This Healthy Marry Me Chicken Salad takes all the irresistible flavors of the viral Marry Me Chicken dish and transforms them into a creamy, crave-worthy salad that’s perfect for meal prep! Greek yogurt brings a lighter twist to the dressing while sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, lemon juice, and garlic bring the classic “marry me” flavor. Tossed with shredded chicken, mashed chickpeas, crunchy celery, pine nuts and parmesan…every bite is just protein-packed lunch perfection!
Welcome back to “Can It Chicken Salad?” — my series where I experiment with turning your favorite flavor combos into a chicken salad recipe. Heavily requested on my IG stories, and by my husband, was a marry me chicken salad. You know…like a take on that viral tuscan-inspired dish? Yeah, well of course I had to put that to the test. And it came out so so delicious!
This Healthy Marry Me Chicken Salad is made creamy with greek yogurt (no mayo), is full of sweet & tangy sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, and lots of yummy, crunchy add-ins. I recently discovered the hack of adding in mashed chickpeas for added protein & fiber, so we’re doing that again here! Which brings the grand total for each serving to 39g of protein & 5g of fiber.
As with all my chicken salad recipes, this healthy marry me chicken salad is perfect for meal prep because it stores well in the fridge for up to 4 days. It’s meant to be eaten cold, which is great if you don’t have access to a microwave at work, and honestly gets even more flavorful as it sits! And who knows, maybe this marry me chicken salad will even lead to a proposal 😉 If you end up loving this one, I have lots of other chicken salad recipes here on the blog for you to try next!
Why You’ll Love this Healthy Marry Me Chicken Salad
- It has all the same delicious flavors as the viral Marry Me Chicken!
- It’s great for a healthy, high-protein meal prep lunch.
- This Healthy Marry Me Chicken Salad is easy to make in under 30 minutes.
- It’s full of sweet, tangy sun-dried tomatoes & fresh basil.
- This chicken salad is boosted with mashed chickpeas for added fiber.
- No mayo required — this chicken salad is made creamy with greek yogurt!
What You Need to Make this Healthy Marry Me Chicken Salad
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast: I prefer to boil mine and then shred it, but you could also substitute rotisserie chicken or canned chicken for convenience.
- Greek Yogurt: The base of this chicken salad is full-fat plain greek yogurt or skyr, which boosts the protein & adds probiotics! It will work with low-fat or non-fat greek yogurt as well, but the result will be less rich & creamy.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: The kind that comes packed in a jar of oil! We will use the sun-dried tomatoes themselves, as well as 1 tbsp of the oil to add extra flavor & moisture to this healthy marry me chicken salad.
- Dijon Mustard: A touch of dijon mustard adds depth here, but you can omit it if you don’t have it or don’t like it.
- Honey: Or maple syrup, for a pop of sweetness.
- Lemon Juice: From about 1/2 lemon.
- Chickpeas: A sneaky way to boost the fiber and protein in this healthy marry me chicken salad is by mashing up some cooked chickpeas. Feel free to substitute a different white bean, or omit them entirely.
- Celery: Finely diced celery adds a refreshing crunch.
- Pine Nuts: For a butter-y crunch, and additional healthy fats. I used pre-toasted, but if yours are raw, you can follow the instructions in this recipe to toast them at home. You can also omit, or substitute with chopped/slivered almonds.
- Parmesan Cheese: Optional, but gives it that true “marry me” feel.
- Fresh Basil: Bring the flavor up a notch with fresh chopped basil! I don’t recommend substituting dried basil.
- Kosher Salt, Black Pepper & Garlic Powder: Some pantry staples.
How To Make this Healthy Marry Me Chicken Salad (No Mayo)
Boil the Chicken:
First, add chicken breasts to a medium pot and season with kosher salt & black pepper. Cover with at least 1″ of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover with a lid, reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 15 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165F. Timing will vary depending on how large/thick your chicken breasts are.
Mash Chickpeas:
Meanwhile, add chickpeas to a medium bowl and use a fork (or potato masher) to mash them until mostly broken up. Set aside.
Shred the Chicken:
Next, transfer cooked chicken to a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer and shred it. Alternatively, you can use 2 forks to shred it, but I like the mixer method because it’s quicker!
Mix Together Marry Me Chicken Salad:
In another large bowl, whisk together the greek yogurt, sun-dried tomatoes & their oil, dijon mustard, honey, garlic powder & lemon juice. Then, add in the mashed chickpeas, celery, red onion, pine nuts, parmesan, basil and shredded chicken. Use a spatula to stir until evenly coated. Taste and add more kosher salt & black pepper as needed.
