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Light and refreshing Basil Pesto Chicken Salad is filled with vibrant summer flavors! Shredded rotisserie chicken, creamy pesto, Greek yogurt, fresh lemon and basil combine to make the perfect light meal. Ideal for a picnic, quick lunch or healthy dinner, this dish is so simple to make and delicious to eat!
A few weeks ago, Kyle and I hosted a little impromptu cookout with some friends on our patio. They brought over several store-bought side dishes, which included a premade pesto chicken salad from Kroger. Needless to say, I was intrigued! I confess that I am not a huge chicken salad girlie, however this pesto chicken salad was so flavorful and delicious – I immediately wanted to see if I could recreate it myself!
Fast forward to this week – Kyle was gone on a work trip, and I was feeling particularly lazy, so I picked up a rotisserie chicken for dinner. The following night, with a leftover rotisserie chicken all to myself, I knew my time had come to try out this recipe! I simply picked the meat off, shredded it up and mixed it with pesto and some other ingredients that I had on hand. It could not have been simpler and more delicious. Served alongside a few freshly salted tomato slices, I think I have discovered the perfect summertime meal!
What You’ll Need to Make This Basil Pesto Chicken Salad
Rotisserie Chicken: You can really use any kind of chicken meat to make this dish! I love using a store-bough rotisserie chicken so the work is done for me, but you could also cook your own chicken breasts or thighs and shred them, or purchase pre-shredded chicken if you want to simplify even further.
Basil Pesto: A good basil pesto contributes to the main flavor profile of this chicken salad! I used a store-bought jar from Aldi, which I pretty much always have in my fridge, but you could of course make your own as well.
Greek yogurt & Mayonnaise: My usual gripe with ordinary chicken salad is too much mayonnaise, so I prefer to let the Greek yogurt do the heavy lifting, plus it’s healthier! I did still add a small amount of mayonnaise as well for some flavor and texture.
Fresh Basil & Lemon Juice: Although there is obviously basil in the pesto, I think adding a little bit of chopped basil really makes this dish taste super fresh, along with a squeeze of lemon juice!
Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Salt & pepper: These simple seasonings add big flavor to this chicken salad!
How to Make Basil Pesto Chicken Salad
Simply shred the chicken meat and combine all of the ingredients in a bowl! It seriously could not be easier — unless you purchase pre-shredded chicken – in which case, it could!
Basil Pesto Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- rotisserie chicken shredded
- 1/3 cup basil pesto
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp basil leaves chopped
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- salt & pepper to taste
- basil leaves optional – for garnish
- tomato slices optional – for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, shred rotisserie chicken meat using two forks or your (clean) hands.
- Add pesto, Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, chopped basil, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper, and stir until well combined.
- Serve immediately or store in refrigerator for 2-3 days!
