Easy Chicken Salad in Lettuce Wraps
Easy Chicken Salad in Lettuce Wraps is a quick and easy meal-prep must. It’s light and refreshing with fresh grapes, lemon, cucumber, and apple chunks. A Whole30, Paleo and Gluten-free lunch.
I think it’s universal when I say chicken salad is loved by everyone. At least, I have yet to find anyone who says otherwise. A good easy chicken salad recipe is coming at you today! This Easy Chicken Salad in Lettuce Wraps is a refreshing and light tasting recipe. With the fresh grapes and cucumber adding crispness and the apple adding sweetness and the fresh lemon adding a little zest, you’re going to be dreaming about this chicken salad in your sleep!
PREPPING THE CHICKEN:
There are a couple of ways to prep the chicken for this recipe. Here are 3 ways:
(1) Leftover Chicken. At some point or another, we all have leftover chicken in the fridge. Whether you’ve just made a whole chicken or made One-Pan Cranberry Orange Chicken. Grab that leftover chicken and transform it into Easy Chicken Salad in Lettuce Wraps.
(2) Canned Chicken. If you follow me on Instagram, you will know that I am ‘slightly’ obsessed with canned chicken. I always buy a couple of packs when at Sam’s Club just to have it on hand for quick and easy toss together meals. It’s such a great source of lean protein! Plus the one from Sam’s Club has no preservatives and is actually Whole30-friendly!
(3) Bake Chicken. If you don’t have leftover chicken or canned chicken, quickly toss some chicken breasts into the oven and bake them! All you have to do it line a baking sheet with tin foil, place the raw chicken breasts on the tin foil, sprinkle with a little sea salt and pepper, then place another piece of tin foil on top and roll the edges of the top and bottom foil together. Bake the chicken at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until it’s cooked through.
ADDING IT ALL TOGETHER:
In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. Stir and fold together until all the chicken and fruits and veggies are well coated with the sauce. Take the freshly washed and dried lettuce leaf ‘boats’ and fill with a few spoonfuls of the prepared chicken salad. Serve!
OR
Refrigerate in a covered container until well chilled and then serve.
MEAL PREP MUST:
Looking for an easy meal prep recipe for all your quick grab-n-go lunches? This Easy Chicken Salad in Lettuce Wraps is it! When using leftover chicken or canned chicken, this recipe takes only 15 minutes to whip together. One batch and you’ll have your lunches ready for the entire work week! Since I work from home, I don’t have to prep my lunches ready to eat at the office, but I am a macro counter (working toward all those powerlifting gains in the gym!) and having my meals weighed and put into containers ahead of time is a LIFESAVER! It saves time in the kitchen each day (it’s tough taking the time to weigh all your food as you’re hungry!) and it helps me stay on track with my macros.
HOW TO PACK IT:
When it comes to packing your lunches ahead of time, easy is best! Let’s not overcomplicate things here!
STEP ONE:
Make the Easy Chicken Salad in Lettuce Wraps
STEP TWO:
In a bento box or a compartment container evenly divide the chicken salad out. One compartment for the chicken salad and one compartment for the leaf lettuce. Placing the chicken salad IN the lettuce beforehand will result in limp lettuce if left that way for more than a day.
STEP THREE:
Put the lid on the bento boxes and place the filled containers in the fridge. Your lunches are successfully packed for the week!
- 3 cups chicken, shredded or cubed
- 1/2 cup red grapes, sliced
- 1/2 cup apples, diced
- 1/2 cup cucumber, diced
- 2 Tbsp sunflower seeds
- 4-6 scallions, diced
- 1/2 cup mayo (read ingredient list for Whole30 or Paleo friendly)
- 1 lemon, freshly squeezed
- 1 tsp dill weed
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 6 large romaine lettuce leaves, (washed and dried)
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In a large mixing bowl combine the chicken, grapes, apples, cucumber, and scallions. Stir together.
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In a small bowl, combine the mayo, fresh lemon juice, dill weed, sea salt, and onion powder. Whisk together.
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Pour the dressing into the large mixing bowl and stir to evenly coat all ingredients with dressing.
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In each romaine lettuce leaf 'boat' add 2-3 scoops of chicken salad to the center of the leaf. Roll sides of lettuce in to the middle and serve.
Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Read notes in post about how to pack this recipe for on-the-go lunches.
