Healthy Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps

Chicken salad lettuce wraps are a healthy lunch or dinner option with a bold and smoky flavor. Greek yogurt is an easy swap that makes this chicken salad a better-for-you meal.

I love the whole concept of lettuce wraps because they're a healthier, delicious choice to order when out that are usually filled with a wonderfully savory mixture, but if that mixture is even the slightest bit too liquid-y? That's not good. Soon I'm asking for extra napkins and trying my hardest to keep the sauce from running up my sleeves.

Not exactly the basis of a relaxing meal, right? Thankfully you won't be running for emergency napkins with these chicken salad lettuce wraps. Based on my very favorite curry chicken salad recipe, this smoky, tangy version is even more lightened up with wiggle room for you to make it your own.

Reasons To Love This Recipe

• This smoky chicken salad has a great texture. It's not too gloopy as many chicken salads can be, but has just enough of the binding ingredients to hold everything together well without excess moisture.
• This recipe has plenty of room for customization. Freshly cooked, leftover, OR rotisserie chicken works perfectly, the spices and mix-ins can be tweaked, dairy-free mayo/yogurt can be subbed in, etc.
• Because these lettuce wraps can be served hot, warm, or cold, this recipe makes a great choice for a healthier meal prep dish.

Recipe Ingredients

• Chicken: To keep things easy, you can use the meat from one whole rotisserie chicken (there's wiggle room), which usually yields somewhere between four and five cups of meat.
• Mayo: Lite mayo cuts the calories by half when compared to regular mayonnaise, and combines 1:1 with Greek yogurt for a better-for-you creamy "sauce", if you will, for chicken salad.
• Yogurt: With all the bold flavors here to mask the tang, Greek yogurt blends right in to act as a stealthy and healthier ingredient substitution. Be sure to use plain yogurt, with either Greek or regular varieties working well.
• Pecans: Pecans are pictured here, but walnuts, cashews, or even sliced almonds make great options. Of course, you don't have to include nuts at all, either.
• Lettuce: Either butter or bibb lettuce works well for these lettuce wraps as both varieties have wide, flexible leaves that can handle being wrapped around filling.
• Spices: The smokiness here comes from the addition of smoked paprika, which is an easy spice to add that brings the flavor in a big way.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. If starting with raw chicken, cook it and let it cool slightly to be handled before shredding it into bite-sized pieces to set aside. Then add the binding ingredients and spices to a mixing bowl: Greek yogurt, lite mayo, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, curry powder, garlic powder, and ground mustard.
2. Whisk well to combine everything. Adjust seasonings to taste.

3. Add the cooked and shredded chicken, onion, celery, and pecans (if using) to the bowl.

4. Using a spatula or a spoon, stir the chicken salad up until the chicken is coated evenly by the yogurt/mayo mixture. If you prefer more of a sauce, feel free to add addition mayo or yogurt as you like at this point.

5. Scoop portions of the smoky chicken salad into the center of the butter or Bibb lettuce leaves. Take care to leave sufficient margins around the outside of the leaves and not overstuff them so that you can fold and hold the wraps without chicken salad spilling out.

Expert Tips

• If you have raw chicken breasts and would like to cook your own in the Instant Pot, you can see those instructions in my healthy buffalo chicken dip post.
• I recommend storing the chicken salad separately from the lettuce leaves and assembling just prior to eating. This keeps the lettuce crisp.

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