10 Minute cottage cheese chicken salad Joy

Let’s be honest, sometimes you just don’t want that heavy, traditional mayo coating on your chicken salad. If you’re anything like me—a busy home cook who wants maximum flavor with maximum fuel—then you need to try this swap immediately. This **cottage cheese chicken salad** is truly the ultimate recipe: it’s incredibly high in protein, comes together faster than boiling water, and delivers that creamy texture you crave without the heaviness. I developed this out of necessity when trying to get a filling lunch on the table after rushing from work. My goal is always simple, joyful, and reliable food, just like my grandmother taught me. You can always find more about my kitchen philosophy over on my About page. Trust me; this one is a keeper for easy dinners and quick lunches!

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Why This Creamy Cottage Cheese Chicken Salad is Your New Go-To

I know you are busy—we all are! This is why this iteration of chicken salad shines bright in my rotation. It hits every criteria for a perfect healthy meal, and you can whip it up faster than a drive-thru line.

• It’s truly a **High Protein Chicken Salad** that keeps you full for hours.
• It’s completely mayo-free, which makes it much lighter!
• It’s a no-cook mixing recipe that takes about 10 minutes flat.
• It’s a fantastic Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe perfect for saving time later.

Protein Packed Salad for Lasting Fullness

When I say high protein, I mean business! Depending on how you measure it, you can easily hit over 30 grams of protein per serving with this recipe. The cottage cheese does all the heavy lifting here, blending in seamlessly while giving you that serious staying power. It’s the best way to ensure your lunch isn’t followed by a major afternoon slump.

The Secret to No Mayo Chicken Salad Texture

Everyone loves a classic chicken salad, but sometimes mayo feels heavy. That’s where we use our secret weapon! The cottage cheese becomes the ultimate binder, delivering a lovely, light creaminess. It’s the best **No Mayo Chicken Salad** you’ll ever make, keeping the texture rich but leaving you feeling refreshed, not weighed down.

Ingredients for the Best Cottage Cheese Chicken Salad

Okay, getting the right ingredients is half the battle, and honestly, these are all super easy finds. You don’t need to hunt down anything fussy here, which is why this is such a great chicken salad recipe base. You’ll need about two cups of cooked, shredded chicken—I often keep some on hand from a big roast!

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Next, for that creamy magic, grab one cup of low-fat cottage cheese. Don’t forget your crunch factor: half a cup of celery, chopped super fine, and a quarter cup of red onion, minced small so it doesn’t overpower things. Then we hit it with flavor: one tablespoon of Dijon mustard, a teaspoon of dried dill, and just a little salt and pepper.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Your Cottage Cheese Chicken Salad

I always recommend low-fat cottage cheese to keep this on the lighter side, but honestly, full-fat works if you want a richer mouthfeel. If you have a store-bought rotisserie chicken, please use it! It cuts your prep time down to zero for **quick lunch ideas**. Now, Dijon is vital for that necessary tang, but if you’re out, a tiny splash of apple cider vinegar mixed with yellow mustard is a decent backup. If you’re looking at related recipes, you can sometimes use Greek yogurt, but I find cottage cheese blends into that creamy texture so much better.

Preparing Your Quick Lunch Ideas: Cottage Cheese Chicken Salad Instructions

This is where the magic happens, and I mean *fast*. Since this is a purely no-cook mixing situation, you can have a fantastic **Healthy Sandwich Filling** ready in under ten minutes. Grab a good-sized bowl!

1. First up, put your two cups of cooked, shredded chicken right into that medium bowl.
2. Now, dump in the full cup of cottage cheese. Here is my pro tip: use a fork and gently start working the cottage cheese so those little curds break up a bit, starting to mingle with the chicken meat. Don’t blend it into soup, though, just nudge it along!
3. Toss in the celery, the minced red onion, that tablespoon of Dijon mustard, the dill, salt, and pepper.
4. Stir everything together really well until it looks creamy and everything is coated. Mix just until you don’t see any dry streaks of chicken hiding out underneath.
5. Taste it! A home cook always tastes. Adjust the salt or pepper right here, whatever your preference is.
6. Serve it right away, or better yet, let it rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes. You can find more appetizer and snack ideas on my site for other days!

