Alton Brown Upgrades Chicken Salad With This Protein-Packed Food

Chicken salad is an American classic, and it's been showing up at picnics and family gatherings since the 19^th century. Celebrity chef Alton Brown adds his own twist to this beloved recipe by replacing traditional mayo with Greek yogurt for a Mediterranean-inspired chicken salad that gives it an added boost of protein. The simple recipe has three steps and yields up to six servings, making it easy and ideal for feeding a crowd, too.

Alton Brown first gained national attention in 1999 when he appeared on The Food Network's popular show, "Good Eats." Since then, he's developed a loyal fan following for dressing up familiar recipes and turning them into something special. And chicken salad is no exception. Brown's Greek chicken salad blends smooth, tangy Greek yogurt with ingredients like lemon, parsley, and olives for a flavor-forward chicken salad dish that anyone can make at home. Feta cheese and onion add to the flavor profile; the result is a unique dish loaded with savory, tangy flavors that still manages to taste familiar.

Brown's Greek chicken salad recipe calls for one pound of chicken, which is roughly 26 grams of protein per serving when split four ways. Greek yogurt boosts the recipe's protein content by another 10 grams (compare that to mayo, which has just one gram of protein for the same serving size).

Chicken salad is an extremely versatile recipe, and while its foundation has stayed the same for the last century and a half (chicken and mayo), today's chefs and home cooks love to put a spin on this iconic favorite with fresh new ingredients. Whether you're adding extra protein by including Greek yogurt in the mix or eating it the old-fashioned way, the options are limitless. Popular additions include chopped walnuts or almonds (which also add a few grams of protein), dried or fresh fruit, and garden-fresh herbs. Serving it cold may be traditional, but warm chicken salad offers a comforting twist for something different.

Celebrity chef Ree Drummond, known to many as the Pioneer Woman, has her own secret ingredient for chicken salad. First, she adds lemon juice to her recipe to cut through some of the mayo's richness. Then, to balance the lemon's acidity, she adds a little brown sugar. Brown sugar enhances the salad's sweetness a bit and balances out the flavors of the dish.

Waldorf chicken salad, perhaps one of the most recognizable chicken salad recipes, adds crunch by incorporating crisp apples and diced celery. For added sweetness, Waldorf chicken salad also includes juicy purple grapes, while chopped onion keeps it interesting.