Low FODMAP Chicken Salad 3 Ways

The recipe of the week is low FODMAP chicken salad. It’s cheap, quick, easy and absolutely delicious. This low FODMAP chicken salad takes 10 minutes to make from start to finish and is packed with flavor.

It’s savory, creamy, and has pops of sweetness from the grapes. I’m showing you 3 fun and different ways you serve up this classic. You can make it ahead of time and keep it refrigerated until it’s ready to eat.

Here’s everything we’ll cover in today’s post:

Ready to make this easy and delicious recipe? Hop on over to the next section.

Shopping List

If you haven’t had chicken salad before, it’s diced or shredded chicken that’s coated in a mayo based dressing and paired grapes. Some recipes may call for nuts, celery or egg. Here’s what I used for this recipe:

• 2 chicken breasts (1 pound chicken breast total)
• 1/2 cup of purple grapes cut in half
• 5 tablespoons of mayo
• 1 tablespoon garlic oil (to cook the chicken)
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 ½ teaspoon yellow mustard

I decided to leave one chicken breast plain and season the other one to add some extra flavor to this low FODMAP chicken salad. This is what I used to season the chicken:

• 1/2 teaspoon of paprika powder
• 1 teaspoon of dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon of dried oregano
• A pinch of salt

How To Make Low FODMAP Chicken Salad

Cut your chicken breast into thin pieces or cubes. You can also leave it whole if you want, that’s what I did. Season your chicken with salt or the spice mix I recommended above.

Add the chicken to a large pan with garlic infused olive oil. Cook the chicken on medium heat for 5 minutes. If whole: cook the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side. Prepare the other ingredients while the chicken cools.

Shred the chicken with a fork if you cooked the breast whole. Cut grapes into halves or quarters and chop parsley. Add all the ingredients into a bowl with the chicken. Toss everything together and season with salt.

Notes & Tips

• Save time and buy pre-cooked shredded chicken from the supermarket. Just make sure the chicken isn’t seasoned to avoid any high FODMAP ingredients. Rotisserie chickens are okay if you remove the skin because that’s where all the seasoning is.
• Make this low FODMAP chicken salad ahead of time or for meal preps.
• Store it in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe.

Now that you’ve got this amazing low FODMAP chicken salad, we can use it 3 different ways for meals or snacks throughout the week.

3 Ways To Serve Low FODMAP Chicken Salad

I loved chicken salad growing up but I learned that grape almond chicken salad was a super weird combination to other people when I moved to Europe. I figured out 3 ways to get skeptics to try this delicious low FODMAP chicken recipe:

1. Lettuce cups chicken salad
2. Grilled chicken salad
3. Loaded baked potato skins

Let’s break down each one of these easy low FODMAP meals:

1. Chicken Salad In Lettuce Cups

I love lettuce cups because they’re an easy way to add more greens into my diet. I’m not very happy with a plate of salad but give me lettuce cups and I’m all set.

Simply fill lettuce cups with a serving of chicken salad and garnish with chives or more parsley. It’s simple, easy, quick, and makes eating salad a little bit more exciting. 

Need a fancier looking chicken salad? Option number two is a deconstructed chicken salad.

2. Grilled Chicken Salad

One way I got skeptical people to try this salad combination is by taking it apart and making it look like a healthy chicken salad recipe. Start by seasoning the chicken breast with paprika, thyme, oregano and salt.

Cook the whole breast on a medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side. Cut into pieces, arrange chicken on a bed of salad with chopped grapes. Make the salad dressing but add 3 tablespoons of garlic oil to thin it out.

Drizzle the low FODMAP salad dressing on the salad when ready to serve and voila!

The third and final way to serve up this easy low FODMAP chicken salad is in loaded potato skins. 

3. Loaded Baked Potato Skins

Who doesn’t love loaded baked potato skins? This is one of my favorite ways to serve chicken salad because it keeps me fuller for longer and it’s also fun to eat. Anything with potatoes is good, right?

You can buy pre-made potato skins that aren’t filled yet and add the salad to it. Make your own low FODMAP potato skins using this recipe if you’re having trouble finding unfilled potato skins in the frozen section of your grocery store.

The next section is for anyone following the IBS low FODMAP diet who’s worried about the FODMAPs in this low FODMAP chicken salad.

Ingredients FODMAP Notes

I’ll cover all the recommended serving sizes for the ingredients in this section. All information below is sourced from Monash University’s App. No two people with IBS are the same. These portion recommendations are based on the research done by Monash. Please consult the app or an IBS certified dietician for personalized diets that suit your body.

Chicken

Chicken is a protein and therefore FODMAP-free. 

Vegan And Regular Mayo

This is one of my favorite gluten free low FODMAP recipes because I almost always have all the ingredients to make this salad. Mayonnaise is one of the key ingredients that’s known to be low FODMAP because it’s made with eggs mixed with lemon juice or vinegar, and oil. 

Mayo is low FODMAP in 2 tablespoons or 40 grams. Make sure to check that your mayo doesn’t have flavorings like onion or garlic powder! This can also be hidden under ‘natural flavors’ and seasonings.

