Chicken salad! If you are a fan, you have come to the right place. And we are here to tell you that you can enjoy the most spectacular chicken salads, even while on the Elimination Phase of the low FODMAP diet.
We have the best low FODMAP chicken salad recipes for you, from classic to creative. You’ll find low calorie chicken salad, dairy-free chicken salad, low fat chicken salad, fruity chicken salad, curried chicken salad, high protein chicken salad, and forget just thinking about chicken salad as a sandwich! We have chicken salads worthy of a main dish, too. Even for dinner.
What Is Chicken Salad?
There was a time that many of us thought chicken salad was just cooked chicken, mayonnaise, and maybe salt and pepper. BORING! Especially when it was that super smooth, paste-like texture you might find in a bad deli or cafeteria.
We are here to tell you that chicken salad is also much more! We can’t wait to show you how easy it is to make homemade chicken salad, and how much variety there is!
And as far as the question, “is chicken salad low FODMAP?”, the answer is yes! We have many recipes for you!
- What Is Chicken Salad?
- Grab A Low FODMAP Rotisserie Chicken
- Are Commercially Prepared Rotisserie Chickens Low FODMAP?
- Another Example of a Prepared Low FODMAP Chicken Option
- Costco & Trader Joe’s Cooked Chicken Options
- Choice of Wording Counts
- Will I Tolerate Commercially Prepared Rotisserie Chickens?
- Cooking Chicken for Chicken Salad
- Let’s Dive Into Low FODMAP Chicken Salad Recipes!
- What To Eat With Chicken Salad
Grab A Low FODMAP Rotisserie Chicken
You need chicken for chicken salad, but that doesn’t mean you have to cook it yourself. You can, of course, and we have tips for that approach below, but first, let’s discuss how easy it is for you by starting with a low FODMAP rotisserie chicken.
Many supermarkets, and even big box stores, like Costco, have rotisserie chickens, but are they low FODMAP? Will you tolerate these purchased rotisserie chickens. These are different questions, and we will address them separately.
You might like to check out our article, Rotisserie Chicken: The Magic Ingredient for 18 Quick and Easy Low FODMAP Meals.
Are Commercially Prepared Rotisserie Chickens Low FODMAP?
You can find commercially prepared rotisserie chickens that are low FODMAP, and of course, preparations vary, and you have to read labels.
Many stores offer a “plain” chicken, which might be called “Plain”, “Classic”, or “Traditional”, and then will also have flavored ones such as “Teriyaki”, or “Herb”, and the like. For simplicity we always suggest sticking with the plain. Especially since you will be using the chicken in a recipe where you will be adding low FODMAP seasonings of your choice.
Costco chickens are considered low FODMAP, and we suggest you give them a try. They are $4.99 and the price hasn’t changed in years (some say since 2009)!
How To Tell If a Commercially Prepared Rotisserie Chicken Is Low FODMAP?
All pure proteins contain no FODMAPs, so it comes down to the seasonings as to whether the chicken is low FODMAP or not. One important point to remember is that the diet is low FODMAP, not no FODMAP, so there can be high FODMAP ingredients in very small amounts in a food, and it can be considered worth a try.
Many supermarkets offer rotisserie chicken, and you have to become an ace label reader. We will use Costco as an example, as they are a popular rotisserie chicken, and readily accessible here in the U.S.
The Costco rotisserie chicken label lists: whole chicken, water, and seasonings (salt, sodium phosphate, modified food starch, potato dextrin, carrageenan, sugar, dextrose, spice extractives).
Unfortunately, Costco will not share what is in their “spice extractives,” but don’t fret!
According to the USDA guidelines per the Code of Federal Regulations Title 9. 317.2, whole, broken or ground garlic and onion must be declared on the food label and cannot be hidden under the word “spices”. Therefore, garlic and onion will be declared on a food label.
Our Monash University trained Registered Dietitians consider foods that have 2% or less of high FODMAP ingredients to be worth trying, even during Elimination.
There is more information in our article, How to Read a FDA Nutrition Facts Label.
In addition, when ingredients are 2% or less, they typically will not trigger IBS symptoms, in most people. Our Monash University trained Registered Dietitians consider foods that have 2% or less of high FODMAP ingredients to be worth trying, even during Elimination.
While the “spice extractives” do not say 2% or less on the Costco chicken, they are the last ingredient, and in very small amounts. It always helps to remember that the diet is “low” FODMAP, not “no” FODMAP. Small amounts of high FODMAP ingredients can be found even in lab tested certified low FODMAP foods.
Please read our article, How To Decipher “Natural Flavors” & “Spices” on Food Labels for the Low FODMAP Diet.
In addition, for those interested, Costco chickens are gluten-free. Some rotisserie chickens contain wheat flour; again, always read labels.
