Today I’m sharing a lighter recipe that you can feel good about eating – Mayo-Free Honey, Pomegranate, Pecan Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps!
I’ve had the combo of chopped chicken tossed with sweet-tart pomegranate seeds, crispy green onions, and buttery pecans smothered in a cool and creamy honey-Dijon-spiked Greek yogurt dressing, then stuffed into fresh lettuce leaves, on my mind for months now and thought this would be the perfect time to share it.
If your holidays are anything like my family’s, they’re brimming with rich and indulgent foods that are more than great-tasting. They’re tradition! Since they only make an appearance two or three times a year I don’t feel a bit guilty savoring all my favorites. The next day though? Totally craving something light and healthy, like these chicken salad lettuce wraps.
Sweet and tart, creamy and crunchy, fresh and light – they are awesome. Better yet, the chicken salad mix stays good for 3-4 days afterwards so you can enjoy lettuce wraps for lunch all week long. PLUS this dish would be perfect to use leftover Thanksgiving turkey in. It’s a simple turkey for chicken swap!
I’m a firm believer in eating with our eyes first, and this colorful combination of red and green is so inviting. Packed with protein and satisfying flavors – you’ve got to give this recipe a try this holiday season!
Start by cooking 1 large chicken breast (this recipe will serve 1-2 but is easily scalable to feed more.) You could use fresh or leftover sauteed, grilled, or rotisserie chicken, though I almost always prefer poaching chicken for chicken salad. All you’ll need to do is drop the chicken into a pot of boiling, salted water for about 10 minutes or until cooked through. When it’s cool enough to handle, chop it up!
Meanwhile, make the mayo-free dressing for the chicken salad. I don’t have a huge aversion to mayonnaise, I just really like this dressing made with cool and creamy Greek yogurt accented with a drizzle of honey. Add 4oz plain Greek yogurt, 2-1/2 teaspoons honey, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and plenty of salt and pepper to a large bowl then mix to combine.
Next get the other ingredients ready, starting with 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds or arils. I think I was 26 or 27 the first time I ever had a fresh pomegranate. They just weren’t around a whole lot growing up, and it’s really only been in the last four or five years that they’ve become a grocery store staple in the fall and wintertime.
If you’re in the same boat I 100% encourage you to give them a try sometime. Pomegranate seeds are like little culinary jewels vacuum-packed with sweet-tart juice, and are higher in antioxidants than red wine and green tea. Love ’em! Trader Joe’s and Costco sell pomegranate seeds out of the fruit, but if you can’t find them, or want to save a few bucks (they can be pretty pricey) I’ll show you how to seed a pomegranate yourself.
Start by picking a pomegranate with a deep red hue that’s largely unblemished (though a few scuff marks are fine,) and is heavy for its size. Pick a few up and you’ll be able to tell which ones are heavier than others. Wash the pomegranate then use a sharp knife to cut halfway down the fruit through the blossom end. Tuck your thumbs inside the cut then pry the two halves apart. I like this partial cut method vs cutting all the way through as it preserves more seeds and prevents the juice from seeping out everywhere.
(FYI don’t wear white when handling pomegranates as the juice can stain!)
Partially cut each half using the same method to create quarters. Isn’t this just the prettiest sight you’ve ever seen?
Now it’s time to get all those juicy seeds out! There are a few popular methods for de-seeding a pomegranate, but the following is my tried and true method which produces zero mess and only takes about 5 minutes total.
Fill a large bowl with cold water then submerge one of the pomegranate quarters inside and use your fingers to pop the seeds out (they should loosen easily.) Do the same with the remaining three quarters then scoop out any pith that rises to the top.
Give the seeds a good rinse while picking out any pieces of pith that you might have missed, then you’re set!
Each medium-sized pomegranate should yield about 1-1/2 cups pomegranate seeds. They are FABULOUS when sprinkled onto salads, oatmeal, yogurt, or just popped like skittles. You can even use them to make fresh pomegranate juice!
For this recipe they’re combined with a cast of savory characters including the aforementioned chicken plus 1/4 cup pecans halves that have been roughly chopped, and 1 chopped green onion.
