ The Mindful Maritimer says

    June 17, 2015 at 1:12 pm

    Oh gosh this looks so good! I always have such a problem being patient and waiting for my avocado to ripen so I can use it in recipes haha! Today I actually made something similar with tuna!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      June 17, 2015 at 6:16 pm

      I always set my avocados on the windowsill to speed up the ripening process which helps, but I agree- if I’m craving guacamole, I want it now! 🙂

      Reply
      • Connie says

        October 21, 2018 at 12:30 pm

        I worked for Chi-Chi’s for many years. They ripened avocados by placing them in a brown paper bag with tomatoes. The gases from the tomatoes ripened them quicker.

        Reply
        • Liv says

          October 24, 2018 at 12:29 am

          That’s good to know!! Thanks for the tip! 🙂

          Reply
  7. Kristin @ My Year in the Making says

    June 17, 2015 at 1:18 pm

    This looks AMAZING! Chicken salad is my favorite thing ever. I’ll have to try it 🙂

    Reply
    • Liv says

      June 17, 2015 at 6:16 pm

      I’d actually gone probably 5+ years without eating chicken salad because of my aversion to mayo, so I’m so happy it’s back in my life!

      Reply
      • Robert M Miller says

        March 25, 2018 at 1:32 pm

        If i went to a regular supermarket would i still be able to use their rotisserie chicken? I don’t have Earth Fare close to me since i don’t have a car at the moment.

        Reply
  8. Christine@ Apple of My Eye says

    June 17, 2015 at 11:37 am

    Soo I haven’t had the chance to eat breakfast yet and I am DROOLING. Like seriously, I am actually hungry because of this post and as soon as I finish typing this, I’m heading over to the kitchen to find something to take the edge off ;).

    Chicken salad is one of my absolute favorite lighter meals and I love that this incorporates healthy fats instead of the traditional mayo!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      June 17, 2015 at 6:15 pm

      I loved that there are 8 grams of unsaturated (aka healthy) fat in this! And I’d gone years without eating chicken salad just because of my mayo aversion, so I’m happy it’s back in my life 🙂

      Reply
  9. Sam @ PancakeWarriors says

    June 17, 2015 at 1:19 pm

    Oh I’ve been trying to find new ideas for the boy, he’s so tired of his everyday eats. I’m going to recommend this to him!!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      June 17, 2015 at 6:17 pm

      Oh yay! I hope he gives it a try and enjoys it 🙂 I completely understand those everyday food ruts!

      Reply
  10. Alison @ Daily Moves and Grooves says

    June 17, 2015 at 1:35 pm

    Agh what a killer combo! I love using Greek yogurt in my tuna salads. Adding avocado is a great idea that I’m sure adds unbeatable richness (while still being healthy!).

    Reply
    • Liv says

      June 19, 2015 at 11:14 am

      It’s crazy to me how rich avocado is! I haven’t tried it yet, but I can definitely see how it would work well for chocolate avocado mousse recipes!

      Reply
  11. Dani @ DaniCaliforniaCooks says

    June 17, 2015 at 3:15 pm

    This looks delicious!! I could happily live off tuna or chicken salad for lunch.

    Reply
    • Liv says

      June 19, 2015 at 11:13 am

      Next week, I’ll be packing up all my lunches AND dinners, so I have a feeling this chicken salad will be making an appearance again 🙂

      Reply
  12. Ellen @ My Uncommon Everyday says

    June 17, 2015 at 9:23 pm

    I’m not huge on mayo, either, so I usually use a combo of Greek yogurt and mayo in tuna/chicken salads. LOVE this idea even more, though! It also reminds me (very loosely) of Trader Joe’s Greek yogurt guacamole, which is pretty fantastic. Excellent idea!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      June 18, 2015 at 1:36 pm

      It’s crazy how rich avocado is! I haven’t tried it yet, but I can definitely see how it would work well for chocolate avocado mousse recipes!

      Reply
  13. Shannon says

    June 17, 2015 at 7:52 pm

    I made a chicken salad with greek yogurt and just ate my last serving alongside a plain avocado, but didn’t think about putting the avocado in the chicken salad! Looks delish. ,

    Reply
    • Liv says

      June 19, 2015 at 11:12 am

      You’ll have to toss the avocado in next time, too! And I love that you used plain Greek yogurt in your chicken salad- great minds think alike 🙂

      Reply
  14. Rebecca @ MyEagerFeet says

    June 17, 2015 at 8:57 pm

    Huh, I’ve never thought of avocado as a substitute for mayo, but that’s an awesome idea! Tuna salad always grossed me out because I don’t like fish, but your chicken version sounds really good.