Achieving the Perfect Creamy Chicken Salad with Cottage Cheese

When we mix, we are aiming for creamy, not mushy. That’s why you only want to mix until everything is just incorporated. If you beat that cottage cheese too aggressively, you lose that lovely textural interplay between the soft cheese and the chunks of chicken and crunch from the celery. Also, never skip the chilling time! Letting it sit for half an hour lets those spices really bloom and the moisture levels settle perfectly.

Tips for Success with Your Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe

When you’re relying on real ingredients like cottage cheese for creaminess, a couple of little tricks go a long way toward perfection. First thing’s first: if you cooked your own chicken, make sure it’s not swimming! Squeeze out any extra liquid before shredding, or your **Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe** will get watery fast. Blandness is a flavor crime, so be liberal with that salt and pepper—cottage cheese needs a good punch!

I always suggest tasting *before* chilling, because cold mutes flavor a little. Remember that Dijon mustard is doing a lot of work to keep this bright. You can always find more of my general baking and cooking tips and tricks on the blog!

Meal Prep Chicken Salad: Storage and Make Ahead Lunch

This recipe is seriously engineered for busy weeks! As a **Meal Prep Chicken Salad**, it’s fantastic because it requires zero cooking time later on. You can absolutely keep this in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days and it stays wonderfully fresh. That’s lunch sorted! If you plan to use it as a **Healthy Sandwich Filling** on day one, though, I suggest keeping your bread or crackers separate.

When you store the salad mixture separately from the carbs, it prevents everything from getting soggy. Trust me, nobody wants soggy bread on Wednesday! For big batches destined for the freezer, I’ve experimented with freezing it, but honestly, the cottage cheese doesn’t always reheat perfectly; it’s best enjoyed fresh within that four-day window. You can check out my make-ahead breakfast burritos if you are looking for truly freezer-friendly options!

Serving Suggestions for Your Low Carb Chicken Salad

Since this is such a light and **Low Carb Chicken Salad**, it opens up the door for endless ways to eat it without feeling guilty! The best way I’ve found to serve it when I’m keeping things super clean is using crisp lettuce cups—think butter lettuce or romaine hearts. They make perfect little boats!

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But, if you’re craving a sandwich, don’t worry; I still enjoy mine on sturdy, whole-grain bread sometimes. It’s also amazing scooped onto some salty, crunchy low-carb crackers if you’re snacking. Honestly, you can even toss this whole mix into a tortilla for a quick wrap. For the ultimate sandwich breakdown, check out my secrets for a great BLT—you can use the same logic here for maximum crunch!

Variations: Customizing Your Cottage Cheese Chicken Salad

This recipe is already fantastic, but the fun part of home cooking is making it *yours*! You’ve got **quick lunch ideas** here, so feel free to personalize it a little bit. If you like a touch of sweetness, try adding about a quarter cup of halved red grapes or even some dried cranberries. My version with grapes is really popular, you can see that recipe link if you want the full details!

For spices, a sprinkle of smoked paprika adds a wonderful smoky depth, or swap the dill for some fresh chopped chives. Remember, if you are keeping things strictly low-carb or keto, just omit the fruit entirely, but this base holds up beautifully to almost any addition!

Frequently Asked Questions About Cottage Cheese Chicken Salad

I always get so many questions when people try this recipe for the first time! It’s a little different than the classic, so naturally, people want to know the details to make sure it turns out right. You can always find more basic chicken salad recipe tips on my site, too!

Can I use full-fat cottage cheese in this cottage cheese chicken salad?

You absolutely can! If you are watching calories or keeping things very light, I suggest the low-fat version I put in the main recipe notes. But if you use full-fat cottage cheese, it will just give you an even richer, denser, and creamier result. It definitely works, it just bumps up the fat content a bit!

Is this recipe suitable for meal planning?

