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Home » Recipes » Salads

Healthy Basil Chicken Salad

By: Kathryn Doherty | Last Updated: Apr 3, 2025 | Published: Apr 5, 2016
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A creamy but healthy basil chicken salad with fresh basil and chopped walnuts - great as a sandwich, wrap or lettuce wrap, or paired with crackers!

A bowl full of a creamy chicken salad with basil and walnuts mixed in and an lemon half in the background.


 

Now and then, I'm just over it with lunches.

I suppose we all get into a rut or a beloved go-to lunch suddenly becomes boring. Or we just need a change.

Not to knock a standard turkey sandwich or some leftovers, but I am always looking for ways to get more fresh flavors into my day.

So I’ve been fixing more salads (like my tuna spinach salad, chicken quinoa salad with salsa hummus or southwestern orzo salad) to have on hand for a ready-to-eat lunch.

Separate bowls of ingredients laid out, including a creamy mayo mixture, julienned fresh basil, chopped walnuts, celery and diced cooked chicken.

And this healthy basil chicken salad with walnuts is one of our new favorites.

I had some extra basil that I wanted to use up and while I was staring at it, demanding it to send me some vibes of inspiration, I spied some leftover chicken and then realized I had a few celery stalks in the veggie bin. 

I love finding ways to use up all of our groceries and that's how all of those things together just jumped up and demanded to be folded into a healthy basil chicken salad!

(The walnuts also whispered from the pantry, so they got to join the party, too. )

A white bowl with separate piles of a creamy mayo mixture, celery, walnuts, basil and chicken before being stirred together.
A bowl full of a healthy chicken salad with basil and walnuts mixed in and sprinkled on the counter nearby.

The result is a creamy, hearty salad with chunks of chicken, bright fresh basil for an herbilicious dimension and crunchy walnut bits scattered throughout it.

I use half-mayo and half-Greek yogurt, which adds a boost of protein, a shot of healthfulness and a silky smooth texture to the creamy mix.

There’s also a good squeeze of lemon juice to really liven up all the flavors.

A chicken salad mixture with basil and walnuts mixed in atop Bibb lettuce with slices of bread on a plate nearby.

Recipe Notes:

  • Mayo: I use both mayonnaise and Greek yogurt in this recipe, but you could certainly use all mayonnaise or all Greek yogurt if you prefer.
  • Creaminess: I go a bit light on the mayonnaise and Greek yogurt so I can taste all the fresh flavors, but you can add a bit of extra if you want a super duper creamy chicken salad.
  • Nuts: Walnuts are one of my favorites and I always have some on hand, but you could definitely substitute pecans or your favorite nut. Or just leave them out if you'd rather.

And we've got lots of options on how to enjoy this!

A chicken salad sandwich with basil and Bibb lettuce on a piece of parchment paper with chopped walnuts scattered nearby.

Serving Ideas:

Make a sandwich with some whole wheat bread.

Use a whole wheat wrap or spinach wrap and add this chicken salad and some lettuce.

Go low-carb with a chicken salad lettuce wrap.

Make a salad with your chicken salad! Add a scoop of chicken salad to some mixed greens and tomatoes.

Serve snacking style with some cheese and crackers.

Me, I like it all the ways! And you'll find me eating it on repeat this spring and summer for a perfect light and healthy lunch, particularly once I have basil planted in my garden outside.

So if you’re tired of the same old lunch day in and day out, give this healthy chicken salad a try and enjoy the fresh flavors!

XO,

Kathryn

A creamy chicken salad with basil and walnuts in a small white bowl with chopped walnuts and a sprig of fresh basil on top.
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4 from 27 votes

Basil Chicken Salad with Walnuts

A creamy but healthy basil chicken salad with fresh basil and chopped walnuts - great as a sandwich, wrap or lettuce wrap, or paired with crackers!
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Total Time15 minutes mins
Yield: 3 ½ cups

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
  • ⅓ cup walnuts, chopped
  • ¼ cup chopped celery, 1 large stalk or 2 small ones
  • ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 3 tablespoon mayonnaise, I use low-fat
  • 3 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt, I use non-fat
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well combined.
  • Serve as a sandwich, wrap, lettuce wrap or with crackers and cheese.
  • Leftovers can be kept in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Notes

You can use leftover grilled or roasted chicken here or a rotisserie chicken from the store.
You can increase the mayonnaise and Greek yogurt to ¼ cup each if you prefer an extra creamy chicken salad. You can also use all mayonnaise or all Greek yogurt for this salad if you prefer.
You could also sub out pecans or another nut for the walnuts. Or leave them out.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 46mg | Sodium: 261mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below or follow me on Instagram @familyfoodonthetable and tag me in your photo!
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Adina

    April 05, 2016 at 6:27 am

    Lovely sandwich, makes me soooo hungry!

