By Made with classic dill pickles and crunchy green onions, this dill pickle chicken salad recipe is the ultimate high protein meal prep-friendly lunch. It comes together in just minutes and can be enjoyed with crackers, in a wrap, with veggies, or on a sandwich - the possibilities are endless! My favorite way is to eat it with dill pickle chips - let me know in the comments what your favorite way to eat this chicken salad is!
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make it dairy free
If you need to make this dairy free, just swap the Greek yogurt for mayo. Easy peasy!
I've never been much of a pickle person until the dill pickle salad mix hit the market. I saw it pop up on social media and then became obsessed with this plus chicken nuggets.
But nowadays, I know I need more protein, so I've swapped chicken nuggets for this dill pickle chicken salad. It's super versatile with chips, apples as chips, or even over parboiled roasted potatoes.
ingredient notes & substitutions
All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted. See recipe card for quantities.
- Chicken: I like to use canned chicken because it's super fast and convenient - don't knock it till ya try it! You can use any rotisserie chicken or cook your own, too. For more chicken ideas check out our full list of high-protein chicken recipes!
- Pickles: You need classic dill pickles - both the pickles and the juice! For a spicy kick, you can use spicy dill pickles. Bread and butter is another favorite.
- The dressing: To make it a creamy salad, grab plain Greek yogurt, a little mayo, and lemon juice.
- More flavorrrrr: To really nail the dill pickle flavor, I add more dried or fresh dill (duh), minced garlic, salt, and green onions (also for crunch because I don't like celery). If you have leftover green onions, use them to make this fall chicken salad!
variations
- Add more veggies: Feel free to mix and match veggies like bell peppers, cucumbers, or onions.
- Add bacon: Because why not? The salty crunch is delish in this healthy dill pickle salad!
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
quick recipe video
helpful tips
- Dice it small: The key to a great chicken salad is to make sure everything is bite-sized!
- Use cold chicken: If you're cooking your own chicken, it' should be cold's best if it's cold before mixing. If the chicken is warm, it can make the Greek yogurt kind of weird.
- Add the salt last: This is super important because every pickle will have a slightly different flavor profile. By mixing and tasting everything before adding salt, then you can add salt as needed.
ways to eat a chicken salad
- In a sandwich (bread, croissant, high protein dinner roll)
- With crackers (Simple mills almond flour is my favorite)
- With dill pickle chips (my go-to!)
- In a wrap
- With veggies like carrots and cucumber slices
if the salad is too saucy
This can happen if there's too much pickle juice. I would add more chicken if possible. But in general, wait to add the pickle juice or lemon juice until you know the consistency of the salad, so we don't overdo it.
meal prep
The best part of this chicken salad is that you can make a double batch to enjoy for a high-protein low-calorie lunch or as a snack. To travel with it, just keep it separate from any crackers or greens you're serving it with.
You can also make it into a sandwich and place a large butter lettuce leaf (or similar) between the chicken salad and each piece of bread to keep the bread from getting soggy.
Recipe
Dill Pickle Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 12.5 oz can of chicken (can use any shredded chicken)
- ½ c dill pickles (about 3, diced into ¼" cubes)
- 1 tablespoon Juice from pickles
- ¼ c Greek yogurt (plain or all mayo to make it dairy free)
- 2 tablespoon mayo
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 2 teaspoon dill (dried or fresh, minced)
- ¼ c scallions/green onions (about 3 stocks thinly sliced)
- Salt to taste
Before you start!
If you make this recipe, please take a moment to leave us a review. We love to hear from you!
Instructions
- Combine everything except the salt in a large bowl.
- Taste and add salt as needed. If the mixture is too wet, add a bit more chicken or slightly mashed chickpeas.Enjoy with dill pickle chips, crackers, in a wrap, on a bed of lettuce, or in a sandwich.
Video
Notes
variations
- Make it dairy free: Swap the Greek yogurt for more mayo but also add more lemon and pickle juice to add back that tang.
- Add more veggies: Feel free to mix and match veggies like bell peppers, cucumbers, or onions.
- Add bacon: Because why not? The salty crunch is delish in this healthy dill pickle salad!
helpful tips
- Dice it small: The key to a great chicken salad is to make sure everything is bite-sized!
- Use cold chicken: If you're cooking your own chicken, it' should be cold's best if it's cold before mixing. If the chicken is warm, it can make the Greek yogurt kind of weird.
- Add the salt last: This is super important because every pickle will have a slightly different flavor profile. By mixing and tasting everything before adding salt, then you can add salt as needed.
how to store & meal prep it
fridge
Store this chicken salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.frozen
You can freeze this chicken salad for up to 3 months. Just thaw it in the fridge overnight. The Greek yogurt might seperate a bit when thawed, so just give it a stir before enjoying.meal prep
The best part of this chicken salad is that you can make a double batch to enjoy for lunch or as a snack. To travel with it, just keep it seperate from any crackers or green you're serving it with. You can also make it into a sandwich and place a large butter lettuce leaf (or similar) between the chicken salad and each piece of bread to keep the bread from getting soggy.Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
I tried Mika’s Dill Pickle Chicken Salad, when I needed a fast, on the go, high protein meal for myself. THIS did not disappoint! This makes a great lunch, party appetizer or a dip to share with your friend… I may have eaten the entire bowl in one sitting and didn’t share, because it was that good. Can you really ever eat too much protein? I think not! 10/10
This is absolutely delicious and super handy to have on hand.
One thing... it's stalks. Or just 3 green onions.
3 green onions! Including the stalk