This creamy ranch flavored chicken salad recipe is not only delicious for everyday, it is also Paleo and Whole30 compliant!
That delicious picture up above is two things. 1. amazingly delicious. 2 both paleo and whole30 compliant. I really struggled a bit getting started with Whole30 because I am quite the carb addict. If you want to read about why I decided to do the Whole30, you can read about my Whole30 Story here {it’s not what you think!}
{To see ALL of our Whole30 Recipes, click here!}
I am not a diet person and never have been. I just love food too much. I recently heard a friend talking about the diet and saying that you just miss out on life. That is how I feel about food! Every meal is a chance to eat something that makes my taste buds sing and taking out all the good stuff (ie bread, pasta, cheese, and butter) would be like taking my joy away three times a day…. or more.
I was determined not to let that happen. I knew there were foods that could be amazing without my aforementioned favorite 4 foods. I just had to get a little more creative in the kitchen. I will admit that there were things that I thought would be delicious and were not. But this. THIS. It was able to make my taste buds sing.
Sure, I might have eaten the ranch chicken salad on toast or crackers if I wasn’t on whole30, but really, who cares! I could just eat the stuff straight out of the bowl with a spoon, it is so good. The zucchini slices made perfect vehicle for delivering it right to my mouth sans carbs, plus it gave it a little extra crunch. I will definitely be doing chicken salad on top of zucchini again, and am excited to try cucumber too.
{See ALL of my to-die-for Chicken Salad recipes here!}
The chicken salad comes together quickly and just uses a few whole food ingredients. I like to use up extra chicken from the grill or crock pot for this, but you could also use left over rotisserie chicken, or even canned chicken in a pinch. The veggies are also flexible to what you have on hand. I used celery and bell pepper because it really compliments the flavors in the ranch well, but you can add more or less of whatever you have. Putting lots of veggies in is a great way to bulk up the volume you make and reduce the calories per serving so I always pack it full.
If you are doing Whole30 you can get the recipe for the homemade ranch mix I use here (it is dairy free to comply with Whole30 which normal Ranch is not) and you will want to make your mayonnaise from scratch (don’t worry, it is way easier than it sounds!) Or if you just want it to be ready to use, you can grab something compliant like this Avocado Oil Mayo. I like to mix the seasonings into the mayonnaise first to make sure it gets mixed well and evenly distributed. Then mix the seasoned mayo into a bowl with the chicken and veggies and stir until everything is coated.
Letting it sit for at least 30 minutes in the fridge before serving is best because it lets the mayo take on all of the delicious flavors of the ranch. Then just serve it up any way you like and enjoy!
{FULL RECIPE BELOW}
Did your taste buds sing? I would love to know in the comments!
If you are whole30, make sure to check out all of my Whole30 Recipes here! Also, this Whole30 Fajita Chicken salad recipe is every bit as delicious as the ranch so make sure and check it out too!
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Ranch Chicken Salad Recipe {Paleo- Whole30 Compliant}
Ingredients
- 3-3.5 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken breast
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 1 sweet bell pepper any color, chopped
- 1/4 sweet yellow onion chopped
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise - This one is Whole30 Compliant or you can make your own
- 1 Tbsp dry ranch seasoning Recipe for Whole30 Ranch Seasoning here
Instructions
- Mix the chicken, mayonnaise, and seasoning together in a medium bowl until well blended.
- Stir in the celery, peppers and onion until mixed evenly.
- Chill 1 hour to let flavors meld.
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
fifa16mall.com says
I have no idea what you have said
Rachel says
I made this today it was amazing good
Kimber says
SO glad you loved it! It is definitely a lunch favorite for us! I hope you will be back for more recipes!
Christie says
What is the ranch reciepe
Kimber says
Sorry about that! I updated the post with the link in both the text and the recipe card I don’t know why it wasn’t in there! If you can also find it here: http://www.thepinningmama.com/whole30-homemade-ranch-seasoning-mix/
margaret says
how many people does his recipe serve?????
Colleen says
I wanna try this but I’m single. How do you cut it down for just one portion?
Jessica says
I made it for myself I used 1 cup chicken,2 tbsp onion,1/3 cup of yellow/red pepper,1 stalk celery,1 tsp dry hidden valley ranch,and for the mayo I added maybe 1/4 cup I just scooped 2 full tablespoons- & I ate it over a bed of lettuce and seasoned it with pepper. Hope this helps!
Donna says
Seriously?!?!? Do the MATH!
Tracie says
Hi – the recipe looks yummy – but the link for your Ranch dressing blend goes to an Alt Summit link ????
Kimber says
I am so sorry! I have no idea how that happened! I got it fixed for you. Sorry about that 🙂
Amy says
Hello! I’m getting ready to make this but am also having trouble with the link to the ranch – now it just returns to this recipe. Thanks for your help – I can’t wait to try this!
Kimber says
I am so sorry about that! I will check them again! Here is the link to make it easy: http://www.thepinningmama.com/whole30-homemade-ranch-seasoning-mix/
Connie Richardson says
Do you make the whole 30 mayo or have you found a compliant store bought version? I tried to make and it was gross.
Kimber says
I did make it and mine turned out really great actually! I don’t love the taste of store bought mayo (I won’t eat it plain) but thought the taste of the homemade was much better. I used this recipe with light olive oil and fresh lemon juice: http://thehealthyfoodie.com/fail-proof-home-made-paleo-mayo-whole30-compliant/
Lindsey says
This is amazing!!! I just made it and I can believe how good it turned out!
Kimber says
So glad you loved it! It’s one of our favorites ♡♡♡