This fresh and healthy Chimichurri Chicken Salad is a delicious and easy lunch recipe that can be prepped ahead. It is loaded with fresh herbs, garlic and lime with crunchy celery and nuts with tender chicken breast.

Chimichurri Chicken Salad in bowls alongside slivered almonds

I originally shared this recipe on June 27, 2014. I have updated the images and some of the text today.

Why We Love This Recipe For Chimichurri Chicken Salad

I’ve always been a huge fan of chicken salad. It’s so easy to make and a great way to add protein to your meals. Chicken salad is perfect for meal prepping, and is often low on carbs. This chimichurri chicken salad is flavored with a freshly made chimichurri sauce and is one of my favorites.

We all know that steak and chimichurri are a match made in heaven, but chicken salad with chimichurri sauce is also a new rising star! Mark My words! It’s a great mayo-free recipe to make for a luncheon with friends or as a cool dinner on a hot night.

Recipe Highlights

  • Each serving has 16 grams of protein and is right around 200 calories!
  • It’s a great make-ahead/meal prep recipe.
  • It’s very low carb (only 2 grams per serving).
Chimichurri Chicken Salad in a bowl

Key Ingredients to Make This Recipe

  • Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast: You can also use leftover cooked chicken.
  • Seasonings: Kosher salt, garlic and lime juice or red wine vinegar.
  • Fresh Herbs: Cilantro and parsley
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Other Salad Ingredients: I added chopped celery hearts and toasted almonds for crunch and to bulk up the portion size.

Step-by-Step Instructions to Make This Chimichurri Chicken Salad

Step 1: Poach chicken

Bring two cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add ½ teaspoon salt and stir to dissolve. Add chicken breast and return to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low to a gentle simmer, then cook, covered, turning occasionally until the chicken is cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to cool for about 20 minutes. Cut the chicken into ½-inch to 3/4–inch cubes.

Step 2: Make chimichurri

Sprinkle the remaining ½ teaspoon salt over the garlic and mash with the side of a chef’s knife until it forms a thick paste. Transfer the garlic and salt paste, cilantro, parsley, olive oil and lime juice or vinegar to a food processor and process until it forms a thick paste, scraping down the sides occasionally.

Step 3: Assemble Chimichurri Chicken Salad

Stir together the chicken, chimichurri, celery and almonds in a medium bowl until the chicken is coated in the chimichurri sauce. Serve the chicken salad at room temperature or refrigerate until chilled.

FAQs and Expert Tips

What is chimichurri?

It is an uncooked sauce that originated in Argentina and Uruguay and is most commonly made with parsley, oregano, garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar and red chile pepper flakes. It can be made with a variety of herbs like cilantro, basil and mint in addition to parsley. The flavor profile is tangy and herbal with just a hint of spice.

Serving tips:

I piled it this chimichurri chicken salad on top of lettuce and it was so delicious! You could also serve it between two pieces of bread, or add it to a wrap.

What else can chimichurri be used for?

It’s quite versatile and can be used as a basting sauce, marinade or served as a condiment with grilled meats, seafood and veggies

Storing instructions:

Place in an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.

Make-ahead!

Make the recipe up to 24 hours in advance, or simply make a double batch to have throughout the week. (See storing instructions above.)

A mayo-free Chimichurri Chicken Salad in serving bowls

More Healthy Lunch Ideas

Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!

Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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This mayo-free Chimichurri Chicken Salad will be the back to school lunch of your dreams and it just happens to be #Whole30 friendly, #gluten-free and ready in under 30 minutes! | Healthy Seasonal Recipes | Katie Webster #lowcarb #highprotein #lunch #chicken #healthy #grainfree #dairyfree #nomayo

Chimichurri Chicken Salad


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5 from 4 reviews

Description

This fresh and healthy Chimichurri Chicken Salad is a delicious and easy lunch recipe that can be prepped ahead. It is loaded with fresh herbs, garlic and lime with crunchy celery and nuts with tender chicken breast.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 cup clean packed cilantro leaves
  • 1/2 cup parsley leaves
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice or red wine vinegar
  • 1 cup finely chopped celery hearts
  • 1/4 cup toasted sliced or slivered almonds

Instructions

  1. Bring two cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add ½ teaspoon salt and stir to dissolve. Add chicken breast and return to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, covered, turning occasionally to make sure that it cooks evenly, until the chicken is cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to cool, about 20 minutes. Cut chicken into ½-inch to 3/4 –inch cubes.
  2. Sprinkle the remaining ½ teaspoon salt over the garlic and mash with the side of a chef’s knife until it forms a thick paste. Transfer the garlic and salt paste, cilantro, parsley, olive oil and lime juice or vinegar to a food processor and process until it forms a thick paste, scraping down sides occasionally.
  3. Stir the chicken, the chimichurri, celery and almonds in a medium bowl until the chicken is coated in the chimichurri sauce. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate until chilled.

Notes

Make-Ahead: Make the recipe up to 24 hours in advance, or simply make a double batch to have throughout the week. (See storing instructions above.)

  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: Main Course
  • Method: Stove To[
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 3/4 cup
  • Calories: 202 calories
  • Sugar: 0 g
  • Sodium: 585 mg
  • Fat: 10 g
  • Saturated Fat: 1 g
  • Carbohydrates: 2 g
  • Fiber: 1 g
  • Protein: 16 g