This Basil Pesto Chicken Salad is the perfect quick and easy lunch or snack. You can serve it with crackers, as a sandwich, or as a salad with mixed greens. Made with just a few simple ingredients, this flavorful chicken salad will be your new favorite!
Quick and Easy Basil Pesto Chicken Salad
Another chicken salad recipe! Seriously, y’all, you cannot have too many chicken salad recipes. When you need a lunch that’s quick, easy, and perfect to prep ahead, chicken salad is a fool-proof recipe that never fails.
When I’m not sure what to prep for lunches during the week or I know that my husband and I have a jam-packed crazy schedule, I always default to some kind of chicken salad.
Thankfully, there are so many different and delicious combinations of chicken salads you can whip up. Some of my personal favorite combos are classic chicken salad and this buffalo chicken salad.
Once you have all of your ingredients, making the pesto is as simple as adding them to a food processor and pulsing until everything is well combined. The texture of the pesto shouldn’t be silky smooth but there shouldn’t be huge chunks of nuts or garlic either.
More Delicious Chicken Salad Recipes
How to Make Basil Pesto
This basil pesto chicken salad is so flavorful thanks to the homemade pesto. You could use store-bought pesto if you’d like, but making your own pesto is so simple and you should definitely give it a try.
To make this dairy-free basil spinach pesto, here’s what you need:
- Fresh basil
- Baby spinach
- Garlic (fresh whole garlic cloves are the best for this recipe)
- Red pepper flakes (you could leave these out if you prefer)
- Pine nut (you can toast these for extra flavor!)
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Salt
Basil Pesto Chicken Salad Ingredients
Because of the flavorful pesto in this chicken salad, this chicken salad doesn’t need too many more ingredients. All you need is just a few more elements for crunch and you’re good to go!
- tender chicken
- creamy mayo
- homemade basil pesto
- crunchy pine nuts
- red onion
- fresh lemon juice
How to Make Pesto Chicken Salad
Step One: Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and mix until well combined. Add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice to taste.
Step Two: Serve over mixed greens, with cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and pine nuts.
How to Serve Pesto Chicken Salad
You can serve chicken salad with crackers, in a sandwich, or even on mixed greens as a salad. This creamy and flavorful basil pesto chicken is sure to be one of your new favorites.
Go ahead and make a batch this week and keep it in the fridge to have quick lunches or snacks all week!
More Healthy Protein Packed Salads to Love
- Waldorf Chicken Salad
- Healthy Tuna Salad
- Salmon Salad
- Tuna Pasta Salad
- Greek Chickpea Salad
- Mediterranean Quinoa Salad
- Shrimp Taco Salad
- Italian Chopped Salad
I hope you give this Pesto Chicken Salad a try! It’s so easy to make and comes together quickly!
If you do give this recipe a try, I want to know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo & tag @allthehealthythings on INSTAGRAM. Your reviews help support All the Healthy Things and make it possible for me to continue to create the recipes you know and love.
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Pesto Chicken Salad
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Lunch
- Method: no cook
- Cuisine: american
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Basil Pesto Chicken Salad is the perfect quick and easy lunch or snack. You can serve it with crackers, as a sandwich, or as a salad with mixed greens. Made with just a few simple ingredients, this flavorful chicken salad will be your new favorite!
Ingredients
- 2 cups diced chicken breast
- 1/3 cup basil pesto
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons diced red onion
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- salt + pepper to taste
For Serving
- fresh basil, chopped for garnish
- mixed greens, for serving
- rainbow cherry tomatoes, halved for serving
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and mix until well combined. Add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice to taste.
- Serve over mixed greens, with cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and pine nuts.
Recipe by: Ashlea Carver / All the Healthy Things | Photography by: THE MINDFUL HAPA
