Whole30 Chicken Salad with Blueberries and Pecans

5 from 5 votes

Whole30 Chicken Salad with Blueberries and Pecans

This easy, healthy chicken salad features juicy chicken, fresh blueberries, crunchy celery and toasty pecans, all slathered in creamy mayonnaise. It's a simple twist on the classic version and so easy to make Whole30 friendly!

Prep Time15

Cook Time0

Total Time15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 562kcal

Author: Don Baiocchi

Ingredients

2 cups cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast (from about 10-12 oz. uncooked chicken; see notes)
1 cup diced celery (from about 5 oz. of celery)
1 cup avocado oil mayonnaise
½ cup blueberries
⅓ cup toasted, chopped pecans (see notes)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme, basil, mint or parsley
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, if necessary
lettuce cups (Romaine or Boston) or apple slices, for serving

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, toss together the chicken, celery, mayonnaise, blueberries, pecans and thyme (if using) until everything is thoroughly coated. Taste and add salt and/or freshly ground black pepper, if desired. Serve on the lettuce cups or apple slices.

Notes

For a Whole30 friendly mayo, see recommendations in blog post.

You can use rotisserie or pre-cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts (make sure they're Whole30 compatible, if necessary).

Cooking your own chicken:

Heat the oven to 350°F.

Place 10-12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a baking dish and coat lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake until they reach 165ºF. If they're different sizes, you might need to pull the smaller one out first while a bigger one needs to keep cooking.

Let the chicken cool completely, then cut into small cubes. You'll need 2 cups.

If your pecans aren't toasted, pour the pecans into a cold, dry skillet. Place over medium heat and cook, tossing and stirring occasionally, until aromatic and slightly darker in spots, about 6-8 minutes. Remove to a small bowl or plate to let cool.

Make ahead/freezing

This chicken salad can be made up to 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge.

I wouldn't recommend freezing it.

Substitutions and variations

You can swap out the blueberries and pecans for halved grapes and walnuts, if you want more of a classic flavor.
You can also try other nuts, like sliced or chopped almonds, hazelnuts or cashews.
If using herbs, you can try basil, parsley, mint or rosemary (use half as much rosemary as its flavor can be very strong).

Nutrition