If you’re looking for a lunch that actually keeps you full, tastes like a picnic, and doesn’t require you to stand over a stove, this High Protein Dill Pickle Chicken Salad is about to become your new go-to. It’s tangy, creamy, packed with dill pickle flavor, and comes in at 57 grams of protein per serving. Pair it with the homemade low-carb pita chips (or serve it over crackers, romaine, or straight out of the bowl), and you’ve got a lunch that’s incredibly satisfying without weighing you down.
Friends, I am fully in my chicken salad era, and this dill pickle version might be my favorite one yet. I wanted a lunch that felt indulgent but was actually doing some heavy lifting nutritionally, and swapping traditional mayo-heavy dressing for a blended cottage cheese base turned out to be the way to go. It’s creamy, tangy from the pickle brine, and you would never guess it’s built on cottage cheese instead of mayo.
The dill pickles are non-negotiable here — I used Grillo’s but you can use whatever you prefer, and the sharp, briny crunch they add is what makes this taste like something more than your average chicken salad recipe. Combined with fresh dill and a little red onion, every bite has that punchy, tangy flavor that pairs so well with shredded chicken. And don’t skip making the pita chips from scratch — I used Cut Da Carb pita bread to keep things lower in carbs, and tossing them in olive oil and seasonings before baking makes them so much better than anything store-bought. If you want to keep this recipe gluten-free, just make sure to use a gluten-free pita bread or your favorite gluten-free crackers.
What You Need to Make This High Protein Dill Pickle Chicken Salad
- Shredded Chicken: You’ll need shredded white meat chicken for this recipe. Rotisserie chicken works great here if you want to save time, or you can cook and shred your own.
- Celery: Diced celery adds the perfect crunch to this chicken salad. It’s a classic addition that gives the salad some texture against the creamy dressing.
- Red Onion: Red onion adds a little sharpness and bite. If raw onion is too strong for your taste, feel free to soak it in cold water for a few minutes first to mellow it out.
- Dill Pickles: You’ll need a full cup of diced dill pickles for this recipe — I used Grillo’s Pickles, but you don’t have to.
- Fresh Dill: Freshly chopped dill ties everything together and reinforces that dill pickle flavor throughout the salad.
- Cottage Cheese: One cup of fat-free (or 2%) cottage cheese is the base of the dressing — I always Good Culture because it’s the absolute best. Blended up, it becomes ultra creamy and you’d never know it’s not mayo.
- Pickle Brine: Pickle brine goes straight into the dressing for extra tang. Don’t pour it out when you’re using the pickles — you’ll need it!
- Garlic: Garlic add the perfect savory depth to the dressing.
- Dijon Mustard: Dijon mustard adds a little sharpness and rounds out the flavor of the dressing.
- Smoked Paprika: Smoked paprika adds a subtle smokiness to the dressing.
- Black Pepper: Ground black pepper adds the perfect finishing touch of spice to the dressing.
- Pita Bread: You’ll need two large pita breads for the pita chips — I used Cut Da Carb to keep things lower carb. Any pita bread will work, though.
- Olive Oil: Olive oil helps the pita crisp up and get that golden color in the oven.
- Oregano: Oregano adds a Mediterranean-inspired flavor to the pita chips.
- Garlic Powder: Garlic powder adds savory flavor to the pita chips without the bite of fresh garlic.
- Kosher Salt: Salt is all you need to season the pita chips perfectly.
How to Make This High Protein Dill Pickle Chicken Salad
To make this chicken salad, start by making the pita chips. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Cut the pita bread into even-sized pieces and add them to a bowl. In a separate small bowl, mix together the olive oil, oregano, garlic powder, and kosher salt, then pour it over the pita pieces and toss well to coat. Spread the pieces out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 8 to 12 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and let them harden and cool as you prepare the rest of the recipe.
Next, make the chicken salad base. Add the shredded chicken, diced celery, diced red onion, diced dill pickles, and chopped fresh dill to a large bowl and set aside.
Finally, make the dressing. Add the cottage cheese, pickle brine, garlic, dijon mustard, smoked paprika, and black pepper to a blender and blend until completely smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Pour the dressing over the chicken salad mixture and toss until everything is well coated. Serve the chicken salad over the pita chips, or spoon it over crackers or romaine lettuce leaves. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! You can make it up to 3 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
Absolutely. Bake the pita chips up to 2 days ahead and store them in an airtight container at room temperature so they stay crisp. This is a great one to prep in advance if you’re serving this for a lunch spread or having people over.
If you want to keep this even lower carb, serve the chicken salad over romaine lettuce leaves, cucumber slices, or your favorite low-carb crackers.
Shredded rotisserie chicken, canned chicken, or even shredded turkey would all work well in this recipe if you want to switch things up or use what you have on hand.
The chicken salad and dressing are gluten-free as written. Just be sure to swap in a gluten-free pita or serve it over lettuce instead if you need to keep the whole dish GF.
If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a review and rating below! To see more recipes and behind the scenes, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube! I’m also now on Pinterest, so stop by and take a look at what’s new!
** Photography by Tanya Pilgrim
Ingredients
For the Chicken Salad:
- 1 ½ Pounds Shredded White Meat Chicken
- 2 Ribs Celery, diced
- ½ Red Onion, diced
- 1 Cup Dill Pickles, diced (I used Grillo's
- ¼ Cup Fresh Dill, chopped
For the Dressing:
- 1 Cup Fat Free Cottage Cheese, or Good Culture 2%
- 3 Tablespoons Pickle Brine
- 2 Cloves Garlic
- 1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
- 1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
For the Pita Chips:
- 2 Large Pita Breads, I used Cut Da Carb
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Oregano
- 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
Instructions
- To make this dill pickle chicken salad, start by making the pita chips. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Cut the pita bread into even-sized pieces and add them to a bowl.
- In a separate small bowl, mix together the olive oil, oregano, garlic powder, and kosher salt, then pour it over the pita pieces and toss well to coat.
- Spread the pieces out in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 8 to 12 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and let them harden and cool as you prepare the rest of the recipe.
- Next, make the chicken salad base. Add the shredded chicken, diced celery, diced red onion, diced dill pickles, and chopped fresh dill to a large bowl and set aside.
- Finally, make the dressing. Add the cottage cheese, pickle brine, garlic, dijon mustard, smoked paprika, and black pepper to a blender and blend until completely smooth and creamy.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Pour the dressing over the chicken salad mixture and toss until everything is well coated.
- Serve the chicken salad over the pita chips, or spoon it over crackers or romaine lettuce leaves. Enjoy!
Rate & review
SELECT A RATING and tell me what you think!
What others are saying
Found this from your IG post I used white meat canned chicken and followed everything else exactly It was amazing New lunch staple for sure
Thank you so much Riki!