Oh yes, this is my absolute favorite **Meal Prep Chicken Salad**! Because it’s packed with protein and doesn’t involve delicate greens, it holds up brilliantly. Keep it chilled in an airtight container, and it’s good for up to four days. That’s most of my week’s lunches sorted!

What kind of chicken should I use for this protein packed salad?

You have options! I often shred leftover baked or grilled chicken breasts, but please, don’t feel like you need to cook anything special. A store-bought rotisserie chicken is my secret weapon for boosting my **Easy Dinner Recipes** on busy nights, and it works perfectly here! Just make sure you shred that meat well before mixing it in.

Can I use different cheese instead?

If you don’t like cottage cheese, you could try plain Greek yogurt, but I warn you—it changes the whole game! Greek yogurt is tangier and thinner. The benefit of cottage cheese is those small curds break down to absorb flavor but still lend structure. For a truly creamy result, stick with the cottage cheese, or check out some other high-protein chicken salad options online if you need a total swap!

Nutritional Snapshot of This Protein Packed Salad

I think it’s really important, especially when we’re trying to eat healthy and pack in that protein, to have a rough idea of what we are actually eating. Now, you know I’m not a nutritionist, so please take these numbers as a solid estimate—the exact values change wildly depending on the brand of cottage cheese you buy or how much salt you feel like adding!

But to give you a goal, one serving (about a half-cup scoop) of this **Protein Packed Salad** clocks in around 195 calories. The best part? That protein count is off the charts! We are looking at about 34 grams of protein per serving, which is why this keeps those afternoon hunger pangs away.

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Here’s a quick breakdown of what you can generally expect per serving:

• Calories: Around 195
• Fat: Very light, about 4 grams
• Carbohydrates: Minimal, only about 5 grams
• Protein: A whopping 34 grams!

It’s such a great way to get lean fuel into your routine without loading up on unnecessary fats or sugar—only 3 grams of sugar here! If you’re excited about making high-protein meals that taste good, you might want to check out my recipe for freezer breakfast burritos next!

Share Your Cottage Cheese Chicken Salad Creations

Now it’s your turn! I truly hope this recipe becomes part of your favorite quick lunch ideas. Once you try this healthy chicken salad, please come back here and leave me a star rating. I’d love to hear about the fun additions you made in the comments! Tag me on social media so I can see your beautiful cottage cheese chicken salad creations. Check out what Chloe made here: cottage cheese chicken salad recipe. You can always reach out via my contact page anytime.

High Protein Cottage Cheese Chicken Salad (No Mayo)

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Make this simple, creamy cottage cheese chicken salad for a high-protein, mayo-free lunch. It is quick to prepare and perfect for meal prepping.

• Author: Carla Davis
• Prep Time: 10 min
• Cook Time: 0 min
• Total Time: 10 min
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Lunch
• Method: No-Cook Mixing
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Low Fat

Ingredients

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• 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken breast
• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup red onion, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

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Instructions

1. Place the cooked, shredded chicken in a medium bowl.
2. Add the cottage cheese to the bowl. Use a fork to gently break up the cottage cheese curds slightly, mixing them with the chicken.
3. Add the chopped celery, minced red onion, Dijon mustard, dried dill, pepper, and salt to the mixture.
4. Stir all ingredients together until they are well combined and the salad is creamy.
5. Taste the salad and adjust salt or pepper as needed.
6. Serve immediately or chill for at least 30 minutes for best flavor.

Notes

• Serve this salad on whole-grain bread, in lettuce cups, or with low-carb crackers for a light meal.
• For a sweeter flavor, you can add 1/4 cup of halved grapes or dried cranberries.
• This recipe is excellent for meal planning and can be stored in an airtight container for up to four days.
• If you are following a keto meal plan delivery, omit any added fruit.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/2 cup
• Calories: 195
• Sugar: 3
• Sodium: 350
• Fat: 4
• Saturated Fat: 1.5
• Unsaturated Fat: 2.5
• Trans Fat: 0
• Carbohydrates: 5
• Fiber: 1
• Protein: 34
• Cholesterol: 85