Chicken salad is any salad with chicken as a main ingredient. It may be served with some combination of fruits, veggies and a salad dressing.  It may also be used for sandwiches. Chicken salads are ideal for weight loss diet plans. People who need to eat more protein in their diet due to medical conditions like dialysis patients can try chicken salad recipes with adjustments to reduce potassium, salt and phosphorus content. 

Here are some recipes for chicken salad from around the world. 

01. Chicken and Apple  Salad (4 servings)

Ingredients : for the salad 

• 2 - 3 cups of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 1/2-inch chunks 
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 4 to 6 green olives, pitted and minced
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 to 1 apple, cored and chopped
• 1/3 head iceberg lettuce, sliced and chopped

Ingredients for the dressing :

• 5 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon of  any sweet berry preserve (berry jam) or a lesser amount of honey
• 2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or lime juice
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions :  Add 1 tablespoon of salt to 8 cups of water into a pot and bring to a boil. When the water boils add chicken chunks and bring to a simmer and let it cook. After that turn off the heat, cover the pot.  Instead of boiling  you can grill, bake or roast the chicken. 

In a large bowl mix together the mayonnaise, berry jam and lemon juice. check for the proper balance of sweetness and acidity. The salad dressing should not be too sweet, nor too sour. You can add berry jam or lemon juice to adjust the taste. Then add salt and pepper as per your taste.

Mix the chopped celery, bell pepper, olives, red onion, and apple. Mix the cooked chicken chunks in with the dressing and vegetables. When ready to serve, add sliced and chopped lettuce.   

02. Grilled Lemon Herb Mediterranean Chicken Salad (4 servings) 

Ingredients for the salad : 

• 4 cups Romaine or Cos lettuce leaves, washed and dried
• 1 large cucumber diced
• 2 tomatoes diced
• 1 red onion sliced
• 1 avocado sliced
• 1/3 cup pitted black olives, sliced (optional)
• Lemon or lime wedges to serve  

Ingredients for the dressing :

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• juice of 1 lemon (1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 2 teaspoons garlic , minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• cracked pepper , to taste
• 1 pound (500 g) skinless, boneless chicken thigh fillets or chicken breasts

Instructions : Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients in a large bowl. Pour out half of the dressing into a large, shallow dish and refrigerate the remaining to use as the dressing later. 

Add the chicken to the dressing in the bowl. Season the chicken for 30-35 minutes. 

While waiting for the chicken you prepare all of the salad ingredients and mix in a large salad bowl. Once chicken is ready, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a grill pan or a grill plate over medium-high heat. Grill chicken on both sides until browned and completely cooked.

Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes and then slice and arrange over the salad. Drizzle salad with the remaining dressing. Serve with lemon wedges.

03. Chicken and Yogurt Salad  (6 servings)

Ingredients  for the salad:

• 2 kg of boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded 
• 1 ½  cup halved red grapes
• ½ cup chopped cashew or almond
• ⅓  cup chopped leeks

Ingredients for the sauce : 

• ½  cup plain yogurt
• ½  cup mayonnaise 
• ¼  cup mustard cream
•  ½ teaspoon dried curry leaves, powdered 
• ½  teaspoon roasted chilli powder
• ¼  teaspoon garlic powder
• 1–2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions : Cook and shred the chicken. You can either roast, boil, grill or pan sear. Once your chicken is cooked, then shred it using forks or using a food  processor. 

To make the sauce, mix yogurt, mayonnaise , mustard, curry leaves, roasted chili powder, garlic powder, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. 

To a large bowl, add shredded chicken, red grapes, cashews, and leeks. And then add the liquid mixture to the chicken dish. Mix everything together until it is completely combined.

04. Greek Chicken Salad (4 servings)

Ingredients for the salad:

• 2 cups cubed, cooked chicken meat
• ½ cup sliced carrots
• ½ cup sliced cucumber
• ¼ cup sliced black olives
• ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese

Ingredients for the dressing: 

• ½ cup fresh lemon juice
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 cup avocado oil
• 1 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
•  salt as per taste 

Instructions: In a large bowl combine the chicken, carrots, cucumber, olives and cheese. Blend all dressing ingredients together in a food processor and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the salad dressing and mix well. 

05. Chicken Fruit  Salad (4 servings)

Ingredients for the salad: 

• 1 cup of cooked macaroni 
• 1 cup of cooked chicken, cubed
• ⅔ cups of apples, peeled, cored and cut into dices 
• ⅓ cups of sliced celery
• ⅓ cup of halved strawberries
• ¼ cup of pineapple chunks
• ⅙ (26.5 g) cup of raisins 
• ⅙ (25 g) cups of cashew nuts or almonds, chopped 

Ingredients for the dressing: 

• ⅓ cup of mayonnaise 
• 2 tbsp of orange juice 
• ⅔ tbsp of sugar 
• ¼ tsp of ground ginger 
• Paper as per your taste 
• Shredded lettuce 

Instructions : In a large bowl mix macaroni, chicken, apples, celery, strawberries, pineapple, raisins, cashew nuts or almonds.  In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, orange juice, sugar, ginger and pepper and pour over the salad and toss to coat. Serve on a bed of lettuce.