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    Home » Main Dishes » Vegan Chicken Salad

    Vegan Chicken Salad

    Published: Aug 6, 2019 · Updated: May 18, 2025 by Marlena Luna · This post may contain affiliate links. · 7 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Pin SaveSaved!
    Vegan chicken salad sandwich for Pinterest.

    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.

    Vegan chicken salad on seeded bread with lettuce.

    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.

    Vegan sandwich made with chickpeas, jackfruit, and mayo on seeded bread with lettuce.

    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.

    A creamy chickpea, jackfruit, and mayo salad on lettuce.

    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.

    Chopped chickpeas in a food processor.

    Pulse the chickpeas in the food processor to chop them roughly. Transfer them to a baking dish lined with parchment paper and set aside.

    Shredded jackfruit in a food processor.

    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.

    Baked shredded jackfruit and chickpeas mixed on parchment paper.

    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.

    Vegan chicken salad in a glass bowl.
    1. Dice the celery and onion.
    2. Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix.
    3. Chill for at least an hour before enjoying so the flavors have time to settle and come together.

    That’s it!

    A sandwich on seeded white bread filled with chickpea, jackfruit, mayo, celery, and red onion.

    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!

    We'd love to hear from you!

    If you enjoyed this vegan recipe, please leave a 5-star rating in the recipe card and share your thoughts in the comments below.

    Also, if you snap a photo, share it with us! We love to see your creations!! You can find us on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.

    Or, get the links to new recipes delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.  

    See ya there!

    Recipe

    Vegan chicken salad

    Vegan Chicken Salad

    prep time: 15 minutes minutes
    cook time: 20 minutes minutes
    total time: 35 minutes minutes
    servings: 4 servings
    Vegan chicken salad is packed with shredded jackfruit, protein-rich chickpeas, fresh vegetables, and homemade seasoned mayo. It's a quick and easy vegan snack or lunch.
    4.82 stars (32 reviews)
    Print Pin SaveSaved!

    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
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    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

    Serving: 1g | Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 414mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 16g

    **Nutritional info is provided as an estimate based on the ingredients I used and for convenience and as a courtesy only.**

    course: Main Dishes
    cuisine: American
    author: Marlena Luna
    Did you make this recipe?Please consider Leaving a Review!

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    Where You Get Your Protein is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Where You Get Your Protein will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

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    Comments

      4.82 from 32 votes (32 ratings without comment)

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    1. Sasha

      April 28, 2021 at 7:20 am

      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!!

      Reply
    2. Teresa

      September 08, 2020 at 4:26 am

      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?

      Reply
      • Marlena Luna

        September 08, 2020 at 1:00 pm

        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!!

        Reply
    3. Elaine

      May 07, 2020 at 1:00 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Where you get your protein

        May 21, 2020 at 4:58 pm

        That’s great to hear! I’m so glad you loved the recipe! :)

        Reply
    4. Lucy

      August 08, 2019 at 6:11 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Where you get your protein

        August 08, 2019 at 8:18 pm

        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.

        Reply

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    Hi, I’m Marlena the recipe creator behind Where You Get Your Protein! I love spending time in the kitchen cookin’ up delicious vegan comfort foods! Most of the ingredients I use are easy-to-find or pantry staples. Stick around and enjoy some amazing vegan food!

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