Ranch Chicken Salad

Make a classic BBQ side dish healthier! Ranch chicken salad is so healthy because you can see the whole ingredients, including the homemade ranch dressing.

Healthy Chicken Salad

I absolutely love remaking classic recipes with a healthy twist! It’s so much fun to discover that you don’t have to give up on recipes you loved as a kid – you just have to use ingredients that nourish your body.

That is exactly what I did with this chicken salad. In fact, my chicken salad recipe is so homemade that you will cook the chicken and mix together your own blend of homemade ranch seasoning.

You will be able to taste all the different flavors that mix together on top of each other. Everything is perfect from the zesty lemon juice and tangy Greek yogurt to the tart celery and sweet green onions!

In fact, you can save this recipe and use the homemade ranch dressing on other types of salad too!

Ingredients Needed

I didn’t take any shortcuts in this recipe. Here’s what you’ll need before you begin.

• Chicken breasts – You will cook four chicken breasts, so grab them and slice them so they cook faster.
• Celery – For additional fiber and nutrition, chop up one cup of celery.
• Turkey bacon – Cook 5 slices and chop them up before you add them to the salad.
• Green onions – For more flavor and color, slice up about five green onions.
• Greek yogurt – This is part of the ranch dressing, with added protein, so use about 3/4 cup.
• Mayonnaise – Use another 1/4 cup of mayonnaise for a sweeter and milder flavor.
• Lemon juice – For best results, use fresh-squeezed lemon juice and add about two tablespoons to the salad.
• Salt – This is a natural flavor enhancer, so sprinkle in about a teaspoon.
• Pepper – Add about half as much pepper, about 1/2 a teaspoon.
• Garlic powder – For the ranch dressing, mix together equal parts garlic powder and onion powder, one teaspoon of each.
• Onion powder – A teaspoon of onion powder makes this taste like authentic ranch dressing.
• Dried dill – The teaspoon of dried dill is what really makes this dressing stand out – it’s so delicious!
• Parsley – Use a teaspoon of either dried or fresh parsley.

Kitchen Tools Required

Even though ranch chicken salad is an easy recipe to create, it does require a hand full of kitchen tools. The following list includes everything you’ll need from start to finish.

• Baking Sheet
• Parchment Paper
• Cutting Board
• Chopping Knife
• Medium Mixing Bowl
• Whisk
• Large Mixing Bowl

You also need Measuring cups: 1 tbsp, 1/2 tsp, 1 tsp, 1/3 cup, 3/4 cup, 1/4 cup, and 1 cup.

How To Make Ranch Greek Chicken Salad

This is a very simple recipe – you bake the chicken and then add it to all the ingredients. Here’s a breakdown of exactly how to make it.

First, bake the chicken in the oven. To do that, preheat the oven to 400F and line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Then, bake the chicken for 20 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 165F. Let it cool.

Meanwhile, chop up celery, green onions, and bacon and add to a large bowl. Chop the chicken into small pieces and add to the bowl.

In a small bowl, mix together greek yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, and all spices. Then add water. Whisk until well combined. Add ranch into chicken mixture and stir until well combined. Enjoy!

Optional Add-Ins

If you’d like to add even more delicious ingredients to your salad, you have plenty of options! Here are some more items you can include:

• Diced green, red, yellow, or orange bell pepper
• Diced jalapeño
• Avocado
• Chopped cucumber
• Diced tomatoes

This is such a simple recipe, but I wanted to answer a few questions you might have about it. If you don’t see your question in this list, please leave it in the comments.

How do you eat this salad?

There are a lot of different ways to enjoy this salad. You can certainly just grab a fork and eat it like it is. I like to place this chicken salad on a large piece of lettuce and eat it like a lettuce wrap.

If you want to eat it on bread, make sure the bread is whole grain and has plenty of fiber so it is better for your gut health.

Is canned chicken healthy?

The biggest danger of canned chicken is the amount of sodium in it. It is still a great source of protein and an excellent choice if you don’t want to keep the raw chicken in your refrigerator or don’t have time to cook chicken.

Shredded rotisserie chicken is a healthier choice than using canned chicken.

Are salads with ranch healthy?

Store-bought ranch dressing is often high in calories and most types contain added sugar. That is why I prefer to make my own homemade ranch dressing. My chicken salad with homemade ranch dressing is very healthy for you. The combination of Greek yogurt and mayo is great for your muscles and body.

Why is turkey bacon healthier than pork bacon?

Turkey bacon is lower in saturated fat than pork bacon. You can see the difference as it cooks – there is far less grease that cooks down from it. Whenever I can, I try to use turkey bacon instead of pork bacon for this reason.

The best way to store leftover salad is to place it in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for about two days. After two days, the dressing will make the other ingredients soften and it won’t taste as fresh.

If you want to make this ahead of time, I suggest storing the homemade ranch dressing in a separate container from the rest of the salad ingredients.

If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!

A hearty salad is always a great idea. Here are some more delicious and filling salad options to try!

• Chicken Cobb Salad with Avocado Dressing
• Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad
• Grilled Steak and Peach Salad
• Moroccan Couscous Salad

Photos by Moriah Sawtelle and recipe by Erin Antoniak.