This canned chicken salad with pickles (oh yaaaa) is one of those awesome low carb chicken recipes that comes together in a flash, but tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen!
It’s one of my favorite low carb salads for the summer months.
Making chicken salad is a convenient way to chow down on one of the best low carb lunch ideas or afternoon snacks, and it makes meal prep a breeze!
You don’t want to miss this one!
Looking for more keto salads? Check out my keto chicken salad, Chinese chicken salad, or my keto ranch dressing.
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What I Love About Canned Chicken Salad
Canned chicken salad is quite possibly the most incredible recipe of all time. It’s simple, convenient and most importantly it tastes Am-a-zing! There are so many positives, it’s hard to name them all but here are a few reasons why I love this canned chicken salad:
- It’s absolutely de-lish
- Easy to make
- Convenient
- Versatile
- Cost-effective
Recipe Notes
This canned chicken salad recipe is SO easy to make there aren’t a lot of extra tips to ensure the recipe comes out great. (It’s one of those no-fail salad recipes)
Ingredient Notes
Chicken – While this recipe does call for canned chicken, just about any chicken will do. Feel free to use leftover grilled chicken, baked chicken or even rotisserie chicken (rotisserie chicken salad adds a touch extra flavor!).
Really, the only thing you need to do is ensure that the chicken is completely drained and dried properly so there’s no water in your chicken salad.
Pickles – If you’re watching your carbs, check the label carefully to ensure there is no added sugar in the pickles you choose for this recipe.
Serving Recommendations
Eating a chicken salad sandwich is the most common lunch, but it’s definitely not the only way to enjoy this canned chicken salad…
- On crackers/keto crackers
- In a hollowed bell pepper
- Stuffed inside a pita
- On top of sliced tomatoes
- Make canned chicken salad quesadillas, ohh my! Check out my keto tortillas for a low carb version.
Recipe Variations
Tweaking this canned chicken salad to suit your personal taste and diet plan is super simple! Here are a few suggestions:
- Make a more traditional chicken salad by simply skipping the pickles. You can also add in some chopped tarragon for the classic tarragon chicken salad.
- Swap mayo. If you’re not a fan of mayo, turn this into a Greek yogurt chicken salad by simply swapping the mayo with Greek yogurt. You can also use mashed avocado in place of mayo for an avocado chicken salad.
- Add more vegetables. Keto vegetables like celery and red onion both add a nice “crunch” to this salad, so when mixing and matching, you’ll want to use other veggies that do the same! Also be sure to keep your ratios equal to the chicken:dressing:veggie ratio below.
- Add herbs or spices. We’ll be adding dill and dijon here, but feel free to add in whatever you have — I wouldn’t go full-blown curry chicken salad, but maybe a few sprinkles of garlic or onion powder could do.
- Add some keto nuts for added crunch! Sunflower seeds and chopped almonds are my faves.
More Keto Salad Recipes
As far as healthy recipes go, salad is one of the tastiest and most versatile around! Here are a few other recipes to get you started:
Canned Chicken Salad Recipe
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 3 Cups Canned Chicken drained and dry, can substitute for cooked, shredded chicken
- 1 Cup Dill Pickles chopped
- 1/2 Cup Red Onion finely chopped
- 1/2 Cup Celery finely chopped
- 1 Cup Mayonnaise
- 6 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 2 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 Tablespoons Dill chopped
- 1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt optional, depending on how salty your pickles are
Instructions
- Make sure your canned chicken (3 cups) is drained and completely dry.
- Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine.
- Store in the fridge, and serve with butter lettuce, or on sandwiches.
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Lindsey's Tips
- You can use whatever type of cooked chicken you prefer.
- If eating low carb foods, make sure your pickles don’t have sugar added!
- I prefer the taste of Greek yogurt to mayonnaise, to save some carbs, use mayonnaise.
- Pickles - Many pickles contain added sugar, check the labels before purchasing a product. We love Vlasic.
