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I absolutely LOVE this healthy Waldorf chicken salad! We have taken the classic Waldorf chicken salad recipe and lightened it up. It is packed with the crunch of apples, walnuts, and celery in every bite! This pairs perfectly with the tartness of the lime.
Also, the honey adds a hint of sweetness that makes this so incredible. This recipe is easy to mix together and the creamy dressing is full of flavor. It is the perfect easy lunch, dinner, or snack.
We have lightened it up by using Greek yogurt in the dressing. Also, you can use grilled chicken, canned chicken, or rotisserie chicken in this recipe. Even feel free to add some red grapes!
What Is Waldorf Chicken Salad?
Waldorf chicken salad is a delicious salad consisting mainly of chicken, celery, apples, walnuts, and a creamy dressing. It was named after the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York, where it was first served. The flavors work perfectly together, which is why this salad has become a classic staple. We have put our own special twist on this recipe by lightening it up!
How To Make Waldorf Chicken Salad
This Waldorf salad recipe is easy to make. Add the fully-cooked chicken, chopped celery, diced apples, and chopped walnuts to a large bowl.
Then, combine the dressing in another bowl. To make the dressing, add the 0-fat Greek yogurt, light mayonnaise, fresh lime juice, lime zest, honey, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley to a bowl.
Thoroughly mix these ingredients. After that, pour the dressing over the salad, thoroughly mix, and enjoy!
Is Waldorf Salad Healthy?
We have lightened up the classic Waldorf chicken salad recipe. We used 0-fat Greek yogurt in the dressing along with a little light mayonnaise. You can omit the light mayonnaise altogether if you would like to save on calories. We just like to add a little bit as it cuts the flavor of the yogurt and makes it perfect.
How Long Does Waldorf Salad Last?
This Waldorf chicken salad will last about 2-3 days in the refrigerator. This recipe is great for meal prep and you can refrigerate any leftovers for later – if there are any!
Ingredient Substitutions For Waldorf Chicken Salad
What Chicken To Use For Waldorf Salad
This recipe is great because you can use the chicken of your choice or what you have on hand. This recipe works well with grilled chicken breast, canned chicken, slow cooker shredded chicken, or rotisserie chicken. Just make sure the chicken is fully cooked and cubed or separated into smaller pieces.
Best Apples For Waldorf Chicken Salad
We used two large pink lady apples in this recipe, which is about 1 ¼ cups of chopped apples. Pink lady apples have great flavor and are perfect for this recipe. Feel free to use green apples if you would like a tart flavor or your favorite apple. A mix of apples would be delicious, as well. Also, you could use 3 apples in this recipe if you would like!
Add Grapes To The Salad
Feel free to add some red grapes to this healthy Waldorf chicken salad. They are a great addition to the recipe. We recommend adding about 1/2 cup of sliced red grapes if you choose to do this.
Use Lime Or Lemon Juice
We used lime juice in this recipe because we loved the flavor of lime in this recipe. However, you can substitute lime juice for lemon juice if you prefer.
More Salads To Try Next!
- Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad
- Chicken Salad With Grapes and Tarragon
- Strawberry Goat Cheese Salad
- Buffalo Chicken Salad Recipe
- Carrot Apple Salad
- White Bean Tuna Salad Recipe
- Join us on our YouTube channel for recipe videos!
If you try this recipe please be sure to leave us a comment and star rating ★★★★★ letting us know how it turns out for you. We hope you enjoy this Waldorf chicken salad!
HEALTHY WALDORF CHICKEN SALAD
Ingredients
- 2 cups fully cooked cubed chicken breast, about 2 chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup chopped celery, about 3-5 stalks
- 1 ¼ cups diced apples
- 1/3 cup roughly chopped walnuts
- 1/2 cup sliced red grapes, optional
For The Dressing
- 1/2 cup 0-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime or lemon juice
- 1 pinch of lime zest
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch of pepper
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley or 1/2 TSP dried parsley
Instructions
- Cube the fully cooked chicken breasts or separate the chicken into small pieces. Then, chop the celery and dice the apples. Also, roughly chop the walnuts. If you would like to add red grapes to your salad, slice them in half.
- Add the chicken, chopped celery, diced apples, chopped walnuts, and optional grapes to a large bowl.
- To make the dressing in another bowl, add the 0-fat Greek yogurt, light mayonnaise, fresh lime juice, lime zest, honey, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley. Thoroughly combine these ingredients.
- Pour the dressing over the salad in the large bowl. Then, thoroughly mix the salad and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Chicken: This recipe is great because you can use the chicken of your choice or what you have on hand. This recipe works well with grilled chicken, canned chicken, or rotisserie chicken. Just make sure the chicken is cooked and cubed or separated into smaller pieces.
- Apples: We used two large Pink Lady apples in this recipe, which is about 1 ¼ cups of chopped apples. For another option, use Granny Smith apples.
- Storage: Store leftover Waldorf chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 2-3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This Healthy Waldorf Chicken Salad is amazing, with crunchy apples, toasted walnuts, and tender chicken, all tossed in a light Greek yogurt dressing. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and savory, making it a delicious and healthy option for lunch or a refreshing meal!