Dairy-Free Chicken Salad Recipe
I’m loving the sunny weather these past few days. Whenever it’s time to eat a meal, I grab my food and take it outside to sit on the patio. There’s something so nostalgic about sitting in the backyard under the big umbrella while eating lunch. It reminds me of being a kid again, and those were the best of days. Since I live right by the elementary school, I get to listen to recess all day, and some people ask me if it ever gets annoying, but I secretly love it. My plan before blogging was to be an elementary teacher, so I don’t mind all of the screaming and whistleblowing.
One meal I’ve been eating outside all week long has been my dairy-free chicken salad. In fact, I’ve had to make three batches of this already because Kyle keeps requesting it. We both can’t get enough. I’ve been adding it to my toast, topping my salads with it, and my favorite way of eating the chicken salad? Inside a gluten-free wrap with avocado, tomato, and kale!
If you don’t eat chicken, you can sub it for tuna, chickpeas, tofu, or even tempeh!
I think chicken salad is such an underrated recipe. It’s not something I’d order first at a restaurant, but every time I eat it, I love it! I was craving chicken salad a few weeks ago but knew I would have to make my own since I eat a dairy-free diet. Most of the time, chicken salad is dairy-free as long as they only use mayonnaise, but when I was looking at the ingredient list on some of the chicken salads at the grocery store, it said “contains milk,” so I think they may add a little sour cream or some Greek yogurt. Lately, I’ve been loving Earth Balance vegan mayo. Some people believe that a vegan mayo is gross, but I like it much better than egg-based mayo. It’s all about preference! I used the vegan mayo for this recipe, but if you’re a traditional mayo fan, you can stick to that. They both work 😃
Wondering what’s in vegan mayo? expeller-pressed canola oil, water, brown rice syrup, apple cider vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, pea protein, salt, mustard flour, lemon juice concentrate. Soooo probably not as bad as you were thinking. 
There are so many different ways to customize this salad. The first time I made it, I added a ton of broccoli, but when I was making it for wraps, I left the broccoli out and added more chicken. If you don’t like raisins, swap them for dried cranberries, grapes, or you can leave them out altogether. If you don’t have sunflower seeds, try using pecans or walnuts! I think this recipe could be made with all the extra broccoli and no chicken at all if I needed to bring a vegetable side dish to a summer party. The sauce is what makes it taste so great! 
This creamy sauce is perfect for any type of salad. Add it to your kale, broccoli, potatoes, pasta, or seafood! The first batch I made, I used agave, which is my favorite way to sweeten up this dish. The second time I made it, I used 0-calorie monk fruit, and that was just as good! If you’re trying to watch your sugar intake, monk fruit is a great replacement. I’ll be making a pasta salad with this combo for the weekend.
To make this recipe easy and delicious, I used a rotisserie chicken. You can prepare your chicken in the oven, crockpot, grill, or pan-fried. This recipe would probably be so good with chargrilled chicken. I may have to try that for next week’s meal prep. 
INGREDIENTS
ROTISSERIE CHICKEN
Using rotisserie chicken for this recipe just makes life easier. I’m not a fan of cooking chicken, so grabbing a chicken that’s already cooked and using it for this recipe makes it so much simpler. I also think it tastes much better!
TURKEY BACON
You can use any kind of bacon in the recipe, but I’ve always used turkey bacon to keep it on the lighter side. I think turkey bacon has a milder flavor, so it doesn’t overpower the other flavors.
RAISINS
I love adding a sweet ingredient aside from the agave. You can use dates, figs, or cranberries as well. Any dried fruit would be a good addition.
BROCCOLI
Adding broccoli to the chicken salad is a great way to sneak in those vegetables! It’s like eating a broccoli salad and a chicken salad at the same time. YUM!
RED ONION
I’m always going to be a team red onion! You can use white as well. The apple cider vinegar and the creamy mixture will pickle the onions taking away the powerful punch of flavor.
SUNFLOWER SEEDS
Sunflower seeds add the extra savory crunch! I can’t make a salad without my favorite ingredient.
TAHINI
Tahini is my secret ingredient for creamy salads!
DAIRY-FREE MAYONNAISE
The Earth Balance brand of dairy-free / vegan mayonnaise is by far the best! I use that in almost all of my salad recipes!
AGAVE
You can use any type of sweetener, or no sweetener at all! I love adding monk fruit or agave to these salad recipes. You could also use regular sugar or honey as a replacement. Sometimes it’s best to use whatever you have in the house at the moment.
APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
Apple cider vinegar adds an extra punch of nutrients and also helps to tame the flavor of the onions!
SEASONINGS SALT / BLACK PEPPER / GARLIC POWDER / DILL WEED / ONION POWDER
You can switch up the seasonings to make your recipe unique! I love using my basic black pepper, sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and always dillweed with chicken recipes. 
Dairy Free Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 Cup Mayonnaise (I used earth balance vegan mayo)
- 1/4 Cup Tahini
- 1 1/2 Tbsps Agave (or your choice of sweetener)
- 1/2 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 Tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 Tsp Onion Powder
- 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper
- 1/2 Tsp Sea Salt
- 1 Tsp Dill-Weed
- 1/2 Small Red Onion Chopped
- 4 Cups Shredded chicken I used rotisserie
- 1/4 Cup Turkey Bacon Chopped
- 1/4 Cup Roasted Sunflower Seeds
- 1/4 Cup Raisins
- 1 Cup Broccoli Chopped
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, tahini, agave, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, sea salt, and dillweed.
