Lighter Chicken Salad

Chicken salad is one of my all-time favorite diner meals--piled on top of toasted bread with avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions. I wanted to bring a lighter version of this chicken salad home, a version that could easily become part of your weekly routine, without breaking the (calorie) bank!

This version swaps out mayo for tangy Greek yogurt, but remains classic with tarragon, shallots, lemon juice, and parsley. There are tons of additions you could go for here--Sriracha, hot sauce, curry powder, sliced almonds, grapes, za'tar--the options are endless!

I used rotisserie chicken for this recipe--about 2 cups of chopped chicken. I am also including the Cook's Illustrated recipe for preparing chicken for chicken salad in case you don't have any rotisserie chicken in the fridge.

Lighter Chicken Salad

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, no more than 1 in thick

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 celery ribs, minced

1 shallot, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon

Salt and pepper

Dissolve 2 tablespoons salt in 6 cups of cold water in a Dutch oven. Submerge chicken in water. Heat pot over medium heat until water registers 170 degrees. Turn off heat, cover pot, and let stand until chicken registers 165 degrees.

Transfer chicken to paper towel-lined tray. Refrigerate until chicken is cool, about 30 minutes. While chicken cools, whisk yogurt, lemon juice, mustard, and pepper (approximately 1/4 teaspoon) together in a large bowl.

Pat chicken dry with paper towels and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Transfer chicken to bowl with yogurt mixture. Add celery, shallot, parsley, and tarragon; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!