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      April 05, 2016 at 10:26 am

      Thanks Adina! Can't beat a great chicken salad sandwich 🙂

      Reply
  2. Kate @ Framed Cooks

    April 05, 2016 at 7:56 am

    This looks so scrumptious and summery-good - I'm saving for when my basil comes up (won't be long now!!)

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      April 05, 2016 at 10:31 am

      Yay for fresh garden basil!

      Reply
  3. Dawn

    April 05, 2016 at 8:02 am

    I know what ya mean. Sometimes we you take a little break or vacay when you get back, you almost need another break just to get back into the swing of things. I love chicken salad and this version looks so delicious, Kathryn! Loving the twist with the basil and walnuts. What a lovely combo. So good that you used some yogurt in there as well so it wasn't all mayo. Great idea, girl. Going to have to try this one soon for sure 🙂 PINNED!

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      April 05, 2016 at 10:32 am

      A vacation from your vacation is always somehow needed. Guess that just means we live it up, right?! Have a great week Dawn!

      Reply
  4. Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks

    April 06, 2016 at 2:36 pm

    It sounds like you had a fantastic time in Florida! I would love a beach vacation right about now. I really need to get more creative with my lunches these days too. I'm definitely adding this chicken salad into the rotation!

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      April 08, 2016 at 10:29 am

      Thanks Rachelle! It was a great little getaway, though I'm already looking forward to another one 😉

      Reply
  5. Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary

    April 06, 2016 at 6:21 pm

    So glad you had a wonderful time in Fl, Kathryn!! A beach vacation has been calling my name and reading about yours makes me want to book a hotel. Stat. 😉 Love this chicken salad! Herbaceous basil and crunchy walnuts sounds like a scrumptious way to jazz up plain chicken salad! I can totally see why your hubs ate this for so many days in a row! Total win! Cheers, dear and welcome back to reality. womp womp. 😉

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      April 08, 2016 at 10:31 am

      Get you to a beach Cheyanne! Does wonders 😉 I'm already looking forward to our next one, ha! And yes, all about jazzing up some chicken salad for a fantastic little lunch, home or away! XO

      Reply
  6. karrie@TastyEverAfter

    April 08, 2016 at 4:16 pm

    Glad you and the family had such a great time in Florida, but...why didn't you take me? Instead I had to deal with it snowing in NH this past Sunday and Monday. UGGHHH! I remember the winters when I lived in Florida where I used to complain when it would get down to 55 degrees some nights. Oh, how I miss those days...
    Thank you Hubby for me for wanting to switch up his turkey sammies so you could make this for him. Yummy!! I adore chicken salad and love nuts in it too, but never thought about putting fresh basil in it. Trying your recipe next time I make it (which will be this coming Monday because we have roast chicken almost every Sunday for dinner) 🙂

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      April 09, 2016 at 11:46 am

      Karrie, you are totally invited next time we go 😉 It was really nice to get a good dose of warm weather, but we've also had some pretty good days here in N.C. recently, so I can't complain. Sorry about the snow... 🙁
      We do roast chicken most Sundays too and this is definitely an easy way to use up some of the extra... and the basil bring such a great fresh flavor. Hope you give it a try! XO

      Reply
  7. Helen Fern

    April 11, 2016 at 11:21 pm

    Thanks for sharing at the Whats for Dinner LInky party!

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      April 12, 2016 at 9:17 pm

      Thanks for hosting!

      Reply
  8. Barbara Bianchi

    April 24, 2016 at 2:19 pm

    Oh my this chicken salad does look delicious, Kathryn. I love the idea of mixing yogurt and mayo. 🙂

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      April 24, 2016 at 8:57 pm

      Thanks Barbara! I think it makes for a perfectly balanced creamy mix!

      Reply
  9. Megan @ MegUnprocessed

    May 18, 2017 at 9:53 pm

    Love the basil and walnuts!

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      May 23, 2017 at 8:33 pm

      Really adds a lot to it!

      Reply
  10. Ali

    October 03, 2019 at 1:12 pm

    How many mini croissant sandwiches do you think I could make from this recipe as is?

    Reply
    • Kathryn Doherty

      October 04, 2019 at 1:28 pm

      Hi Ali! This recipe makes about 3 1/2 cups worth of chicken salad. I'm thinking you could probably get about 10 mini croissants with this, depending on their exact size and how full you stuff them. I hope that helps!

      Reply
4 from 27 votes (27 ratings without comment)

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Hi there! I’m Kathryn Doherty, a cookbook author, mom of two, and devoted food and home cooking nut. I’ve got lots of easy recipes to help you get delicious food on the table for your family!

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