Another Example of a Prepared Low FODMAP Chicken Option
Trader Joe’s has low FODMAP options, too, listed below. Here are the ingredients for the Grilled Chicken Breast, which is considered low FODMAP: Cooked chicken breast, water, Contains 2% or less of vinegar flavor, salt, natural flavor. Try it for a grilled chicken salad!
You might be interested in our Trader Joe’s Shopping List, curated by a Monash University trained Registered Dietitian.
Costco & Trader Joe’s Cooked Chicken Options
The following Costco and Trader Joe’s products are considered low FODMAP. Look for similar products in your stores, reading labels as you go. All of these can help you whip up a healthy chicken salad in no time!
Costco has:
- Hand Pulled Rotisserie Chicken Breast Meat
- Fresh Additions Full Cooked Chicken Breast Bites
- Costco Grilled Chicken Strips
- Grilled to Go Chicken Bites
Trader Joe’s has:
- Grilled Chicken Strips
- Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken
- Grilled Chicken Breast
Choice of Wording Counts
Please note that when we say something is “considered low FODMAP”, that does not mean we guarantee 100% that it is. The product would have to be lab tested to know for sure. What this wording means, is that our Monash University trained team of Registered Dietitians and recipe developers believes, to the best of their ability, and referencing their clinical experience, that an item is unlikely to trigger FODMAP IBS symptoms in most people.
Tolerance to FODMAPs is highly individual and can be determined by moving through structured Elimination and Challenge Phases.
Will I Tolerate Commercially Prepared Rotisserie Chickens?
The question of whether you will tolerate something is separate from whether something is suspected – or even proven to be – low FODMAP.
Individual ingredients and prepared foods that are listed in the Monash University app and FODMAP Friendly app as low FODMAP can still trigger symptoms in some people. This is just how it goes with FODMAP tolerance. It is highly individual.
What this means is that all anyone can do, with a food that is not lab tested, is to make recommendations on the likelihood of FODMAP tolerance, or not. Your experience might be different.
Our article, Ask The Right Question: Is It Low FODMAP or Can I Tolerate This? dives into this further.
Cooking Chicken for Chicken Salad
If you want to cook chicken yourself for chicken salad, you have loads of choices. Poached chicken will yield a very moist result, while grilling can add flavor with its smoky overtones.
You can also choose from white meat, or dark, or use a combination! Most people think of white breast meat when it comes to chicken salads, but we think dark meat has more flavor and moisture. It’s your choice!
You can use any low FODMAP chicken recipe. Here are a few we suggest, which are excellent for making chicken salad:
- Low FODMAP Orange Rosemary Roast Chicken
- Low FODMAP Whole Roast Chicken & Vegetables
- Low FODMAP Whole Roasted Curry Chicken (for curried chicken salads!)
- Spatchcocked Chicken
If you want to poach skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs, we like seasoning the water as we would when making chicken soup. Throw a chopped carrot in there, maybe a low FODMAP portion of celery, a few black peppercorns, a small bay leaf, and some parsley stems. Poach gently, cool, and chop or shred for your chicken recipe. (Get in there with your hands to shred for a pulled chicken salad!)
Let’s Dive Into Low FODMAP Chicken Salad Recipes!
We have chicken salads that are fantastic for sandwiches, to eat as a salad on a plate with greens, as well as low FODMAP chicken salads that can function as a main dish.
- Low FODMAP Chicken Salad with Grapes & Almonds
- Low FODMAP Chicken Salad with Cranberries & Pecans
- Low FODMAP Green Goddess Chicken Salad
- Low FODMAP Asian-Style Chicken Salad
- Low FODMAP Chopped BBQ Chicken Salad
- Low FODMAP Chopped Chicken Caesar Salad
- Low FODMAP Chicken Salad with Gruyere, Green Beans, Tomatoes & Basil
- Low FODMAP Chicken Papaya Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing
- Low FODMAP Spinach Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing, Chicken, Blue Cheese & Strawberries
- Low FODMAP Mediterranean Pasta Salad
What To Eat With Chicken Salad
Hopefully we have expanded your idea of what chicken salad is – and it is so much more than a boring deli salad slapped between two slices of bread. What you eat alongside your chicken salad will of course depend on which recipe you choose, but here are some recipes and article links that will help you round out your perfect chicken salad meal.
- Low FODMAP Potato Salad with Hardboiled Eggs
- Asian-Style Slaw
- How To Choose Low FODMAP Bread
- Make the best egg salad with our Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs
- Leafy Green Salad
- No FODMAP Fruit Salad
- Grab some tortilla chip, potato chips or low FODMAP pretzels
- 13 Summer Low FODMAP Potato Salads, Pasta Salads & Slaws To Bring To A Party
