Vegan chicken salad is delicious, incredibly easy to prepare, and packed with nutrients. It’s ideal for meal prep, quick lunches, or as an easy snack.
This vegan chicken salad combines mashed chickpeas and shredded jackfruit to create a satisfying, protein-rich alternative to traditional chicken salad.
The chickpeas add a hearty texture and flavor, while the jackfruit mimics the tenderness of shredded chicken.
What Goes in Vegan Chicken Salad?
To bring this vegan salad together, the chickpeas and jackfruit are mixed with a creamy vegan mayo, chopped celery, red onion, relish, and optional almond slices.
Fresh herbs such as dill or parsley can be added for extra flavor, while a dash of garlic powder or smoked paprika can enhance the savory depth.
How to prepare the jackfruit and chickpeas
Shredding and then baking the jackfruit and chickpeas will produce the most authentic shredded chicken texture.
Follow the four easy steps below to use a food processor to shred the jackfruit and chickpeas.
Pulse the chickpeas in the food processor to chop them roughly. Transfer them to a baking dish lined with parchment paper and set aside.
Add the jackfruit to the food processor and pulse it until shredded.
Add the jackfruit to the pan with the chickpeas and mix them. Sprinkle with onion powder, salt, and pepper.
Bake in the oven at 400ºF for about 15 minutes. Mix it around a few times during baking to ensure it cooks evenly.
To Make Vegan Chicken Salad
Once the jackfruit and chickpeas are cooked, this creamy salad comes together in a few simple steps.
- Dice the celery and onion.
- Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix.
- Chill for at least an hour before enjoying so the flavors have time to settle and come together.
That’s it!
Serving Suggestions
This flavor-packed dish is perfect for sandwiches, wraps, crackers, or enjoying straight from the bowl.
Other ideas are:
- wrapped in a butter lettuce leaf
- as a salad topping
- on a croissant
- in a pita pocket
The choice is yours!
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Recipe
Vegan Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 20-ounce can young green jackfruit in water, drained and rinsed
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 celery stalks, finely diced
- ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
- 1 cup homemade vegan mayo, or store-bought
- 3 Tablespoons dill relish
- 2-3 teaspoons maple syrup
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
- Salt and pepper to taste
'Chicken' Seasoning
- ⅓ to ½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Now, drain, rinse, and squeeze dry the jackfruit. Then drain, rinse, and pat dry the chickpeas.
- In a food processor, pulse the chickpeas a few times to break them up a bit. Careful not to over-process or you’ll end up with mush. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and set aside.
- Add the jackfruit to the emptied food processor (no need to wipe it out). Pulse a few times to break up and roughly shred the jackfruit. Add the shredded jackfruit to the baking sheet with the chickpeas. Season the mixture with the 'chicken' seasoning.⅓ to ½ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt,¾ teaspoon onion powder,pepper to taste
- Bake the jackfruit mix at 400ºF for 15-20 minutes, or until your preferred texture. Keep an eye on it as it cooks and mix when the top starts looking too dry.
- In the meantime, chop the veggies.
- Remove the baked jackfruit and chickpeas from the oven. Let cool for 10-15 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl, mixing the almonds in last to keep them from breaking too much.2 celery stalks,¼ cup red onion,1 cup homemade vegan mayo,3 Tablespoons dill relish,2-3 teaspoons maple syrup,¼ cup sliced almonds,Salt and pepper to taste
- For the best taste, chill for at least 30 minutes before serving. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- I use and prefer Trader Joe's canned jackfruit.
- If you’re using store-bought mayo, you may want to add extra onion and garlic powder to the mix for more flavor.
- For a creamier salad, add extra mayo (up to ½ cup) and adjust the seasonings as needed.
- If you’re using my homemade vegan mayo, I suggest making a double batch so you have enough. I’ve noticed the salad can absorb the moisture in the mayo after sitting in the fridge overnight. If that happens, add more mayo, then season with salt, pepper, and sweetener to taste.
- Leftover homemade vegan mayo can be used in potato salad, as a sandwich spread, or as ranch dip.
- To avoid turning on the oven, gather the jackfruit up in cheesecloth, a nut bag, or a thin kitchen towel and squeeze out the extra moisture. For the chickpeas, they should be carefully towel-dried while they’re still whole and before adding to the food processor. However, this will produce a slightly different texture and taste. I highly recommend the baking method for best results.
Nutrition
**Nutritional info is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients I used and for convenience and as a courtesy only.**
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Sasha
This is so good!! Who knew the combination of jackfruit and chickpeas would make such a wonderful texture for this “chicken” salad. I’m obsessed!!
Teresa
I have the best chicken salad recipe I’ve missed so much since I stopped eating meat. Excited to try this one! Have you tried this without the chickpeas? My man doesn’t like them but maybe they’ll be disguised?
Marlena Luna
I haven’t tried it without the chickpeas. If he really hates chickpeas you can try replacing them with another can of jackfruit. After it is all mixed up give it a taste and adjust any seasoning if needed. Let us know how it comes out! Enjoy, Teresa!!
Elaine
This is a game changer, I am always looking for a new way to make vegan lunch box sandwiches. This "chicken" salad is the best one I have found by far. Thank you , thank you, thank you.
Where you get your protein
That’s great to hear! I’m so glad you loved the recipe! :)
Lucy
Omg growing up in California I loved Togo’s once upon a time. Obsessed with their tuna - do you have a mock tuna salad recipe? I have tried other mock chicken salad and never used jackfruit. Look forward to trying it.
Where you get your protein
I definitely ate my share of sandwiches working there! I don’t have a tuna yet, but you can alter this recipe a bit to replicate Togo’s version.
Just omit the fresh onion, celery, almonds and maple syrup. Then swap out the dill relish for sweet relish. Personally I’d enjoy it like that, but if you want a more authentic taste add some black salt, granulated kelp, or dried seaweed.