Honey Mustard Chicken Salad Without Mayo
This honey mustard chicken salad skips the mayo but keeps all the flavor! It’s fresh, tangy, a little sweet, and loaded with crunchy veggies, grapes, walnuts, and even a little peppery arugula. Also, no mayo means it’s perfect for picnics and outdoor parties!
What readers are saying...
“This is the best chicken salad recipe I have ever made; so light and delicious!“
– RADWA
What makes this chicken salad special?
This isn’t your typical chicken salad—no mayo, just a delicious, honey mustard dressing, sweet grapes, peppery arugula, and TONS of delicious crunch and texture in every single bite.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this delicious chicken salad without mayonnaise:
INGREDIENT NOTES, SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS
Cooked chicken: If you’re in a rush, diced rotisserie chicken breast is quick and easy. For more flavor, cook your own chicken in the air fryer, or on the stovetop.
Celery: Celery is king in traditional chicken salad, but you can replace it with cucumber, radishes, or another crunchy veggie! See 15 Simple Substitutes for Celery.
Nuts: I love the “earthy” flavor the walnuts add to this salad. Some other good options slivered almonds, pecans, and cashews.
Chopped arugula: The peppery bite of arugula makes this chicken salad SHINE! Fresh chopped parsley or dill are good alternatives. You can also serve this salad on a bed of arugula for a nice, light salad option.
Casey’s Top Tip: The texture in this chicken salad is completely up to you! I prefer diced chicken, while others prefer their chicken shredded or finely chopped. Either way, it’s delicious, and I give you all the options in the recipe card below!
STORAGE
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container or covered tightly with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 4 days. Get more tips and tricks for storing chicken salad here: How Long Does Chicken Salad Last in the Fridge?
- Freezing: Since this is a no mayo chicken salad, you can freeze it! Place leftovers in a freezer bag or in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Note that a little water from the veggies will be released when the chicken salad is thawed. That’s perfectly OK. Just drain it off. I like to freshen it up with a little extra honey mustard, too!
How to Serve
- Bed of greens or arugula: Serve it over mixed greens or arugula with an extra drizzle of honey mustard dressing for a light, protein-packed salad.
- Sandwiches: Pile it onto toasted sourdough, whole grain bread, or a buttery croissant. Perfect for parties and picnics.
- Pasta Salad: It might sound odd, but stir this chicken salad into cooled, cooked pasta and drizzle the honey dressing over everything! This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy this chicken salad!
- Lettuce wraps: Spoon it into large romaine or butter lettuce leaves for a fresh, low-carb option.
Did you try this recipe?
Let us know your thoughts this chicken salad without mayo by leaving a star rating below or sharing it on Instagram!
Thank you! ~ Casey
Honey Mustard Chicken Salad Without Mayo
Ingredients
For the chicken salad
- 4 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded about 2 chicken breasts (See Note 1)
- 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup walnuts, roughly chopped can substitute pecans, almonds, or cashews
- 1 cup red grapes, halved or quartered
- 1/2 cup baby arugula, finely chopped
- freshly ground black pepper (optional)
For the honey mustard vinaigrette
- 4 tbsp. dijon mustard
- 4 tbsp. honey
- 4 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 tsp. sea salt/kosher salt (more to taste)
Instructions
- Make the vinaigrette dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together vinaigrette ingredients: dijon mustard, honey, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil. Set aside.
- Combine and toss: In a large bowl, combine chicken, celery, onion, grapes, and walnuts. Add the dressing and toss gently until the chicken is well-coated. Carefully fold in the arugula.
- Finish: If possible, chill at least one hour before serving to allow the flavors to marry (optional).
Notes
How to shred you chicken
- Mixer: Use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer! It takes about 3-4 minutes on medium speed to get the chicken finely shredded. You can do less time if you want larger pieces.
- Chopping: Just use a good old fashioned knife and chop chicken into small pieces.
- By hand: Just use your clean hands to tear the chicken breasts into thing strips. This works well with rotisserie chicken when it’s still a bit warm.
This chicken salad is one of my favorite summertime easy dinners! It’s light, healthy and protein-packed, I hope you love it as much as we do! XO~ Casey
I added hard boiled egg, and fresh sweet peas, and chopped pickle , I also used spicy brown mustard bc it’s all I had. the vinegarette by its self is amazing,
Honey Mustard is made by mixing mustard and mayo. Thanks for wasting my time
There is no may in this recipe. The author refers to honey mustard vinegarette, which in the recipe doesn’t contain mayo. You may want to actually read the recipe before making negative comments.
Made this today, it’s very refreshing. Added some diced apple and used less oil. The recipe is very forgiving and can be modified to suite your taste.
I didn’t have Mayo, so I found this recipe. It was very good—and I even used onion and celery flakes. I will make this again, but I’ll cut the olive oil by at least half.
Love this no-mayo option! Chilling the salad definitely helped to firm it up a bit. Served on wrap with arugula, avocado and tomato. Yum!
So delicious and nutritious! This is going to be in rotations of lunch meals.
Dressing was a good base. I added 2 T. Of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. Kicked it up a notch!
This is the best chicken salad recipe I have ever made; so light and delicious!
Just my personal opinion- it was a little too watery/sweet! I also would do less onions or it’s a bit overwhelming. I think pickles would be a good addition.
Thank you for this recipe. I hate mayo and this was delicious in our sandwiches.
My non mayo eater is going to love this quick and easy chicken salad! Delish!
This looks very good. I love this healthier version with no mayo. It actually looks better!
Hi Casey, Thank you for this recipe because in January I’m gonna need it! Thanks for sharing!
This looks so moist and flavorful. Can’t wait to try it out! Thanks for the beautiful step-by-step pics!
I’m not super fond of Mayo, so this chicken salad is right up my alley! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
The BEST chicken salad recipe! I’ll never go back to mayo after tasting your honey dijon mustard dressing! Thanks for the great tip to use a stand mixer or hand mixer to easily get the chicken in fine pieces, too. Your recipes are always amazing, and this chicken salad is definitely a KEEPER!
I love that this recipe is without mayo. Lighter and so much tastier in my opinion!
I love chicken salad but have never liked all the mayo; this is a great alternative! So easy and delicious; easily, a new favorite recipe!
I am loving this lightened up, mayo-free version of classic chicken salad! 🙂 Looks delicious.