This chicken salad with dill pickles features tender chicken, crunchy dill pickles, fresh dill and sweet cranberries dressed in a light yogurt-based sauce. Easy to make, high in protein, healthy, delicious and ready in under 10 minutes!

Chicken salad with dill pickles: ingredients and substitutions

Top down view of ingredients for chicken salad with dill pickles in individual dishes. — Chicken salad with dill pickles ingredients.

Chicken: use either white or dark meat or a bit of both. This recipe also works with leftover turkey.
Dill pickles: You can use either vinegar pickled gherkins or Polish-style dill pickles in brine. More on that below.
Onion: I used red onion, but you can use another sweet onion variety (ex. white Spanish onion).
Cranberries: use dried sweetened cranberries. Alternatives include dried currants or raisins.
Fresh dill
Yogurt: you can use Greek-style, natural yogurt, or Skyr.
Mayonnaise: adds depth of flavour and I personally like to add a small amount, but you can omit it.
Mustard
Salt and pepper: add to taste.

What dill pickles to use

To make this healthy chicken and dill pickle salad you can use your favourite dill pickles (pickled gherkins in the UK). However, you can also use Polish-style fermented dill pickles (the kind used in Polish dill pickle soup), which contain natural brine rather than vinegar. They are not quite as crunchy as vinegar-based pickles, but come with a more intense flavour.

So use your favourite!

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1. Prepare ingredients: Wipe the dill pickles to remove excess moisture then cube. Chop the chicken, onion and dill.

2. Assemble ingredients: To a mixing bowl add all the ingredients.

Top down view of ingredients assembled in white bowl for dill pickle chicken salad.

3. Combine: Stir thoroughly and season to taste.

Top down view of creamy dill pickle and chicken salad in white bowl with spoon.

4. Chill: Refrigerate for 30 minutes, if possible, then serve.

Serving suggestions

This chicken salad with dill pickles can be served in a variety of ways, including:

with lettuce leaves as a snack/appetizer or light meal
in a sandwich or on toast
in a tortilla, pita bread
on its own

How to adjust the consistency of dill pickle chicken salad

To add thickness to this salad, without too many calories, you can use a tablespoon of cream cheese (and a little less yogurt). Combine with the yogurt before stirring into the salad.

Another healthy ingredient you could use is cottage cheese. You can either blend it until creamy, as I have done in my high-protein chicken salad, or mash it up with a fork (see cottage cheese egg salad). If you decide to opt for this ingredient omit the yogurt. Alternatively, use a bit of both.

Variations

I like this creamy chicken and pickle salad simply as it is but you can use different ingredients for added texture and another flavour dimension. For example, you can add:

Freshness and colour: by adding chopped baby spinach or watercress.
More vegetables: such as leftover green beans, red pepper or sweetcorn.
More protein: for example bacon, pulses or beans.
Crunch: by using chopped almonds.
Spice: such as red pepper flakes or chili flakes, including chipotle chili for a smoky twist.
Make a salad meal: by stirring in a few tablespoons of couscous, quinoa or bulgur wheat.

Top tips

Use either white or dark meat or a bit of both.
Wipe the dill pickles before using to remove excess moisture.
You may not need to add any salt but be generous with pepper.
Chill for 30 minutes before serving if possible.
This chicken salad with dill pickles can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.
You can make it 6-8 hours ahead.
Not suitable for freezing.

See also these other easy, delicious salad recipes.

Recipe