• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Confessions of a Baking Queen logo
  • About
    • Contact
  • All Recipes
    • St. Patrick's Day
    • British Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Desserts
      • Bars
      • Breads
      • Brownies
      • Caramel
      • Cakes
      • Chocolate
      • Confections
      • Cheesecakes
      • Cookies
      • Cupcakes
      • Custards & Puddings
      • Creme Brûlée
      • Lemon
      • Peanut Butter
      • Pies & Tarts
      • Frostings
      • Scones
    • Appetizers
    • Drinks
    • Egg Free
    • Gluten Free
    • Spring
    • Fall
    • Summer
  • Desserts
    • Cookies
    • Cakes
    • Bars
    • Cheesecakes
  • Shop
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • All Recipes
    • Recipe Search
    • Recipe Index
  • Chocolate
  • Cakes
  • Cookies
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • All Recipes
      • Recipe Search
      • Recipe Index
    • Chocolate
    • Cakes
    • Cookies
    • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Savory Dishes

    Light Pesto Chicken Salad

    By Elizabeth Waterson // Mar 17, 2014 (Updated Oct 25, 2025) // 2 Comments

    Jump to Recipe·Leave a Review
    This post may contain affiliate links, which may pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Confessions of a Baking Queen!

    377 shares
    pesto chicken salad in a small bowl

    Chicken, Pesto, Greek Yogurt, Spinach, Tomatoes, and a little parm make this Light Pesto Chicken Salad Recipe served on romaine lettuce the perfect lunch! 

    overhead shot of Pesto Chicken Salad on lettuce on a tan plate on a white wood background

    Happy St. Paddy's Day!! I can't wait for it to be Tuesday already. Well really I cannot wait for Thursday cuz I am taking the day off. Paddy's is a HUGE BUSY day at work for me, working a British Pub all the "Irish" people come out of the woodwork for a grand ol time! We don't serve any green beer we stick to the traditional real stuff,- Corned Beef & Cabbage, Irish Stew, Bailey's, Tullamore Dew.. you know the real stuff.

    white, pink, and black bowl of pesto chicken salad on a white wooden surface

    I have been doing pilates and walking which seems to help me. But the other day I made Lemon Creme Brulee & Vanilla Bean Cheesecake so naturally, I needed something to break up the creamy dreamy richness. Light pesto chicken salad for lunch.

    I could not have dreamed this to be better. I seriously fell in love.

    ingredients for a lightened up pesto chicken salad in a large clear bowl on a white wood background

    I even ate this on romaine lettuce leaves instead of bread because it was that AWESOME! And I would rather add parmesan cheese then sandwich bread. So this is a new favorite lunch, I've already had it three times since I made the first batch. Obsessive much? I know.

    pesto chicken salad in a large clear bowl on a white wood background

    More Chicken Recipes

    • Curried Chicken Recipe
    • Easy way to cook chicken for salads and pies
    • Crockpot Salsa Chicken

    ★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

    Make sure to join our Newsletter and follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.

    Print

    Recipe Card

    clockclock iconcutlerycutlery iconflagflag iconfolderfolder iconinstagraminstagram iconpinterestpinterest iconfacebookfacebook iconprintprint iconsquaressquares iconheartheart iconheart solidheart solid icon
    white, pink, and black bowl of pesto chicken salad on a white wooden surface

    Pesto Chicken Salad

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    No reviews

    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Chicken, Pesto, Greek Yogurt, Spinach, Tomatoes and a little parm make this Light Pesto Chicken Salad Recipe served on romaine lettuce the perfect lunch!

    • Total Time: 25 minutes
    • Yield: 3 servings 1x

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 3 tbsp EVOO
    • 1 garlic clove, minced
    • 2 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
    • Salt & Pepper to taste
    • ⅓ cup greek yogurt
    • ¼ cup pesto, homemade or store-bought- try my Easy Walnut Pesto Recipe or Classic Basil Pesto
    • ½ cup baby tomatoes, diced
    • ¼ cup spinach
    • ¼ cup parmesan cheese
    • Romain lettuce leaves or any kind of bread

