Classic chicken salad with a jazzed up twist! This zesty sun-dried tomato chicken salad is packed with protein & loaded with flavor – featuring crunchy veggies & tangy sun-dried tomatoes all tossed in a creamy citrus-basil dressing! Serve it as a sandwich, stuffed into pita bread or pair it with your favorite crackers!
I have one thing to say about sun-dried tomatoes in chicken salad – GAME CHANGER! I know I say this about all of my chicken salads but this one is definitely a new favorite! The tangy tartness of the tomatoes takes it to a whole new level and I LOVE how rich and creamy it is. It’s the BEST sun-dried tomato chicken salad!
Let’s not forget about the “dressing”! This chicken salad is made with a simple yet flavorful citrus-basil dressing that compliments the salad in all the right ways. With vibrant ingredients like lemon juice, fresh basil and minced garlic – you can’t go wrong! It also utilizes Greek yogurt as the base helping to lighten up the salad while doubling down on the protein.
We love prepping this chicken salad for an easy lunch during the week! It keeps well in the refrigerator and can be used in a variety of ways. It’s an easy 15 minute meal you’re going to love!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Shredded chicken: You can use homemade shredded chicken or store bought shredded chicken for ease. (Directions for my homemade shredded chicken are below.)
Sun-dried tomatoes: Use sun-dried tomatoes in oil for the best results! (We buy them julienne cut. They’re so much easier to chop than whole sun-dried tomatoes!)
Mayonnaise: A necessity for chicken salad! You’ll use this as part of the base for your dressing.
Plain Greek yogurt: The other half of the dressing base! I love adding Greek yogurt to chicken salad. It lightens up the dish while adding a ton of protein.
Celery: Adds a lovely crunch to the salad without overpowering the other ingredients.
Onion: We love using red onion for this recipe! They’re slightly sweeter and add even more texture. (Green onion can be used instead.)
Garlic: You’ll need one minced garlic clove for the basil dressing.
Fresh basil: Adding fresh herbs to chicken salad is a great way to elevate it! This recipe calls for a ¼ cup of fresh basil.
Lemon juice: We’re adding one tablespoon of lemon juice to the chicken salad. It helps to bring out the flavor of your sun dried tomatoes.
Spices: Salt and black pepper are needed to season the chicken salad.
How To Make Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Salad
1. Prepare the chicken. If making homemade shredded chicken, cook and shred the chicken using 2 forks then add it to a large bowl. If using store bought shredded chicken, break the chicken into smaller shreds then add it to a large bowl.
2. Prep the veggies. Drain the sun dried tomatoes from the jar and give them a good chop. Finely dice the celery and red onion and add all ingredients to the bowl with your chicken.
3. Make the “citrus basil dressing”. Mix the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, chopped basil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and black pepper together in a small bowl.
4. Toss! Pour the dressing over the chicken and veggies and toss until it’s fully coated.
5. Serve. Serve immediately with your favorite crackers or use the salad as a filling for a wrap or sandwich.
Homemade Shredded Chicken
We usually make our own shredded chicken for chicken salads. (It’s so easy and we prefer like the consistency of the salad more.) Here’s how we do it:
- Season 1-1½ lbs. of chicken tenders with salt and pepper.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes (or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees).
- Shred using 2 large forks!
Serving Suggestions
Serve it with crackers! We love using whole wheat, multigrain crackers or Milton’s sea salt crackers. Pita chips would be a delicious option too!
Make chicken salad sandwiches! Crisp lettuce, red onion, avocado or even sliced fresh mozzarella would all be great additions to your sandwich. You can switch up the bread by using croissants too! (Or try it toasted with a slice melty mozzarella cheese.)
Wrap it in a tortilla! Add shredded lettuce or spinach for even more crunch!
Stuff it inside pita bread! The perfect “to-go” option – add spinach for some greens with creamy diced avocado and dig in!
Serve it over greens! Spoon the chicken salad over mixed greens or spinach with an extra squeeze of lemon.
Why you’ll love this chicken salad recipe!
- Flavor on flavor! You can’t go wrong with bold ingredients like tangy sun dried tomatoes, fresh basil and zesty lemon juice!
- Perfect for meal prep! It keeps well in the fridge making it a quick & easy lunch idea during the week!
- Versatile! Use it for sandwiches, wraps, spooned over greens or serve it with chips – it’s delicious any way you eat it!
More chicken salad recipes you might enjoy:
[Made one of my recipes? Tag my Instagram @kalefornia_kravings & leave a review in the comments – I love seeing what you create!]
Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups shredded chicken
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained & chopped
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
- ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup fresh basil
- 1 garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ salt
- ¼ black pepper
Instructions
- Prep the salad. Add the shredded chicken, chopped sun dried tomatoes, celery and red onion to a large bowl. Set it aside.
- Make the "citrus basil dressing". Mix the Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, chopped basil, garlic, lemon juice, salt and black pepper together in a small bowl.
- Toss. Pour the dressing over the chicken and veggies and mix until fully combined.
- Serve. Serve immediately with your favorite crackers or use the salad as a filling for a sandwich.
made it yesterday and it was ahit, love it!!! By any chance do you know the nutritional value by portions? trying to figure out the calories and protein on a serving
Hi Claudia! So happy you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂 Unfortunately I don’t have nutritional info for this yet. I’m currently working on getting that feature for my website soon though!
Delicious recipe!!! So easy to make – we put it on sourdough bread with lettuce, tomato, and fresh mozzarella cheese. 5 stars!
Delicious! Highly recommended.
So good, has become a staple recipe for our house!