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    Home » Mains

    Easy Gluten-Free Chicken Salad Recipe (Dairy-Free)

    Published: Aug 9, 2023 · Modified: Feb 16, 2024 by Elcy Wang · Leave a Comment · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This easy gluten-free chicken salad recipe is great for picnics, road trips, work lunches, and any other occasion where you want to eat healthy on the go.  It can also be made in advance for an express dinner, after a long day away from home.

    What makes this recipe even simpler is if you layer on additional ingredient prep techniques.  For example, preparing meat is one of the more time-consuming steps in a recipe, so why not take care of that in advance?  Check out my Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts recipe to learn how crazy simple it is to prepare chicken for a variety of meals.

    All gluten-free chicken salad recipe ingredients placed in a large glass mixing bowl, not yet mixed, with a white spatula resting on the left side.

    What's great about chicken salad recipes is that they can stand on their own as an easy meal, or you can use it as a meal prep ingredient to make other recipes.  

    For example, you can turn it into a sandwich using your favorite gluten-free bread or a dip with gluten-free crackers.  You can also make romaine lettuce wraps and burritos. 

    Jump to:
    • What are the Health Benefits?
    • Gluten-Free Chicken Salad Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Substitutions
    • Storage
    • FAQ
    • Related
    • Recipe
    • Food Safety

    What are the Health Benefits?

    Chicken salad recipes contain a good mix of protein, herbs, fruit, and vegetables to provide a wide variety of nutrients in one meal.  The juicy grapes and crisp celery are also very hydrating, making this recipe perfect for warmer days.

    The pine nuts in this recipe are a great addition, due to some impressive health benefits.  Here are some highlights:

    • Reduces bad cholesterol
    • Reduces the risk of getting diabetes
    • Maintains healthy body weight
    • Boosts your brain health

    Gluten-Free Chicken Salad Ingredients

    While there are many different ways to make an easy chicken salad recipe with simple ingredients, this one has a great combination of fresh herbs, crunchy veggies, and bright flavors. This recipe makes a big batch so you can use it for multiple meals.

    Labeled ingredients for gluten-free chicken salad recipe.
    • Cooked chicken breasts -  you can poach a couple of chicken breasts on the stovetop or make some chicken in advance to use in this recipe.
    • Pine nuts (also known as pignolias) - you can get raw or dry toasted pine nuts from your local grocery store, such as Trader Joe's. Either works for this recipe, but I recommend the toasted version.
    • Mayonnaise - avoid store-bought versions containing highly refined oils, such as soy or canola oil.  Instead, look for ones with cold-pressed avocado oil or olive oil.  Primal Kitchen is a high-integrity brand and they offer a mayonnaise made with avocado oil and organic ingredients.
    • Dijon mustard - look for one that does not contain sugar.  Primal Kitchen is a good choice here as well.
    • Red seedless grapes - grapes are on the Environmental Working Group's "dirty dozen list", so choose organic grapes to avoid pesticides.
    • Celery - not only does this add some nice crunch to your chicken salad, but celery is also good for your digestion!
    • Green onions - milder in flavor than regular onions, green onions add color and crunch to the salad with a variation in taste when you use the white and green parts.
    • Curly leaf parsley - I prefer curly leaf parsley for this recipe as it has a more distinct flavor than flat leaf parsley.
    • Rosemary - goes really well with chicken, not to mention the many health benefits of consuming this herb.
    • Juiced lemon - this adds a fresh and bright flavor on top of a good dose of vitamin C.
    • Salt and black pepper - I recommend regular table salt and fresh cracked black pepper for the best flavor. 

    Instructions

    Bamboo cutting board with parsley and rosemary ready to be minced, next to a chef's knife on the right.

    Starting with the herbs, remove the leaves from the parsley and the rosemary. Discard the stems.

    Bamboo cutting board with minced parsley and rosemary next to a chef's knife on the right.

    Mince the herbs and add them to a large mixing bowl.

    Bamboo cutting board with celery and green onions laid out ready to be cut with chef's knife on the right.

    Cut off the roots from the green onions. Cut each celery rib lengthwise into 2 to 3 strips, depending on how wide they are.

    Bamboo cutting board with diced celery, diced green onions and chef's knife.

    Dice the celery and green onions and add them to the same mixing bowl.

