Creamy Lemon and Fresh Basil Chicken Salad is a fresh twist on the traditional chicken salad recipe.  Fresh basil and fresh squeezed lemon juice compliment the chicken nicely for the perfect lunch or light dinner! 

It's no secret I love a good chicken salad! I've posted recipes for Waldorf Chicken Salad, Blueberry Chicken Salad and Bacon Ranch Chicken Salad in the past, but it's been quite awhile since I've posted a new flavor combination.

A few weeks ago, I happened upon a Paula Deen recipe Lemon and Fresh Basil Chicken Salad.  I really enjoyed the lemon basil take on chicken salad. The flavors are so very fresh and it really reminds me of spring and the warm weather we are just starting to get!

What kind of chicken do I need to make chicken salad? 

You can quickly poach a couple of chicken breasts for this recipe, use leftover chicken breast from a previous meal, or use a store bought rotisserie chicken for the meat.  I always get so excited when I have leftover chicken breasts in the refrigerator, because I know a chicken salad will be making an appearance for lunches that week!  

How to make Lemon Basil Chicken Salad

Chicken salad is basically a mixture of cut up cooked chicken blended with some sort of sauce with seasonings. Here, it is a mixture of Greek yogurt and mayonnaise. 

To help keep calories in check, I use a combination of nonfat Greek yogurt and reduced fat mayonnaise. But, if you aren't concerned about keeping calories down, feel free to substitute full fat ingredients in this recipe. 

We love the almonds called for in this recipe to give the chicken salad a bit of a bite. It's a nice contrast against the soft texture of the chicken and sauce. 

You can serve Lemon Basil Chicken Salad in lettuce "cups", like I did here, or sandwich it on your favorite rolls or bread.  I like to eat it with lettuce "cups" to keep the calories down.  Anyway you chose to serve this chicken salad, it will be a hit with your friends and family!

Chicken Salad Recipe, Lemon Basil Chicken Salad

Salad, chicken

American

Yield: 6 servings

Author: Renee Paj

Creamy Lemon and Fresh Basil Chicken Salad

prep time: 10 Mcook time: 1 hourtotal time: 1 H & 10 M

Creamy Lemon and Fresh Basil Chicken Salad is a fresh twist on the traditional chicken salad recipe. Fresh basil and fresh squeezed lemon juice compliment the chicken nicely for the perfect lunch or light dinner.

ingredients:

• 4 cups of cooked, diced chicken breast
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1/2 cup Nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• juice of half a lemon
• 1/2 tsp. granulated sugar or honey (optional)
• 1/2 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
• salt and pepper, to taste

instructions:

How to cook Creamy Lemon and Fresh Basil Chicken Salad

1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice and sugar. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. On top of dressing, add chicken, celery, basil and silvered almonds. Toss with dressing and refrigerate for an hour or more to combine flavors.
3. Serve on rolls, bread or in lettuce cups.

NOTES:

Adapted from Food Network

Calories
274.52

Fat (grams)
9.94

Sat. Fat (grams)
1.82

Carbs (grams)
13.07

Fiber (grams)
0.99

Net carbs
12.07

Sugar (grams)
9.99

Protein (grams)
32.12

Sodium (milligrams)
326.38

Cholesterol (grams)
83.48

Nutritional Information is an estimate.

Copyright © 2019 Renee's Kitchen Adventures

Created using The Recipes Generator

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