I’ve always liked chicken salad. It’s a dish you can use in many ways. It’s good for a fast lunch, a small dinner, or to bring to a party. But this Green Goddess Chicken Salad is even better than regular chicken salad.
It’s super creamy and full of flavor from herbs. It’s much tastier than most chicken salad recipes.
It’s also easy to make ahead of time. I make a big batch on Sunday and eat it all week.
Recipe Overview
This Green Goddess Chicken Salad is a new, exciting version of the old favorite. It has a special green dressing with lots of herbs like parsley, chives, and dill.
The creamy part is made with mayonnaise and yogurt. This makes it lighter and a little tangy.
It’s mixed with soft, cooked chicken. This salad is yummy by itself, in a sandwich, with crackers, or in lettuce wraps.
It’s great for hot days, picnics, or anytime you want something tasty and filling. You can use it for almost any event.
Ingredients for Green Goddess Chicken Salad
Here’s what you need to make this yummy salad:
- Cooked Chicken: 2 cups, shredded or cut into small pieces. You can use rotisserie chicken, leftover grilled chicken, or cook your own.
- Mayonnaise: ½ cup. Use full-fat mayo for the best taste and creaminess.
- Plain Greek Yogurt: ½ cup. This makes it creamy and tangy, but not too heavy.
- Fresh Parsley: ½ cup, chopped.
- Fresh Chives: ¼ cup, chopped.
- Fresh Dill: 2 tablespoons, chopped.
- Fresh tarragon leaves: 2 tablespoons, chopped
- Lemon Juice: 1 tablespoon, freshly squeezed.
- Garlic: 1 clove, minced (cut into very small pieces).
- Anchovy Paste: 1 teaspoon. Don’t worry, it won’t taste like fish! It just makes it tastier. You can also use a tiny bit of fish sauce.
- Salt: ½ teaspoon, or more to taste.
- Black Pepper: ¼ teaspoon, or more to taste.
- Optional: You can add diced celery, chopped red onion, halved grapes, or toasted almonds for extra crunch and flavor.
If you want to change things up, you can use sour cream instead of yogurt. Or, try different herbs like basil or cilantro.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Make the Green Goddess Dressing: Put the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, parsley, chives, dill, tarragon, lemon juice, garlic, anchovy paste, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender.
- Blend Until Smooth: Mix everything until the dressing is smooth and bright green. You might need to scrape the sides a few times. Taste it, and add more salt or pepper if you want.
- Combine Chicken and Dressing: In a big bowl, put the cooked chicken and the Green Goddess dressing.
- Mix it all up: Stir until the chicken is covered with the dressing. Add any extra ingredients like celery or grapes now.
- Chill (Optional): You can eat it right away, but it tastes even better if you chill it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This lets the flavors mix together.
- Stir one last time before serving.
Variations & Tips
- Make it Lighter: Use only Greek yogurt and no mayonnaise for a lower-fat salad.
- Add Crunch: Toasted nuts, like almonds or walnuts, add a nice crunch.
- Make it Spicy: Add a little bit of red pepper flakes or hot sauce to the dressing.
- Make-Ahead: You can make this chicken salad up to 3 days before you need it. Store it in a sealed container in the fridge.
- Storage: Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: This salad is best cold, so you don’t need to heat it up.
- Serving Suggestions: You can put it on croissants, in lettuce cups, with crackers, on toasted bread, or just eat it with a spoon.
Key Details for Green Goddess Chicken Salad
- Prep time: 15 minutes
- Cook time: 0 minutes (if you use chicken that’s already cooked)
- Total time: 15 minutes (plus time to chill, if you want)
- Servings: 4-6
- Equipment: Food processor or blender, large bowl, mixing spoon
FAQ
Can I use different herbs?
Yes! You can try other herbs like basil, cilantro, or even a little mint. Just think about how the flavors will taste together.
What’s the best way to cook the chicken?
You can cook it any way you like! Poaching, grilling, or baking are all good. Rotisserie chicken saves a lot of time.
Can I make this without a food processor?
A food processor or blender makes the dressing very smooth. But, you can chop the herbs very small and mix everything by hand. It will be a little chunkier.
How long does it last in the fridge?
This chicken salad will stay good in the fridge for up to 3 days in a sealed container.
Is it okay to freeze Green Goddess Chicken Salad?
It is not a good idea to freeze it.
Freezing can change the texture of the mayonnaise and yogurt, it can get watery. It’s better to make only what you can eat in three days.
Can I add vegetables to this salad?
Yes! Diced celery, chopped red onion, or shredded carrots would be yummy in this salad.
Green Goddess Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken shredded or cut into small pieces
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
- ¼ cup fresh chives chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
- ½ teaspoon salt or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper or more to taste
- Optional: diced celery chopped red onion, halved grapes, or toasted almonds
Instructions
- Make the Green Goddess Dressing: Put the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, parsley, chives, dill, tarragon, lemon juice, garlic, anchovy paste, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender.
- Blend Until Smooth: Mix everything until the dressing is smooth and bright green. You might need to scrape the sides a few times. Taste it, and add more salt or pepper if you want.
- Combine Chicken and Dressing: In a big bowl, put the cooked chicken and the Green Goddess dressing.
- Mix it all up: Stir until the chicken is covered with the dressing. Add any extra ingredients like celery or grapes now.
- Chill (Optional): You can eat it right away, but it tastes even better if you chill it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This lets the flavors mix together.
- Stir one last time before serving.