This Lemon Dill Chicken Salad is spicy, herby, and I can’t get enough. I make it literally every Monday so I can enjoy it for lunch during the week next to a spicy, garlicky tomato salad and crackers or this yummy nectarine salad!
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This recipe is…
This chicken salad is really special. It’s incredible flavorful (herby, spicy, tangy, light, and bright), packed with a ton of protein between the chicken and cottage cheese, and the texture is *chef’s kiss*! It’s the lunch I make every single week, and I haven’t gotten sick of it yet. You’re going to love it!
Looking for more meal prep lunch recipes? We’ve got a BUNCH. Add these chicken gyro bowls, Big Mac salads, and chicken cobb salads (with the yummiest green goddess dressing) to your list.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s EASY – no kidding, this is possibly the easiest recipe on the website. There’s exactly two steps: (1) put the ingredients in a food processor, and (2) blend until smooth. That’s it.
- It’s customizable – don’t like spice? Omit the cayenne pepper. Not a fan of dill? Grab a different herb that you do love instead. Make this recipe your own!
Lemon Dill Chicken Salad Ingredients
A handful of really simple, easy to find ingredients stand between you and this scrumptious chicken salad. Find ingredient notes (including substitutions and swaps) below.
- Chicken – feel free to cook and shred fresh chicken (you’ll need about a pound) or buy pre-cooked and shredded chicken (you’ll need about 2 cups).
- Cottage cheese – grab full-fat or low-fat depending on your nutrition goals. Both work great!
- Fresh dill – we highly recommend *fresh* dill here (vs. dried). The flavor is brighter!
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Modifications
- Use a different herb – swap the dill if you don’t love it. Any fresh herb will do here!
- Make it dairy-free – to make this recipe dairy-free, add another cup of chicken (so 3 cups instead of 2), omit the cottage cheese, and use a 1/4 cup of mayo in its place. If the chicken salad seems to thick as your processing it, add a couple of tablespoons of liquid until you reach the desired texture.
- Make it gluten-free – the chicken salad itself is already gluten-free, but to make the whole meal GF, simply serve your chicken salad alongside gluten-free crackers, gluten-free bread, or fresh veggies.
How to Make Lemon Dill Chicken Salad
This recipe is incredibly easy! Follow along below for the full how-to.
Step 1: Place all the ingredients into a food processor.
Step 2: Blend until velvety smooth, then serve with crackers, cucumbers, or between a couple thick slices of bread.
Recipe Tip
- Be sure to really let the ingredients come together to form a velvety smooth texture. If this is your first time eating chicken salad like this (almost a thick paste-like texture vs. a chunkier chicken salad), trust the process. YOU ARE IN FOR A TREAT!
How to Serve
Keep things super simple and pair your chicken salad with fresh veggies (cucumbers are a great pick) and crackers, or make lunch really exciting and add either this nectarine salad (pictured in the chicken salad photo at the top of this post) or this tomato salad.
How to Store
Store leftover chicken salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Good question! You can store your chicken salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
A lot of chicken salad recipes taste bland because they’re missing salt and acid. This recipe, however, accounts for both crucial ingredients.
More Meal Prep Lunch Recipes
If you tried this Lemon Dill Chicken Salad or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Lemon Dill Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (about 2 cups already cooked and shredded chicken)
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- ¼ cup fresh dill
- ¼ cup Dijon mustard
- Juice of 1 lemon, about 2 tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until velvety smooth.
- Serve with crackers, cucumbers, or between a couple thick slices of bread.
Recipe Notes
- Use a different herb – swap the dill if you don’t love it. Any fresh herb will do here!
- Make it dairy-free – to make this recipe dairy-free, add another cup of chicken (so 3 cups instead of 2), omit the cottage cheese, and use a 1/4 cup of mayo in its place. If the chicken salad seems to thick as your processing it, add a couple of tablespoons of liquid until you reach the desired texture.
- Make it gluten-free – the chicken salad itself is already gluten-free, but to make the whole meal GF, simply serve your chicken salad alongside gluten-free crackers, gluten-free bread, or fresh veggies.
Like this recipe?
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I’ve been making most of your salads and prepping them on Sundays to eat for lunch throughout the week. This is by far my new favorite! I looked forward to eating it each day when at work.
Love us some meal prep!!!!! We are so happy you have been enjoying them, Meghan!!!
Fresh dill is divine! I love this idea. I did not love how bitter the sauce tasted with a full 1/4 cup dijon mustard, so next time I will either leave it out or drastically reduce it, but that’s just my personal taste.
You’re my go-to recipe website, by the way. I have a level of trust with you that I just don’t have with any others.
That is just so kind, Julia! Brought the biggest smiles to our faces!
Insanely easy and DELISH. will be making on repeat for lunches!
Awwwww yay!! We are so glad, Mara!
amazing!
Woohoo! We are so glad you think so, Angela!
I’ll bet you could sub eggs for chicken and it would make a delicious egg salad too!
Oooooo! That sounds delicious, Tammy!
Hi! If I were to make this dairy free can I just sub mayo?
Hi Hannah! Great question! You definitely can! Add another cup of shredded chicken and only add a 1/4 cup of mayo!