    Reply
    • Liv says

      June 17, 2015 at 9:24 pm

      I wish I could like tuna but I just can’t! Luckily, I don’t really get tired of chicken 🙂

      Reply
  15. Paola Angeli says

    June 18, 2015 at 11:41 pm

    Protein-rich and avocado ridden … I definitely must try this! Lovely photos!

    Reply
  16. Beverley Cheng says

    June 19, 2015 at 11:10 am

    lime and/or lemon juice is the BEST for keeping avocados looking fresh. this looks super yummy! i personally LOVE mayo but would also substitute Greek yogurt and never know the difference!

    Reply
  17. Kaylin @ Enticing Healthy Eating says

    June 21, 2015 at 10:40 pm

    I have made a recipe very similar to this one recently for a client’s website. One trick I did?…I used lime greek yogurt in the recipe. Crazy, right?! It actually worked well! It’s such a refreshing sandwich filling–particularly for Summer.

    Reply
  18. Kerri McGrail says

    June 22, 2015 at 12:04 am

    I absolutely HATE mayo! I’ve never even tried traditional chicken salad bc I dislike it so much. I like that your recipe uses diff ingredients! I just may have to give this a try!

    Reply
  19. Jessica @ kiwiyogirunner says

    June 22, 2015 at 3:40 am

    This looks amazing! I bet it was the lime juice that stopped it from going brown indeed, defjnitely makes for a more pleasant eating experience when it’s not going that weird brown colour! I love the green colour and I would totally use a rotisserie chicken too, I don’t have an oven so that’s my only option haha. Have a great day Liv!

    Reply
  20. Nicole @ Squash on Squash says

    June 27, 2015 at 9:16 am

    Ahh definitely want to try this!! All my favourite foods combined in one recipe? Can’t lose! (Ookay well maybe I wouldn’t put peanut butter in with this recipe, but chicken+Greek yogurt+avocado are for sure all on my top 10 list!)

    Reply
  21. Mj Villanueva says

    July 29, 2015 at 4:51 am

    I can’t imagine avocado, chicken and yogurt mixing together. I’m curious how its taste. Thank you for sharing this no so usual recipe, I’ve been browsing your site for quite some time to look for more new recipes.

    Reply
  22. Katerina says

    August 31, 2015 at 9:27 am

    Such an amazing recipe! I can not wait to try it! Also thank you so much for stopping by my blog and giving me the encouragement that I needed to get through this really rough patch in my life! It was needed!

    Also do you know of any link ups or places that I can meet a lot of bloggers besides individually googling them? Haha google comes up with a looot of weird things when I type in Health, fitness, and blog XD!

    XO,
    Katerina

    Reply
    • Liv says

      August 31, 2015 at 2:04 pm

      Hey Katerina! One way I’ve found some of the blogs I follow is from scrolling through the comment sections of blogs I already read and enjoy, and I’ll click through to any blogs that sound interesting.

      Another way is through the Blog-Lovin website, which will suggest other blogs you’d enjoy based on the ones you follow 🙂

      As for link-ups, the weekly “What I Ate Wednesday” link-up on peasandcrayons.com can be a great place to find other health and fitness-minded bloggers!

      Reply
  23. Farah says

    January 21, 2016 at 11:24 pm

    Is there anything that can replace the consistency of avocado? I don’t like it 🙁

    Reply
    • Liv says

      January 23, 2016 at 12:24 am

      The only other thing I can think of is mayo! If you’re averse to regular mayo like I am, you might like vegan mayo 🙂

      Reply
  24. Debbie says

    March 10, 2016 at 2:48 pm

    This is delicious! The avacado makes it have such a delicious taste. My ladies group loved it. Thanks for this fantastic recipe!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      March 13, 2016 at 8:53 pm

      I’m so glad to hear that your ladies group enjoyed it, Debbie! This is one of my favorite recipes, as well!

      Reply
  25. Emily says

    March 16, 2016 at 5:52 pm

    This recipe sounds really great but I don’t like the taste of Greek yogurt, so my question is can you really taste the Greek yogurt in it?
    Thank you! 🙂

    Reply
    • Liv says

      March 16, 2016 at 5:53 pm

      Hi Emily! I don’t notice the taste of Greek yogurt in this recipe, but you can also substitute plain regular (non-Greek) yogurt if you’d prefer! Both work well.