Add the ingredients to the honey-Greek yogurt dressing then mix until everything is well coated.
Finally, prep the lettuce wraps. I adore butterhead lettuce for wraps. I’ve used them before for my Kung Pao Chicken Lettuce Wraps and Thai Steak Lettuce Wraps because they’re the perfect size for a 3-4 bite handheld lettuce wrap. That said, if you can’t find this type of lettuce around you, use regular iceberg, Boston bibb, or even endive instead!
Scoop the chicken salad onto the lettuce leaves, garnish with a few fresh pomegranate seeds, then enjoy!
Honey, Pomegranate, Pecan Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps (Mayo-Free!)
Ingredients
- 1 large chicken breast 7-8oz, cooked then chopped or shredded
- 1/4 cup fresh pomegranate seeds plus more for garnish
- 1/4 cup pecan halves roughly chopped
- 1 green onion chopped
- 4 oz plain Greek yogurt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- salt and pepper
- Butterhead lettuce leaves or any other lettuce with a big leaf
Instructions
- Combine Greek yogurt, honey, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a large bowl then stir to combine.
- Add chicken, pomegranate seeds, chopped pecans, and green onion then mix to combine. Taste then adjust salt and pepper if necessary, and then scoop into lettuce leaves and serve.
Notes
- This chicken salad will keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Nutrition
Honey, Pomegranate, Pecan Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps are TOTAL feel good food! Chicken salad is such a popular lunch-time staple but I really thing the addition of juicy pomegranate seeds and a drizzle of honey gives this version a little somethin’ somethin’ over other versions. Enjoy!
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LouAnn 01.13.2015
found this on pinterest and tried today. OMGoodness – SOOO GOOD! I didn’t have greek yogurt so I substituted with sour cream but kept everything else the same. SUPER GOOD!
Brooke 12.01.2014
I made these over the weekend and they were AMAZING! I love anything with Mayo – chicken salad and potato salad and honestly couldn’t tell these were a healthy version! My new staple :)
Kristin 12.01.2014
Wohoo! Glad to hear, Brooke!
Kasey 11.25.2014
I am hosting a gathering for vegetarians but would like to make these lettuce wraps. Any ideas for a chicken substitue? Avocado??
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Suzy @ The Mediterranean Dish 11.18.2014
Awesome post, Kristin! I am a Mall of America gal myself. Haven’t been shopping there 10 years; only 4 so far :-) Pomegranates are my favorite! I always look for ways to use them. This is the perfect recipe!
AmberLynn Pappas 11.18.2014
While my oldest was still learning new foods (I think he’s tackled almost everything once by now) we tried out pomegranate. My mistake was turning my back for a moment. He had juiced them all over the whole dining room! He was at least 10 feet from the back door, but there was juice there and on the ceiling. It was crazy! Needless to say, another pomegranate has not yet made it back into the house….
Laura 11.18.2014
I came across your blog a couple weeks ago and I love it!! I’m an Iowa Girl too :) I love to make chicken salad and I have always made it with pecans, mayo and grapes but I’m throwing that one out and replacing it with this one. I made this last night and ate it right away and it was delicious. My 4 year old helped me with the pomegranate and she loved it! Thanks so much :)
Rashmi 11.17.2014
Quite a shopping spree!!!
loved the recipe will be surely trying it out!
Malia @ Small Town Girl 11.17.2014
Wow this sounds amazing! I am totally making this for a weekend lunch soon! Yum!
Emily 11.17.2014
GAH! Always the best recipes and ideas -no wonder yours is my fave food blog!
Carrie (This Fit Chick) 11.17.2014
I always forget about lettuce wraps- they are so healthy and fun to make!
Susan 11.17.2014
Yummy and pretty. I spank my pomegranate. You cut in half. Put the cut side down on your palm over a large bowl and spank with a wooden spoon. It works great!
Megan 11.18.2014
Yes! Me too. Kristin you must try this way, it is fast and mess free. There are YouTube videos of this out there.
Kristin 11.18.2014
I have tried it a few times and I cannot for the life of me get it to work! The seeds never come out and I always get juice splatter. Clearly I am doing it wrong!