- Add the creamy mixture to the bowl with the broccoli, chicken, bacon, sunflower seeds, raisins, and onion. Mix until all ingredients are coated. Give it a taste test to make sure it doesn't need any more salt, sweetness, or garlic!
- Place in the refrigerator for thirty minutes before serving.
This recipe will be in my upcoming meal-prep YouTube videos! It’s the ultimate dish to make when you want something easy in the fridge. For the wraps, I used the Mission gluten-free wraps, and so far, they are my favorite! You can find them at Target, Sprouts, and most grocery stores!
Questions for you!
- Do you like eating lunch outside? (this time of year)
- Are you team raisin or craisin?
- How do you eat your chicken salad? A wrap, on toast, plain…or?
I love to eat outside! It’s too cold here in Seattle to do it right now, I keep looking at weather in Charlotte and Florida and thinking of moving! (My top 2 choices at the moment.)
I like both! I like craisins in salads and raisins in oatmeal or curries.
Wraps! I’m glad you included what kind of wraps you used, I was going to ask. I’m trying to eat less gluten to see if it helps with bloating issues I’ve been experiencing.
Hi, Dana!
You won’t regret moving to the South! lol I keep begging Kyle to move to Florida lol
mmmm I’m a fan of all of that!
I was shocked at how good the Mission wraps were! So far they are my fave. xo
This recipe looks incredible! I am excited about your meal prep video because I did not know you had a Youtube page.
Thank you! Ahhhh yes, I post now and then! 😃 It’s all for fun though!
This looks amazing! It’s been a long while since I’ve had chicken salad. Going to try this salad, I like to eat it in a sandwich! 🙂 Also – team craisin! ❤️❤️
I love eating outside this time of the year, but only when it’s sunny and not rainy. Otherwise, indoors all the way! 😀
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Hi, Charmaine!
You can’t go wrong with a chicken salad sandwich. I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Lunch in the rain? no thanks haha!
Hey Tara, how long does the chicken salad hold up in the fridge?
I love eating outside when it’s beautiful and definitely team craisin. I don’t think I’ve ever tried chicken salad (was a vegetarian for 20 years) so I’m excited to try your recipe out! 🙂
Hi, Deepa!
The chicken salad holds up great in the fridge! It didn’t last longer than 2 days because we ate it so fast, but I think the longer it lasts, the better it tastes!
I hope you enjoy this recipe, you’ll have to come back and let me know if you’re “team chicken salad” after it!! xo
Looks really delicious! I love chicken salad so excited to see a healthier vesrsion.
Just curious, do you think you’d ever go back to school and possibly become an elementary school teacher at some point in the future?
Hope you enjoy this recipe!
To be 100% I don’t think so. I think about it, but I’d be crazy to just throw away what I’ve built for myself. I know life isn’t always about money, but I’d be taking a huge pay cut, not even sure if I’d even like doing it, and I don’t have the interest in teaching as much as I used to. I love blogging and creating content, and I think that’s why I’ve been able to follow through all of these years 😊 Now, if blogging ever became something I wasn’t interested in, I’d maybe do something else.
What is the name of the wraps that you used? I know you said it was gluten free, but do you have the brand name, please? thanks!!
Hi, these are the mission wraps! 😊 Found at sprouts & target!
Eating lunch outside… totally depends it’s been so hot lately. If I’m somewhere, where there is a breeze then definitely yes.
I like both!
I’ll eat chicken salad anyway. Wrap, on toast, with crackers, etc.
Definitely. Weather controls everything lol
Yes!!! samez
How do you store it if you plan on eating it for the week? Do you freeze half?
We haven’t gotten to that point yet because we eat it so fast. I haven’t tried freezing it yet, but if it were me, I’d probably just keep it in the fridge and eat it throughout the week.
Yumm! Made this with gluten free pasta so delicious.
Can’t wait to try out that idea!!
I love this recipe! Perfect for the transitioning weather & after workouts. I used the “Egg wrap” from Sprouts.
💕 Question: The serving size says 10. Do you have a recommendation on amount per wrap? Or just wing it? Lol just trying to see if like 1/4 cup or so is recommended?
P.S still adore this blog!
Hi, Olivia!
Thank you so much 😊 We do about 1/3 to 1/2 cup in each wrap! Never heard of the egg wraps!! I’ll have to look into it!
Hey!! Can’t wait to try this!! Whats your favorite tahini brand??
I use the Sprouts brand! unsalted 🙂
I have a beach trip coming up and I’ll be making a batch of this to take with me! Looks delish!
Awesome!
Hi Honey…the problem for me is the amount of sodium in store bought chicken….so I cook my own tenderloins or roast a whole bird.
Love boneless thighs,I grill then in cast iron grill pan.Yes,dil is a must have,lol.Peace,Love& Cookies😇✌️♥️
Hi Honey…the problem for me is the amount of sodium in store bought chicken….so I cook my own tenderloins or roast a whole bird.
Love boneless thighs,I grill then in cast iron grill pan.Yes,dil is a must have,lol.Peace,Love& Cookies😇✌️♥️
I’m always looking for lighter chicken recipes. This looks like a good one to try!
Thank you!
I’ve been eyeballing your recipes for so long and I finally tried this one! It was seriously delicious. I can’t wait to make it again. Thanks so much for taking the time to make these delicious foods!
Thank you!
i love chicken. i will definitely try a new one. thanks for the recipe. i will go look around a bit. have a Happy Thanksgiving!! ( :
Thank you for this great post. Your ketchup recipe is a staple in my kitchen! I just made another batch yesterday 🙂
We love your chicken salad recipe!
Thank you 😊
WOW! This came out so delicious!
♥️ yay!