This dairy-free, whole30, low-carb, & paleo chicken salad is both creamy and crunchy with small bursts of sweetness from grapes and balsamic vinegar and packed with flavor.
This paleo chicken salad is the perfect thing to serve for lunch or bring to a picnic or get-together. Plus, it fits a variety of diets because it can be made dairy-free, whole30, egg-free, and even keto and low-carb!
It can be served plain, over lettuce, or on toasted gluten-free bread. It can be made in only a matter of minutes and is a great make-ahead recipe!
🍇 Add-in options
When I make chicken salads, I add toasted nuts for crunch and chopped red grapes for pops of sweetness.
And even though grapes aren't typically considered low-carb, once distributed throughout the recipe, the carbs are still low enough to be a keto recipe.
Depending on what you like, however, there are many add-in options to choose from besides nuts and grapes. Here are other options:
- Hard-Boiled Eggs & Dill Pickles
- Chopped Celery With Toasted Almonds & A Tbsp. Or Two Of Lemon Juice
- Various Dried or Fresh Fruit, such as raisins, cranberries, or apples instead of or in addition to the red grapes.
🔪 Easy Instructions
Start by making the shredded chicken. You can use leftover cooked chicken, rotisserie chicken, or use my Easy Shredded Chicken Recipe In The Instant Pot Or Stove.
Then toast the nuts. I used chopped walnuts, but any nut will work. For lower-carbs, I recommend pecans.
Place them in a 300-degree oven for 7 to 8 minutes, or until fragrant. Set aside.
Add all of the paleo chicken salad ingredients to a large bowl. This includes the shredded chicken, finely chopped onion, toasted nuts, chopped grapes, salt, pepper, and mayo.
Mix all the ingredients really well then allow to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour.
Serve with balsamic vinegar for a sweet/tart flavor that's to die for!
The mayo
I recommend using my dairy-free Whole30 No-Fail 5-Minute Mayo or a very mild tasting mayo such as Vegenaise. Vegenaise is vegan, so this is a great option to make this egg-free as well!
Some of the primal mayo's tend to have a really strong taste, so use those with caution.
💭 Top tips
- The recipe calls for walnuts, but you can use any nuts you prefer. For lower-carb, use pecans.
- For reduced carbs, you can omit or reduce the grape. However, I highly recommend them! They add a nice burst of sweetness and only add a minimal amount of carbs when distributed throughout the entire recipe.
- You can use leftover cooked chicken, rotisserie chicken, or use my Easy Shredded Chicken Recipe In The Instant Pot Or Stove. If using a rotisserie chicken, be sure to remove the skin and shred the chicken.
- This recipe only takes a few minutes to mix together, but it really needs to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour so all the flavors can have time to combine.
- It can be eaten plain, over lettuce, with gluten-free crackers (or Keto Crackers!), or served on gluten-free bread.
- When making the version below with grapes and nuts, I always serve mine with balsamic vinegar or vinaigrette. It adds a tart sweetness and depth of flavor that just can't be beaten!
- For the mayo, I recommend using my No-Fail 5-Minute Mayo or a very mild tasting mayo such as Vegenaise. Some of the primal mayo's tend to have a really strong taste, so use those with caution.
Looking for more low-carb recipes? Check out Keto Cooking Christian's Jalapeno Popper Egg Salad recipe!
If you’ve tried this Whole30, Low-Carb, & Paleo Chicken Salad or any other recipe on the blog please let me know in the comments below!
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📖 Recipe
Paleo Chicken Salad {Low-Carb, Whole30, & Dairy-Free}
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs Cooked, Shredded Chicken
- ½ Cup Chopped Grapes
- ¼ Cup Finely Chopped Onions
- ½ Cup Chopped Walnuts - or nuts of choice
- ¾ Cup Homemade Mayonnaise - or Veganaisse for egg free
- ½ - 1 tsp. Sea Salt - to taste
- ¼ - ½ tsp. Black Pepper - to taste
- Balsamic Vinegar - for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat baking mat. Spread the chopped walnuts on the baking sheet and toast for 7 to 8 minutes, or until fragrant. Set aside and allow to cool.
- Chop the grapes and onion.
- Add the shredded chicken, Veganaise or homemade mayo (link above), grapes, onion, walnuts, salt, and pepper to a large mixing bowl and mix well. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Cover and place in refrigerator at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour.
- Serve over toasted gluten-free bread with balsamic vinegar OR over lettuce with balsamic vinegar. The balsamic vinegar adds a sweet/taste you don't want to miss!
- Chicken salad can be stored covered in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Do not leave at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Notes
- The recipe calls for walnuts, but you can use any nuts you prefer. For lower-carb, use pecans.
- For reduced carbs you can omit or reduce the grapes, however, I highly recommend them! They add a nice burst of sweetness and only add a minimal amount of carbs when distributed throughout the entire recipe.
- You can use leftover cooked chicken, rotisserie chicken, or use my Easy Shredded Chicken Recipe In The Instant Pot Or Stove. If using a rotisserie chicken, be sure to remove the skin and shred the chicken.
- This recipe only takes a few minutes to mix together, but it really needs to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour so all the flavors can have time to combine.
- It can be eaten plain, over lettuce, with gluten-free crackers (or Keto Crackers!), or served on gluten-free bread.
- When making the version below with grapes and nuts, I always serve mine with balsamic vinegar or vinaigrette. It adds a tart sweetness and depth of flavor that just can't be beaten!
- For the mayo, I recommend using my No-Fail 5-Minute Whole30 Mayo or a very mild tasting mayo such as Vegenaise. Some of the primal mayo's tend to have a really strong taste, so use those with caution.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate and may vary.
Looking for more information on the keto diet? Check out these resources:
What's the calories for 1 serving?
Hi inna dan,
Each serving has 454 calories due to the mayo. I hope this helps!!!
-Cassidy
How many servings will this recipe make?
Hi bethaney, it makes approximately 6 servings 🙂
YUMMMM! you're making my hungry! those look so delicious! time for lunch:)