This no-mayo chickpea chicken salad is light, fresh, and protein-packed, featuring crisp veggies tossed in a flavorful, zesty dressing. Perfect for a quick lunch, light dinner, or make-ahead meal prep!
🤔💡Did you know?
Chickpeas are one of the oldest cultivated crops worldwide, with a history spanning thousands of years! Packed with protein and fiber, they’ve been a staple in many cultures, from Mediterranean to Indian kitchens!
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Why you'll ❤️ this garbanzo chicken salad
- Kid-friendly.
- High protein and no mayo salad.
- Prepare in just 10 minutes.
- Healthy and gluten-free.
- Meal prep friendly.
- Great for all seasons.
- Customizable as you can tweak it with whatever’s in your fridge!
Chicken and chickpeas combine to deliver a powerful protein boost that keeps you energized. This easy-to-make salad offers versatile flavors and a satisfying texture that pairs perfectly with fresh veggies and tangy dressings. Definitely worth a try!
This salad also makes a fantastic base for Indian chaat-style snacks, similar to the popular aloo chana chaat. Just add your favorite chutneys, a sprinkle of chaat masala, and some crunchy sev for a quick and delicious twist!
Ingredients
To make this chicken salad without mayo, you need the following items:
Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans) - Chickpeas, soaked overnight and boiled until tender. You can also use canned chickpeas, just make sure to drain and rinse them well
Chicken - A great source of lean protein. You can use boiled, grilled, roasted, or even leftover chicken for convenience. If not using pre-cooked chicken, cook the chicken breast by grilling, boiling, or roasting, and then shred or dice it.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to make chickpea chicken salad without mayo
Dice cucumber, bell pepper, and onion into bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, chickpeas, and all the chopped veggies. Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Sprinkle with hemp seeds for an extra crunchy texture. Toss gently until everything is coated (image below).
This chickpea and chicken salad is best served fresh, but it also tastes great chilled in the fridge for the next day, perfect for make-ahead lunches!
🌶 Spicy Twist
Want to give this protein salad, aka chicken chickpea salad, a fiery kick? Drizzle over a spoonful of my 2-ingredient chilli oil or homemade Szechuan sauce just before serving, or whisk it into the dressing for a bold, smoky heat.
If serving kids or spice-sensitive guests, keep the chilli oil/chilli sauce on the side so everyone can add it to taste.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve the salad on its own for a light, protein-packed lunch or dinner.
- Pair it with warm pita bread, naan, or crusty whole-grain stuffed bread such as aloo paneer paratha for a satisfying meal.
- Spoon this no-mayo chickpea-chicken salad over a bed of fresh mixed greens or baby spinach for an extra veggie boost.
- As a filling in wraps, tortillas, lettuce cups, or cucumber salad boats.
- Serve the salad alongside or on top of cooked rice like Pakistani chicken biryani, quinoa-cottage cheese bowl, or couscous for a heartier option.
- Hollow out bell peppers or tomatoes and stuff them with the salad for a fun presentation.
- Pair it with egg dishes like egg paratha, egg veggie bites, and egg fry masala.
- It goes well with grilled fish, chicken, air-fried potatoes, or air-fried vegetables.
FAQ
Yes! You can definitely make chicken chickpea salad without mayo.
In fact, the version we just discussed already skips mayo and uses a lemon-olive oil dressing, which keeps it light, fresh, and healthy.
Yes! This salad tastes great the next day as the flavors blend nicely. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
Grilled, boiled, roasted, or even leftover chicken works perfectly. Just shred or dice it into bite-sized pieces.
Storage
Perfect for meal prep as it keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days. Keep the salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
If you’re adding crunchy toppings like hemp seeds or nuts, store them separately and sprinkle just before serving to keep the crunch.
Tips
- Cut the vegetables and chicken to your preference, but keeping them in small, bite-sized pieces makes this salad perfect for little hands and appetites.
- If the salad seems a bit dry the next day, you can add a splash of olive oil or lemon juice to freshen it up.
- Use fresh herbs like mint or coriander to brighten up the salad. If you want to know how to preserve mint for longer, check out my how to dry mint leaves post!
Find more chicken meals
Looking for more? Try these other flavorful chicken dishes:
If you make this chicken chickpea no-mayo salad recipe, please comment or share a picture of your salad version on Instagram with the hashtag #tipsnrecipes for feedback!
🧾Recipe
No mayo Chickpea Chicken Salad
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Ingredients
- 250 g Chickpea
- 100 g Chicken breast (boiled)
- ½ Cucumber
- ¼ Bell pepper red
- ¼ Onion red
- 2 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoon Hemp seeds
Instructions
- Chickpeas soaked overnight and cooked until tender. Alternatively, you can use canned chickpeas, just be sure to drain and rinse them thoroughly.
- If you don’t have pre-cooked chicken, simply grill, boil, or roast the chicken breast, then shred or dice it.
- Dice cucumber, bell pepper, and onion into bite-sized pieces.
- In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, chickpeas with all the chopped veggies. Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Sprinkle with hemp seeds for an extra crunchy texture. Toss gently until everything is coated.
- This chickpea and chicken salad is best served fresh, but it also tastes great chilled in the fridge for next day, perfect for make-ahead lunches!
Video
Notes
- Cut the vegetables and chicken to your preference, but keeping them in small, bite-sized pieces makes this salad perfect for little hands and appetites.
- If the salad seems a bit dry the next day, you can add a splash of olive oil or lemon juice to freshen it up.
- Use fresh herbs like mint or coriander to brighten up the salad - if you want to know how to preserve mint for longer, check out my how to dry mint leaves post!
- Subscribe to my Newsletter and YouTube channel to stay updated.
Nutrition
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