Chicken Salad with Basil

This Chicken Salad with Basil also has grated Parmesan, and this is the salad I think of when basil plants show up in the stores! And personally I think chicken and basil is a perfect flavor combination.

PIN the Chicken Salad with Basil to try it later!

For this week’s Friday Favorites pick I’m reminding you about this amazing Chicken Salad with Basil! This is a recipe you should make as soon as you see basil plants showing up in the grocery store. OR if you have basil growing in your garden, you should make it it all summer long! 

I’m a huge fan of fresh basil, and I’ve been growing basil and freezing the basil for many years, so I’m excited when basil season gets started every year. And this basil-loaded chicken salad recipe is one of my favorite summer salads. Through the years I’ve decided you just can’t ever put too much chopped basil in this salad.

And yes, I used the word SUMMER, but please don’t hesitate to make this salad any time you have chicken and fresh basil on hand! If you have to buy basil in the grocery store you can get away with using less in this recipe. But please try it if you’re a fan of these flavors. I could eat this over and over again and never get tired of it!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• diced cooked chicken, or see notes below to cook the chicken
• mayo
• buttermilk (or milk although I like the tangy flavor from the buttermilk
• green onion
• fresh basil leaves
• coarsely grated Parmesan Cheese
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

If you have to buy fresh basil, here’s how to make it last longer:

If you don’t have a basil plant growing in the window or basil in the garden, you might want to check out how to preserve fresh basil for weeks on the countertop. If you haven’t tried this, I promise you’ll be amazed amazing how long it lasts!

Can you use basil in a tube for the Chicken Salad with Basil?

You might be able to guess I’m not much of a fan of those chopped herbs that come in a tube. But if that’s the best option you have I’m guessing this salad will still be quite tasty using that.

How low in carbs is the Chicken Salad with Basil?

This favorite salad with fresh basil only has 2 net carbs per serving with 23 grams of protein!

More Tips for Cooking with Fresh Basil:

I’m such a fan of basil that I wrote a post about Cooking with Fresh basil. That has all my favorite recipes using basil and ideas for making pesto, making basil vinaigrette, and freezing fresh basil!

How to make Chicken Salad with Basil:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. You can make the salad with leftover rotisserie chicken if you have some.
2. If you’re starting from scratch, trim chicken breasts and cut into thirds lengthwise. I used a mixture of canned chicken broth and water to cook the chicken, combined with 2 teaspoons of Italian Herb Blend(affiliate link). You could use poultry seasoning if you don’t have the Italian blend.
3. When the liquid comes to a boil, add the chicken and cook at the barest simmer until it’s cooked through, about 15 minutes.
4. Drain the chicken into a colander and let it drain very well.
5. Then cut the chicken into cubes about 3/4 inch square.
6. I used Herb Scissors (affiliate link) to cut the basil into thin strips. If you’re using basil from the garden, give it a wash in a Mini Salad and Herb Spinner (affiliate link).
7. After you slice the fresh basil, chop the green onions, and prepare freshly-grated Parmesan.
8. Whisk together the mayo and buttermilk (or milk) so it’s smooth; then stir in the basil strips, chopped green onion, and a Parmesan.
9. Gently stir the dressing into the cubes of chicken, season to taste with salt and fresh-ground black pepper, and serve.
10. This Chicken Salad with Basil can also be chilled for a few hours before serving; enjoy!

Make it a Low-Carb Meal:

You could serve it with any of these side dishes to make this salad into a low-carb meal:

• Napa Cabbage Asian Slaw
• Tomato, Olive, and Fresh Mozzarella Salad
• Kalyn’s Favorite Baby Arugula Salad
• Broccoli Salad with Feta and Almonds
• Cucumber Salad with Balsamic Dressing

See all my Chicken Salad Recipes:

Salads made with leftover chicken are something I make often, and there 24 different chicken salad recipes in my huge round-up of Low-Carb and Keto Chicken Salads!

Continue to Content

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Yield: 6 servings

Chicken Salad with Basil

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

I love growing basil in the summer, and this low-carb Chicken Salad with Basil (and Parmesan!) is something I'd never get tired of.

Ingredients

• 4 cups diced cooked chicken, cut in 3/4 inch pieces (If you’re cooking the chicken for this recipe, see notes below.)
• 3/4 cup mayo
• 1/4 cup buttermilk (or milk, but I like the tang of the buttermilk)
• 1/2 cup sliced green onion
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh basil leaves (or more)
• 3 T coarsely grated Parmesan Cheese
• salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. If you’re cooking chicken for this, trim visible fat from 4 chicken breasts, then cut the chicken lengthwise into thirds.  Put the can of chicken stock, 2 cans of water, and the Italian Herb Blend (affiliate link) or poultry seasoning into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.  When it boils add chicken breasts, turn heat to low, and  let simmer 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.  Drain the chicken into a colander placed in the sink and let it cool.
2. While the chicken cools, slice the basil leaves or cut with Herb Scissors (affiliate link) and wash if needed, chop green onions, and measure the freshly-grated Parmesan.
3. When chicken is cool, dice it into pieces about 3/4 inch square and place into medium-sized bowl.
4. Combine mayo and buttermilk (or milk), whisking until it’s smooth. 
5. Then stir in green onion, Parmesan, and basil.
6. Add dressing to the chicken in the bowl and gently mix until chicken is well coated with dressing.
7. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
8. This salad with chicken, basil, and Parmesan can be served immediately or chilled slightly before serving. 
9. This will keep in the fridge for about a day, but it’s best freshly made.

Notes

This recipe adapted by Kalyn from one that appeared on the Best Foods site.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 404Total Fat 33gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 24gCholesterol 99mgSodium 401mgCarbohydrates 2gFiber 0gSugar 1gProtein 23g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Chicken Salad with Basil is great for any low-carb diet plan, including Keto, and also for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. South Beach would recommend you use light mayo and use portion control due to the amount of fat; other low-carb diets will prefer full-fat mayo.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Salad Recipes to find more low-carb salads like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This salad with my favorite summer herb was first posted in 2005! I’ve made it so many times since then, and it was last updated with more information in 2026.