This 4-ingredient chicken salad is an easy, high-protein recipe that you can enjoy any time of the day. It’s perfect for your weekly meal prep!
Chicken salad is so underrated. It’s literally a blank canvas begging to be transformed into something amazing. We love this dish so much that it’s become a regular part of our weekly meal prep – and it’s SO dang easy! Don’t let the simplicity of my 4-ingredient chicken salad fool you. It’s full of flavor and texture and an excellent source of protein.
I use ranch dressing as the sauce to keep this recipe simple. You can use your favorite store-bought ranch or make it yourself. Making it yourself would make this recipe more than four ingredients, but that is optional. I prefer to make my own using my homemade ranch seasoning. The beauty of doing this is that if you want even more flavor, you can simply add more of the dry seasoning! I make a big batch of the seasoning at once and keep it in my pantry.
Before anyone comes for me saying it’s more than four ingredients, please remember that we don’t count salt and pepper as ingredients. Everyone’s taste for salt is different. My husband, for example, thinks everything is too salty, while I love salt. The recipe works without them, especially if you use store-bought ranch dressing, but of course, add your own to taste.
4-Ingredient Chicken Salad
Why We Love It
- Just four simple ingredients. It doesn’t get much easier than that!
- It’s versatile. Enjoy this as a sandwich, salad, or dip.
- It holds up well, making it perfect for your weekly meal prep.
- This recipe is gluten-free, keto, low-carb, and high-protein.
- Chicken salad is packed with protein. If you make your own ranch with Greek yogurt, there’s even more!
One thing that helped me lose my menopause weight and keep it off is focusing on high-volume, high-protein, lower-calorie meals. Adding coleslaw to the chicken salad gives it tons of volume and a crunchy texture while adding very few calories. It’s my secret ingredient in so many dishes!
Ingredients You’ll Need
I’ve made this recipe several times with the four ingredients listed below, but I had a brain lapse when shooting the ingredients and didn’t add the coleslaw and scallions to the photo above – ha! The photo also shows my dry ranch seasoning and what I use to make ranch dressing (minus the lemon). You can use your favorite bottled ranch ranch to keep this super simple.
- Cooked chicken. I used my meal prep chicken thighs.
- Coleslaw mix. This is such a great shortcut and adds amazing texture.
- Ranch dressing. It gives the chicken salad an amazing flavor! I make my own.
- Scallions. The whites give a nice onion flavor, while the tops add a pop of freshness.
The star of the show should always be the chicken. I used my meal prep chicken thighs today, which have a fair amount of seasoning (as you can see in the photo), but I’ve also made it with rotisserie chicken, poached chicken breasts, and simple baked breasts and thighs. Any cooked chicken will work. For the best flavor, use a combination of white meat and dark meat. Dark meat has more flavor, and white meat has fewer calories, but of course, use what you like.
How To Make 4-Ingredient Chicken Salad
This entire recipe can be made in less than 15 minutes, not including chill time.
- If you’re making ranch dressing from scratch, I suggest doing that first so the flavor can develop.
- Cube, dice, or shred your chicken – whatever you like.
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Add the prepped chicken to a mixing bowl, along with 1/2 cup of the ranch dressing.
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Stir well and add the coleslaw and scallions.
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Stir again and chill for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
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After 30 minutes, stir well and taste again.
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Adjust the ranch, salt, and pepper before serving.
It’s important to let this chill for about an hour before adding additional ranch and adjusting the seasoning. If you’ve ever made coleslaw, you know it breaks down, and the same thing will happen in this chicken salad. Chilling it allows time for the coleslaw to soften a bit and the flavors to develop.
Some people like more sauce than others, so I suggest adding the ranch a little at a time. You can always add more, but it’s more challenging to fix once you’ve added too much. Taste as you go and adjust the ingredients accordingly.
Pro tip. This is even better with some fresh lemon juice to brighten it up. My homemade ranch dressing includes a healthy dose of lemon. If yours doesn’t, this is an optional fifth ingredient.
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Serving Suggestions
- You can’t go wrong with a classic chicken sandwich on a soft roll or croissant.
- Serve as a dip with crunchy crackers, chips, or veggies.
- Eat it straight up for a super high-protein meal!
- It’s delicious in lettuce wraps or on cucumber slices for a low-carb meal.
- Scoop it onto crackers, garnish with chives, and serve it as an appetizer.
- You can transform the entire finished dish into a pasta salad by mixing it with a box of cooked pasta, additional ranch, fresh herbs, and lemon juice!
Variations
- Fresh herbs like parsley and dill brighten it up.
- Fresh lemon juice or apple vinegar balances out the rich flavors.
- For a pop-up sweetness, add diced apples, grapes, or raisins.
- Toasted pecans or almonds would add crunch and flavor.
- If you love pickles, add pickles to the salad and a bit of pickle juice to the dressing.
- Add diced jalapeño or a touch of cayenne to the dressing for some heat.
- Extra veggies add texture, fiber, and nutrients. Red onion, celery, bell pepper, and cucumbers would all be delicious.
Helpful Tips
- A combination of white and dark meat will give the chicken salad the best flavor.
- Add enough salt. If the chicken salad lacks flavor, it probably needs more salt.
- The right ratio of ingredients is key. Add the ranch a little at a time to get a consistency you like.
- If your chicken salad is dry, it’s likely because the chicken was dry to begin with. Instead of adding additional sauce, which can make it thick and gloppy, add liquid a little at a time. I’d start with a little lemon and then chicken broth if you need more.
Storage
- Chicken salad will last in the refrigerator for up to four days, including the day you make it.
- I would not suggest freezing as the dressing would break down and not be enjoyable to eat.
Pro tip. The 24-hour rule on chicken starts when you cook it. So, if you make the chicken at 2 o’clock on Monday, the first 24 hours will end at 2 o’clock on Tuesday, and the chicken should be consumed by Thursday at 2 o’clock.
Check out our vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, and low-carb recipes if you have food sensitivities! |
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4-Ingredient Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken, diced
- 1/3 - 2/3 cup ranch dressing
- 2 cups coleslaw mix, roughly chopped
- 2 scallions, sliced
Instructions
- If you're making ranch dressing from scratch, I suggest doing that first so the flavors can develop.
- Cube, dice, or shred your chicken – whatever you like.
- Add the prepped chicken to a mixing bowl, along with 1/2 cup of the ranch dressing.
- Stir well and add the coleslaw and scallions.
- Stir again and chill for 30 minutes, stirring frequently.
- After 30 minutes, stir well and taste again.
- Adjust the ranch, salt, and pepper before serving.
Notes
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