This Long Grain and Wild Rice Chicken Salad is full of flavor, texture and color. Delicious on its own or rolled up in a tortilla or wrap for lunch on the go!
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My job as food blogger means that I get to work from my home office which is a fabulous thing, but it also presents a lot of potential for eating a random diet of whatever I happen to be photographing on any given day. This is why it is so important for me to plan ahead and have easy, nutritious things on hand to grab for lunch. This Long Grain and Wild Rice Chicken Salad has become a new favorite for fending off the temptation to dive into chocolate cake at 11:00 am!
I think this is an issue for everyone, no matter what job you may have or whether you work from home or trek to your office each day. Chicken salad has long been one of my favorite easy, nutritious lunch solutions.
What makes this chicken salad stand apart from the others? The addition of Uncle Ben’s® Long Grain and Wild Rice. The deliciously seasoned rice is the perfect complement to the chicken, dried cranberries, crunchy celery and slivered almonds and creates a substantial, satisfying meal. Rolled up in a wrap it makes the perfect, easy to pack, on-the-go lunch that will keep you on track with healthier eating in the new year.
Target is THE place to go for quick and easy meal inspiration. I love that I can do my usual perusing of the home and kitchen aisles and then head over to the grocery section and get all of my shopping done in one trip! They have a great selection of Uncle Ben’s Flavored Grains products and everything else you might need for meal planning and prep.
We start with the bright, light dressing. A combination of non-fat plain Greek yogurt, light mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice and zest, and a touch of salt and fresh ground black pepper. The seasoned rice adds the perfect amount of flavor so you don’t need to add anything else.
Add the cooked and cooled Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice, diced celery, dried cranberries, and green onions.
I used the meat from a rotisserie chicken – so easy!
Some slivered almonds for a little crunch and additional nutritional value.
Mix up a batch on the weekend for lunches through the week. The salad will keep well for 4 or 5 days if stored in an airtight container in your fridge.
I kept it simple by rolling it into spinach herb wraps with lettuce but it would be delicious with a variety of toppings. Add a slice of cheese, some broccoli slaw, sliced tomatoes, or avocado.
Wholesome, delicious, and so easy!
Long Grain and Wild Rice Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 6 ounce package Uncle Ben's® Long Grain and Wild Rice
- 2 cups cooked chopped chicken breast, rotisserie chicken works perfectly
- ½ cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt
- ½ cup light or regular mayonnaise
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup diced celery
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested
- ⅓ cup slivered almonds
- tortillas or wraps, I used spinach herb wraps
- optional toppings – lettuce, tomato, broccoli slaw, tomato, avocado
Instructions
- Prepare the Uncle Ben’s® Long Grain and Wild Rice according to the package directions. Set aside to cool while you prepare remaining ingredients.
- In a large mixing bowl combine Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, zest, salt, and pepper. Mix well to combine. Add celery, dried cranberries, green onion, and cooked and cooled rice, stirring to combine. Fold in cooked, chopped chicken and slivered almonds and mix until well combined.
- Store chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Keeps well for 4 or 5 days.
- Delicious on its own or rolled into wraps with your choice of toppings.
Like this? Please rate & comment below!
these look delicious and so healthy. i visited germany last winter at the christmas markets and they were selling similar ideas to this there, i just had to sample them as i am a great fan of wraps..
I would love to visit Germany and would love to visit over the holidays. It must be so festive! Thanks so much, Anna 🙂
This spinach herb wraps looks so good~~ I have never seen this product 😮 Must find it! Thank you for sharing the recipe!
We just started a health and wellness challenge at work that I’m determined to win and this looks right up my alley.
I think the idea of a health and wellness change at work is fabulous! It’s always easier to make changes when some of the people around you are in the same mindset. Best of luck to you!
The addition of rice to traditional chicken salad is just genius! This looks so good. 🙂
Hello lunch! This looks amazing!
This recipe is calling my name! I have a bit of a chicken salad obsession and this looks fabulous. I love that it’s not overloaded with sweet fruit, and I’m sure that the tart cranberries are great in this!
Thanks, Nora! I really do love the flavors and textures in this recipe. Pretty darn delicious 🙂
I love the addition of rice to this salad! It would make the perfect lunch!
This is chicken salad perfection, my friend! As a fellow food blogger, I feel your pain (ha ha!) about eating all the random things… but I can imagine this chicken salad was delightful to nibble throughout the day. I’d love this for lunch sometime soon!
Great idea! I love adding the wild rice to a chicken salad. I’ve never tried it, but I’m going to!
This would make a lovely lunch!