Let Me Tell You How This Chicken Salad Became My Go-To

So, picture this: it’s late afternoon, I’ve just come home from work, and I’m absolutely ravenous, but all I see in my fridge is leftover rotisserie chicken, a tub of cottage cheese (honestly, I keep buying those thinking I’ll up my protein, but sometimes they languish!), and a lonely celery stalk. That’s how this high protein cottage cheese chicken salad was born. I was out of mayo (as usual), and it turned out that swapping in cottage cheese made for a much lighter and, dare I say, tastier result! My husband said he didn’t miss the mayo one bit—which coming form him, is high praise. There was one time, though, I tried to jazz it up with too much Dijon… big mistake. Dijon is a little like me at 2am: a little goes a very long way.

High Protein Cottage Cheese Chicken Salad

Why I Think You’ll Love This Chicken Salad

I make this when I need something filling that isn’t going to knock me out by 3pm (or shock my waistband). My family actually requests this salad on busy weeks—probably because it doesn’t taste “diet” at all. The cottage cheese keeps it creamy, but not heavy, and, oh, if you hate dry chicken, this’ll fix that right up! There’s something about the tang you get. Plus, if you’re as easily bored by salads as I am, trust me: this one’s different. (Except for that one time when I dumped in way too much garlic powder and couldn’t taste anything else. Oops.)

Here’s What You’ll Need (With a Few Swaps!)

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded or diced (rotisserie is my usual lazy move, but grilled is lovely too)
1 cup cottage cheese (I usually go with 2%, but full-fat is creamier—your call)
2 celery stalks, chopped (if you hate celery, cucumber’s not bad in a pinch)
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced (sometimes I cheat and use scallions instead if that’s what’s around)
1/2 cup seedless red grapes, halved (my grandmother swore by apples, and she might be right)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise (optional, but I throw a spoon in when I’m feeling indulgent)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (don’t channel my past mistakes—go light!)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or dill, or nothing if you forgot to buy herbs, honestly it’s fine)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh is best, but bottled is fine in the real world)

How To Make It—In My Own Slightly Scatterbrained Way

In a biggish bowl (I always start too small, learn form me), dump in your cottage cheese, lemon juice, Dijon, and mayo (if you’re going that way). Give it a good stir until it looks a bit like a weird dip—don’t fret, it comes good.
Toss in your chicken, celery, red onion, and grapes. Stir gently so you don’t totally annihilate the grapes (speaking from bitter experience, they squish fast).
Add parsley, salt, and pepper. Taste a bit now—this is where I start eating with the mixing spoon—and adjust the seasoning or lemon if you want more zing.
Pop the bowl in the fridge for at least 30 minutes if you can wait. But honestly, if people are hungry, just dig in.
Give it a final stir before serving. Scoop onto toast, wrap in lettuce leaves, or just eat straight out of the bowl. No judgment here.

A Few Things I’ve Figured Out By Messing Up

If the cottage cheese feels a bit too lumpy and that’s not your jam, blitz it with an immersion blender first. Or don’t. It’s really fine either way.
Sweeter grapes really do matter. I tried it once with sour ones and, well, no thank you.
This salad holds up EXCELLENTLY for meal prep—but beware: the onion flavor intensifies overnight. Sometimes I regret adding extra.

Swaps, Substitutions, and the One That Failed

Once, I replaced chicken with canned tuna. Didn’t love it—too fishy with cottage cheese, but maybe you’re braver than I am.
Chopped pecans or walnuts sprinkled in can add a nice crunch—sometimes I get fancy with almonds, but that’s only when I haven’t eaten them all while cooking.
You can swap grapes for dried cranberries, but reduce the amount or it’s too sweet (trust me, my kids had a field day laughing at that batch).

What You Might Need (Or Not)

Large mixing bowl (I mean, an old soup pot works if you’re desperate)
Chopping board and knife
Spoon for mixing (sometimes I just use my clean hands, don’t tell anyone)
Measuring cups—or just eyeball it, we’re not baking here!

How Long Will It Keep?

If you miraculously don’t eat it all, it’s good in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. But honestly, in my house, it rarely makes it past one afternoon (my partner once ate the whole lot with a spoon while ‘just tasting’).

How We Like to Eat This (Feel Free to Copy Me)

I love it on toast for lunch—it’s almost like an open-face sandwich, but less fussy. My brother likes it rolled up in lettuce leaves (which looks nice for parties, but honestly, I just eat it out the bowl with crackers sometimes. Don’t judge till you try it.)

Stuff I Learned The Hard Way

Don’t rush the fridge step! I once tried serving it right away, and the flavors hadn’t mingled yet—super disappointing.
Chop everything fairly small. The first time mine was like a chicken-celery wrestling match, not fun to eat.
Actually, onion can overpower if you add too much. Start small; you can always toss in more.

Answering the Real-Life Questions I Get

Can I use Greek yogurt instead of cottage cheese?
You can, but it won’t be as creamy—and it’s a tad tangier. I prefer cottage cheese, but if you’re out, go for it!
Is this good for meal prep?
Absolutely, though on day three it’s probably not winning any beauty contests. Still tastes great.
My cottage cheese is pretty watery. Help?
Just drain off the liquid first (I use a sieve, but a slotted spoon’ll do in a pinch). Thicker is better here.
Can you freeze this salad?
I really wouldn’t recommend it. The texture goes all funny; I tried once and ended up with a sad, soggy mess.
Any way to make it spicy?
Add a pinch of cayenne or a splash of hot sauce. Or don’t! Totally up to you.

Oh, and by the way, if you find yourself with leftover grapes, freeze them. They make the most fun summer snacks—definitely not related to chicken salad but hey, you’re welcome.

Olivia Coleman

High Protein Cottage Cheese Chicken Salad: Easy Homemade Guide