    Bamboo cutting board with whole, halved, and quartered red seedless grapes and chef's knife.

    Cut the whole grapes in half, then halve them again so that each grape is cut into four pieces and add them to the bowl.

    Bamboo cutting board with a halved lemon, a chef's knife, a yellow lemon squeezer, and a white ramekin containing squeezed lemon juice on top.

    Juice the lemon.

    All gluten-free chicken salad recipe ingredients placed in a large glass mixing bowl, not yet mixed, with a white spatula resting on the left side.

    Add the shredded chicken, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, pine nuts, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

    Finished chicken salad in a glass mixing bowl with a white spatula resting in the bowl.

    Using a large spatula or spoon, combine well.  Garnish with some extra grapes and herbs if desired. Chill the salad in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

    Substitutions

    ​Homemade chicken salad is highly customizable, so here are some ideas on how to make it your own:

    • For the herbs - feel free to use your favorite herbs, such as cilantro, oregano, dill, basil, or even some mint.
    • For the veggies - try red onion instead of green onion.
    • For the fruit - try green grapes instead of red grapes.  You can also use any other juicy sweet fruit you like, such as apples or even mangos.  Or, you can add some unsweetened dried cranberries.
    • If you don't like mayonnaise -  try full-fat Greek yogurt with a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar.
    • Instead of lemon - try lime juice if you just want to switch it up.
    • For the chicken - while you can use store-bought rotisserie chicken, it is often coated with industrial seed oils to make the skin crispy.  I would recommend removing all of the skin and be sure to get an organic version if possible.

    Storage

    This chicken salad recipe can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

    FAQ

    Is chicken salad dairy-free?

    Chicken salad is typically dairy-free, but it depends on the recipe.  Mayonnaise is made of eggs, which is not a dairy product.  If any cheese has been added, then it would not be dairy-free.

    Is chicken salad gluten-free?

    Chicken salad is typically gluten-free but be sure to double-check the mayonnaise and mustard for possible additives that contain gluten.  Some recipes may call for croutons, which would likely contain gluten.

    Related

    Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

    • Cooked chicken breasts that have been cubed, shredded, and sliced, are placed on a white round platter, with snips of rosemary garnish and a pair of tongs on the side.
      Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Breasts (Slice, Shred, or Cube)

    Recipe

    Chicken salad in a glass mixing bowl with a white spatula and a wooden bowl of salt and pepper on the side.
    No ratings yet

    Gluten-Free Chicken Salad

    This easy gluten-free chicken salad recipe is great for picnics, road trips, work lunches, and any other occasion where you want to eat healthy on the go.
    Prep Time20 minutes mins
    Total Time20 minutes mins
    Servings: 6 people
    Calories: 449kcal
    Author: Elcy Wang
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    INGREDIENTS

    Prep

    • 2 tablespoon minced curly leaf parsley
    • 1 tablespoon minced rosemary
    • 2 large celery ribs, diced
    • 3 green onions, diced
    • 1 lemon, juiced
    • 1 cup seedless red grapes, quartered

    Measure

    • 12 ounces shredded cooked chicken about 3 cups (cubed chicken works too)
    • ½ cup toasted pine nuts raw pine nuts also work
    • 1 cup mayonnaise
    • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste

    INSTRUCTIONS

    • Mince the parsley and rosemary then add them to a large mixing bowl.
    • Cut each celery rib lengthwise into 2 to 3 strips, depending on how wide they are. Dice the celery and green onions and add them to the same mixing bowl.
    • Cut the whole grapes into quarters (4-pieces), then add them to the bowl.
    • Add the shredded chicken, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, pine nuts, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
    • Using a large spatula or spoon, combine all of the ingredients well.  Garnish with some extra grapes and herbs if desired.
    • Chill the salad in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

    NOTES

    • If you like your salad fully chilled, put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
    • Food Safety: It's best not to leave chicken salad out at room temperature for more than two hours.

    NUTRITION

    Calories: 449kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 21g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 514mg | Potassium: 325mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 312IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 2mg

    Food Safety

    It's best not to leave chicken salad out at room temperature for more than two hours.

    See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

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    Welcome!

    I'm Elcy, a certified nutrition coach, health and wellness food blogger, and home chef.  I love to share recipes and techniques to make home cooking a reality for anyone interested in upgrading their health.

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