      Reply
  26. Carmy says

    March 17, 2016 at 3:52 pm

    I want this in my belly NOW

    Reply
  27. misty says

    March 22, 2016 at 12:55 pm

    I make this recipe for chicken salad almost every week. It is delicious and a favorite lunch food for my family! 🙂

    Reply
    • misty says

      March 23, 2016 at 1:19 pm

      I have been using a little over a pound of shredded cooked chicken breasts (which is about 3 or 4 split breasts…instead of the rotisserie chicken) and then I just adjust the amount of avocado, Greek yogurt and spices that I use to give it the right amount of creaminess and zip. Love the recipe!

      Reply
  28. Katie says

    April 17, 2016 at 3:42 pm

    I added a little bit of buffalo hot sauce to my chicken before mixing it into the avo and it was delicious 🙂 This is a great recipe!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      April 18, 2016 at 11:47 am

      You know, I don’t think I would’ve ever thought to add buffalo hot sauce to the chicken before making chicken salad but that sounds amazing!! Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Katie!!

      Reply
  29. Blossom says

    July 3, 2016 at 4:19 pm

    The avocado doesn’t turn brown because the lime is an antioxidant, which in essence slows down the aging process! Great post though. I’m glad to find another college health nut 🙂

    Reply
  30. ann says

    July 25, 2016 at 5:48 pm

    Made this today, SO GOOD!
    Avocado mixes well with the greek yogurt.
    Friends make fun of me for not being able to cook but luckily this recipe requires no cooking. came out perfect, can’t wait for the kids to come home and try it!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      July 25, 2016 at 9:41 pm

      I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this chicken salad, Ann! Hope your kids love it, too!

      Reply
  31. Kristen K says

    July 26, 2016 at 11:42 am

    I made this yesterday and instead of cilantro I added dill, it was delicious!

    Reply
  32. Carol says

    July 31, 2016 at 7:02 pm

    I was looking for greek yogurt chicken salad recipes and found this one. So glad I bought avocados yesterday! I’m already excited about lunch tomorrow!!!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      August 2, 2016 at 3:20 pm

      What perfect timing! Hope you love the recipe, Carol!

      Reply
  33. sarah says

    October 23, 2017 at 5:48 am

    one of my most fav salads ,although in my country avocado is very rare , but still manage to find it ,one of most healthiest fruit on earth ,keep sharing good recipes

    Reply
    • Liv says

      October 23, 2017 at 2:58 pm

      I’m so glad you love this avocado greek yogurt chicken salad, Sarah! It’s one of my very favorite things to have for lunch!

      Reply
  34. Poorvi says

    February 19, 2018 at 9:52 am

    SO GOOD! Made this for lunch today – super filling and delicious. I am so here for all the protein and healthy fats. Will definitely be making this again, thank you!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      February 20, 2018 at 9:51 pm

      I’m so glad you love this chicken salad recipe, Poorvi! It’s one of my favorite lunches, as well.

      Reply
  35. Karlie says

    May 5, 2018 at 7:27 pm

    I’m new around here, but this looks absolutely delicious! My question is, how long do you think it will stay good in the fridge? I’m a sophomore in high school and next week I have 4 soccer games as well as my AP US history exam on Friday…yikes! If I could make 5 days worth of this on Sunday and have it throughout the week it would be a huge time saver and eliminate some of my stress, but will it stay good until Friday? Regardless, I definetly want to give this a try!

    Reply
    • Liv says

      May 7, 2018 at 1:19 am

      Hi, Karlie! The longest I’ve kept it is 4 days, but I think it tastes best for the first 3 days 😊 I tend to be overly cautious with meat, though, so it may be fine for 5. Good luck with your busy week!!!

      Reply
  36. Carol Eiseman says

    June 14, 2018 at 6:00 pm

    If you are really lazy or don’t have the actual avacodos on hand , you might try the packaged Guacamole. The ingredients are Hass avacodos, jalapeño purée, white vinegar, jalapeños, dehydrated onions dehydrated red bell pepper salt, and garlic. It mixes well with the recipe without the yogurt and avacodos.

    Reply
    • Liv says

      June 18, 2018 at 11:47 pm

      That’s a great point! 🙂

      Reply

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Welcome!

Hi, I’m Liv! I started blogging during my first semester of college to share healthy recipes that were easy enough to make in a dorm kitchen. Now in law school, my goal is still to share simple, delicious recipes that don't take too much time to whip up. You can most often find me running, eating ice cream, and making a mess in my kitchen. Read more...

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