    Instructions

    1. In a frying pan over medium heat place 3 tablespoon olive oil add garlic and chicken breast, season with salt and pepper, cook until no pink remains. Take off of heat and shred chicken. Place in freezer for 5 minutes to cool off quickly. Scoop garlic out of olive oil and set aside.
    2. In a large bowl combine shredded chicken, garlic, greek yogurt, pesto, baby tomatoes, spinach and parmesan cheese. Mix until just combined, no white streaks remain. Cover and let marinate in fridge for 30 minutes.
    3. Serve on romaine lettuce leaves or bread.
    • Author: Elizabeth Waterson
    • Prep Time: 15 minutes
    • Cook Time: 10
    • Category: Lunch
    • Method: Cook
    • Cuisine: American

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @confessionsofabakingqueen on Instagram and hashtag it #cbqbakes

    Recipe Card powered byTasty Recipes

    Explore Recipes

    Savory Dishes

    More Savory Dish Recipes

    • bowl of chicken mulligatawny soup on a light surface with a white and orange linen
      British-Style Chicken Mulligatawny Soup (Comforting & Flavorful)
    • classic basil pesto in a small bowl on a light surface with a blue linen
      Classic Basil Pesto
    • roasted salmon with a cucumber salad on a white speckeld plate with a fork and a glass of wine in the background on a grey surface
      Flaky, Buttery Salmon That Melts in Your Mouth
    • half eaten tomato sandwich on a white plate
      Tomato Sandwich

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a comment & rate this recipe Cancel reply

      If you love this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating ⭐ when you post a comment. Star ratings help people discover my recipes online. I am incredibly grateful for your support! —xx Liz

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Hurom says

      March 06, 2019 at 9:39 am

      This recipe looks amazing. I just tried a chicken skewer recipe the other day that included a pesto-yogurt sauce and it was fantastic. Have to give this one a try this weekend.

      Reply
      • Elizabeth says

        March 06, 2019 at 3:54 pm

        Thank you Hurom- I hope you enjoy it!! Please let me know!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    elizabeth mixing frosting

    Hiya! I am Elizabeth Waterson, welcome to my treat-filled site. After spending 15 years in the restaurant industry and growing up baking, I wanted to share my love of baking with you all. My step-by-step tutorials will help you learn how to bake at home. Confessions of a Baking Queen (CBQ) has been featured in CBS LA, HuffPost Taste, BuzzFeed, Taste of Home, and more! Here you will find loads of sweet recipes with a few savory ones for good measure. Feel free to message me with any questions! Happy Baking! 

    More about me →

    Summer Favorites

    • A slice of creamy cheesecake with a graham cracker crust, topped with bright yellow lemon curd and whipped cream, sits on a white plate. A fork holds a bite of cheesecake in the foreground, with lemons in the background.
      No Bake Lemon Cheesecake (with Sour Cream)
    • chocolate peanut butter rice krispy treats on a white surface.
      Super Chocolatey Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats
    • up close of blackberry layer cake on a cake stand.
      Blackberry Cake
    • cut open s'mores cheesecake on a white plate on a light brown surface.
      S'mores Cheesecake (Campfire-Inspired Delight)
    • close up of strawberry cheesecake ice cream cone.
      Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
    • hand holding a slice of zucchini banana bread up to the camera.
      Garden Zucchini Meets Banana Bread
    • strawberry milkshake with whipped cream and a berries in a tall glass with a red and white straw on a light surface.
      Strawberry Milkshake
    • slice of strawberry pie with whipped cream on top on a white plate on a blue linen on a grey surface
      Fresh Strawberry Pie (No Jello Needed)
    • up close of Biscoff cookie dipped into smores dip in an cast iron skillet.
      S'mores Dip
    • s'mores cookies on a light surface with marshmallows and graham cracker crumbs.
      S'mores Cookies
    • An Oreo milkshake with a straw, topped with whipped cream and an Oreo and surrounded by Oreos.
      Oreo Milkshake
    • golden oreo cake batter pie cut open in a light purple pie dish on a white marble surface
      Golden Oreo Cake Batter Ice Cream Pie

    Featured

    featured in confessions of a baking queen

    Footer

    Join the CBQ Community

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates
    • Join our Community on Social Media
    • Instagram, Facebook & Pinterest

    Check Out Google Web Stories

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • About Elizabeth
    • Contact

    Resources

    • The Best Baking Tools
    • Cheesecake Recipes
    • Brownie Recipes
    • Cake Recipes
    • Shop My Favorite Products & Tools

    ↑ back to top

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for supporting Confessions of a Baking Queen.

    Copyright © 2026 Confessions of a Baking Queen

    • 15
    377 shares