Let Chill & Enjoy:
Finally, place the healthy marry me chicken salad in the fridge until it has cooled down and the flavors have melded together. Enjoy!
Can I Use Rotisserie Chicken or Canned Chicken Instead?
Absolutely! I typically go with the boiling method for chicken because it’s quick and cost effective, but if you’re in a rush you can substitute shredded rotisserie chicken or canned chicken. 1 pound of raw chicken breast yields about 2.5 cups of shredded chicken, so that’s how much rotisserie or canned chicken you would want to substitute.
Substitution FAQS:
- How can I make this recipe dairy free? To make this healthy marry me chicken salad dairy free simply swap in your favorite non-dairy greek yogurt (or mayonnaise instead) and omit the shaved parmesan cheese — it’s still just as delicious without it!
- I don’t like chickpeas, what can I use instead? No problem! You could substitute any other white bean, or omit them entirely. If you’re omitting them, I’d recommend reducing the amount of greek yogurt to 1 cup or less.
- What can I use instead of pine nuts? Feel free to either omit them or substitute chopped or slivered almonds.
What Should I Serve with this Healthy Marry Me Chicken Salad?
I love chicken salad because it is so versatile, and can be enjoyed many ways. But for this healthy marry me chicken salad, it’s delicious served as a sandwich on sourdough or ciabatta bread with some arugula, in a wrap (or a lettuce wrap), paired with crackers or simply eaten by the spoonful! You can’t go wrong here 🙂
How Should I Store Leftovers?
This Healthy Marry Me Chicken Salad is great for meal prep! Simply store it in an airtight container in the fridge, and will stay good for about 3-4 days. You may notice that it separates a bit, so just give it a quick stir before enjoying the leftovers!
Find the full recipe below. As always, please let me know if you tried it by commenting below or tagging me on Instagram, @munchinwithmaddie_.
Looking for More Chicken Salad Recipes?
- Healthy Buffalo Chicken Salad
- Caesar Chicken Salad
- Honey Mustard Chicken Salad
- Bacon Avocado Chicken Salad
- Cranberry and Pecan Chicken Salad
- Southwestern Chicken Salad
Healthy Marry Me Chicken Salad
Equipment
- medium pot with lid
- hand or stand mixer
- medium bowl
- fork
- whisk
- spatula
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
- kosher salt & black pepper to taste
- 1 ¼ cups full-fat plain greek yogurt or skyr
- ⅓ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes *
- 1 tbsp oil from jar of sun-dried tomatoes
- ½ tbsp dijon mustard
- ½ tbsp honey or maple syrup
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- juice from ½ lemon
- 1 cup chickpeas **
- ½ cup finely diced celery
- ⅓ cup toasted pine nuts
- ⅓ cup shaved parmesan cheese (1oz, optional)
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- 3 tbsp fresh chopped basil
Instructions
- First, add chicken breasts to a medium pot and season with kosher salt & black pepper. Cover with at least 1" of water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover with a lid, reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 15 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165F. Timing will vary depending on how large/thick your chicken breasts are.1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, kosher salt & black pepper
- Meanwhile, add chickpeas to a medium bowl and use a fork (or potato masher) to mash them until mostly broken up. Set aside.1 cup chickpeas
- Next, transfer cooked chicken to a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer and shred it. Alternatively, you can use 2 forks to shred it, but I like the mixer method because it's quicker!
- In another large bowl, whisk together the greek yogurt, sun-dried tomatoes & their oil, dijon mustard, honey, garlic powder & lemon juice. Then, add in the mashed chickpeas, celery, red onion, pine nuts, parmesan, basil and shredded chicken. Use a spatula to stir until evenly coated. If you prefer your chicken salad to be even moister, feel free to add an additional ¼ cup of greek yogurt. Taste and add more kosher salt & black pepper as needed.1 ¼ cups full-fat plain greek yogurt or skyr, ⅓ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tbsp oil from jar of sun-dried tomatoes, ½ tbsp dijon mustard, ½ tbsp honey, ½ tsp garlic powder, juice from ½ lemon, ½ cup finely diced celery, ⅓ cup toasted pine nuts, ⅓ cup shaved parmesan cheese, ¼ cup finely diced red onion, 3 tbsp fresh chopped basil
- Finally, place the healthy marry me chicken salad in the fridge until it has cooled down and the flavors have melded together. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @munchinwithmaddie_ on Instagram and/or hashtag it #munchinwithmaddie.