I used Hellman’s vegan mayonnaise but you can use any mayo. Not all vegan mayo is low FODMAP. Make sure to choose oil based mayonnaise and steer clear from vegan mayonnaise made with chickpea water (aquafaba). Aquafaba is a popular vegan ingredient that is a high FODMAP ingredient. 

Mustard

I used regular yellow mustard which is low FODMAP at 1 tablespoon or 23 grams.

More information about mustard, mayo and 9 other condiments here:
Is Mustard Low FODMAP? +9 Other Condiments

Another key ingredient in this salad are grapes! 

Grapes

Grapes add a nice touch of sweetness and make the salad lighter and more refreshing. But are grapes low FODMAP? Initially, grapes were a FODMAP free food but Monash university retested them in 2021 and found that they contained FODMAPs. 

Green, red, or purple grapes are low FODMAP at 6 grapes or 28 grams. Moderate to large servings have excess fructose.

Lemon juice

Lemon juice is low FODMAP at 1/2 a cup or 125 grams. You can use vinegar instead of lemon juice. Click here to read up all about vinegars & FODMAPs.

Parsley

Parsley is a low FODMAP ingredient!

Garlic Infused Olive Oil

Oil is FODMAP free. You can use any type of oil but I used garlic infused oil in this recipe to add some garlic flavor to this salad. 

There’s more than one way to enjoy this salad. The next section of this post is loaded with ideas for substitutes and add-ins to take this salad to another level.

Substitutes & Add-Ins

I’ve had this chicken salad a hundred different ways because so many people make it differently. Here are a few ideas to jazz up this salad:

• Add nuts: chicken salad with grapes and almonds is a common combination. You can swap out the almonds for pine nuts, sunflower seeds, pecans, or walnuts.
• Change the herb: Swap out the parsley for chives, scallions (only the green parts on top), dill, or even cilantro.
• Use different grapes: I used purple grapes but you can use red or green grapes. 
• Choose fancy mustard: Replace yellow mustard with whole grain or dijon mustard. This will change the flavor of your chicken salad. Whole grain mustard will add more texture and dijon mustard will add a spicy kick to the dish!
• Make it vegan: Use shredded and baked oyster mushrooms instead of chicken to make this a vegan salad.

What are some versions of this dish you’ve tried before? I knew a girl in school that had apples in hers! The next part of this post is some questions that’s often asked about this recipe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Have some questions about this dish? Here’s some of the webs frequently asked questions about this low FODMAP chicken salad:

Is This Low FODMAP Chicken Salad Suitable For Other Diets?

Yes! This salad is gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free. It’s not vegan or vegetarian because of the chicken but you can swap out the chicken for shredded cooked oyster mushrooms. It’s a great dish for anyone with IBS or a sensitive digestive system. 

Is Mayonnaise Okay On A Low FODMAP Diet?

Yes, mayonnaise is low FODMAP at 2 tablespoons or 40 grams. Make sure to check the ingredients of your mayo. Some products have hidden garlic and onion under ‘natural flavors’ and ‘seasonings’. Check with the manufacturer or opt for mayonnaise that has no added ingredients.

What Mayonnaise Is Low FODMAP?

Mayonnaise that’s made with eggs, oil, vinegar, salt and sugar is low FODMAP but commercial mayo may contain other ingredients. Check the label before purchasing. There aren’t any certified mayo’s on the market but here are some mayonnaises that have no onion or garlic:

• Lowy’s Low FODMAP Mayonnaise (Available at Tesco UK)
• Cains Mayonnaise (US)
• Best Foods Mayonnaise (US)
• Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise (Worldwide)

If you live on the West Coast, you’ll find Best Foods mayo but if you’re in the east your grocery store might have Hellmann’s instead. They’re the exact same product, same mayo, logo, and company!

I like using this as a salad dressing but finding low FODMAP salad dressings in stores has become easier!

What Kind Of Dressing Is Low FODMAP?

Oil based vinaigrettes are often low FODMAP depending on the other ingredients. You can easily make your own Italian or caesar dressing at home:

• Low FODMAP Italian Dressing
• Low FODMAP Caesar Dressing

You can also buy them here:

1. Fody Foods Garden Herb Salad Dressing 
2. Casa de Sante Essential Oil Balsamic Vinaigrette (sweet orange)
3. Live Free Foods Ranch Dressing 
4. Bays Kitchen Classic French Dressing

Find the 9 low FODMAP salad dressings in this post.

Can You Eat Chicken On A Low FODMAP Diet?

Yes, you can! FODMAPs refer to short chain carbohydrates. Chicken is a protein and therefore FODMAP-free. Enjoy other proteins like beef, pork, chicken, fish, eggs, and firm tofu on a low FODMAP diet.

That’s all from me today, folks. I hope you enjoy this low FODMAP chicken salad and share it with your loved ones. Let me know in the comments below if you’ve got any whacky salad combinations that you stand by!

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