This lemon & herb low carb chicken salad uses fresh herbs, lemon and almonds for a tasty dish in minutes. Eat as is or on a bed of lettuce for a delicious low carb lunch. Only 3.2g net carbs per serving.
You might also like this low carb loaded broccoli & cauliflower salad.

I’ve always been fond of chicken salad but never seemed to make it. Probably because I’ve liked so many variations of it. There is the creamy, shredded chicken salad I had when I lived in rural PA. I also used to love a tarragon and cashew chicken salad from a small ice cream shop when I was in college. And let’s not forget my favorite; a lemon chicken salad I had at a shower once.
This lemon & herb low carb chicken salad is pretty close to that one. The lemon and herbs really give it a fresh taste and the almonds add some crunch. I’ll be making this one a lot and maybe tackle those other ones later in summer.
What Kind Of Chicken To Use In Chicken Salad
I used rotisserie chicken for this recipe because it was quicker and I truly like the taste of rotisserie chicken. Tip: I like to buy my rotisserie chickens at Costco because they are big and inexpensive. I strip the chicken of all the meat and use the bones to make bone broth for virtually no waste!
If you only have raw chicken breast maybe poach or roast it.
Easy Low Carb Chicken Salad Ingredients
Above you can see the basic ingredients I used: rotisserie chicken, lemon juice and zest, fresh herbs, mayonnaise and sliced almonds. The herbs that I used were chives, basil, tarragon and thyme. I love using fresh herbs from my garden and today I used herbs from the lovely herb garden my sister gave me.
Feel free to use whatever herbs you enjoy. Tarragon and basil have a slight licorice taste to it that not everyone likes though I do. You can use parsley, cilantro, dill or whatever herbs you can get your hands on.
What Kind Of Nuts To Use In Chicken Salad
I like to use sliced almonds in this low carb chicken salad because it adds crunch. Since I don’t have the usual celery or onions, the crunch is a nice contrast to the rest of this chicken salad. You can use slivered almonds, pecans or even sunflower seeds if you wish. Or if you have nut allergy just eliminate them.
This comes together in just minutes so you can eat it whenever you are in the mood for a delicious low carb chicken salad. I enjoy eating it on a bed of lettuce but of course it would taste great on a croissant, a piece of good crusty bread or any way that you like to eat your chicken salad. However that would not be low carb.
I hope you enjoy this light, fresh chicken salad recipe. And I’ll be trying some more of those other chicken salad dishes soon. The nutritional information for 1 serving is:
506 cals / 32.5g fat / 4.8g carbs / 1.6g fiber / 47.1g protein = 3.2g net carbs
Low Carb Herb & Lemon Chicken Salad
This lemon & herb low carb chicken salad uses fresh herbs, lemon and almonds for a tasty dish in minutes. Eat as is or on a bed of lettuce for a delicious low carb lunch. Only 3.2g net carbs per serving.
Ingredients
- 4 cups chopped cooked rotisserie chicken breast
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice (~2 lemons juice & zest)
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons fresh herbs, minced ***
- ½ cup sliced almonds, optional
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
-
Mix the lemon juice, zest, mayonnaise, herbs, salt and pepper.
-
Toss with the cooked chicken.
-
Top with the sliced almonds if you are using.
-
Refrigerate for an hour to get the best taste but can eat right away.
-
*** I used a combination of tarragon, chives, basil & thyme but you can use what ever fresh herbs you like.
Joyce Lorenzen
Your recipe has too much protein fpr my macros, so I cut the chicken to 2 cups and added 2 cups of grated cauliflower. I also omitted the almonds as I don’t have any.
Denise
Thanks for sharing your tips Joyce!
Debbie
Chicken Salad is a favorite “go-to” meal for me. I love trying new recipes with different flavors, I can’t wait to try this one, it sounds yummy.
Raia
Mmm! Sounds delicious! 🙂
Jenny B @ Honey and Birch
This chicken salad is so lovely – it would be a fantastic addition to brunch! Now I want to host a book club brunch so I can make this for all of my girlfriends. I featured your post this week at #FoodieFriDIY – thank you so much for participating!
Jess
This sounds delicious! I’ve pinned it!
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Lisa @ Fun Money Mom
I’ve always loved chicken salad and this recipe sounds delicious! I’ll have to try it out soon!
Visiting from Teach Me Tuesday
xoxo
Lisa
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life
I love all kinds of chicken salad. We’ve been making it for my son because he just got braces and he likes it..I have a feeling I’m going to be eating a lot of it this summer, so I’m thrilled to have another yummy recipe!
[email protected]
Thanks Michelle! Hope you like it. I remember getting my braces off…..it felt so good to run my tongue over my teeth. I bet he’s excited!
Caroline
Looks tasty! I similarly never seem to make chicken salad but can see this being great for picnics.
Faye Wilkerson
I love chicken salad and this one looks delicious. Added to my Yum recipe box to try.
Joy @ Joy Love Food
I love chicken salads, this sounds wonderful with the lemon and all the fresh herbs! I love the hanging herb garden your sister made for you too, I’m hoping to get something like that for my deck.
[email protected]
Thank you! The herb garden has come in much use. I usually plant two big containers full of herbs but didn’t get to it this year so her hanging basket really came in handy.
Michelle @ Giraffes Can Bake
This looks yummy, great for summer!
Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom
What a great fresh dish for the summer!