This shop has been compensated by Mike’s Hard Lemonade. All opinions are mine alone. The below message is intended for ages 21+.

Being a mom during the holidays isn’t just busy… it’s STRESSFUL. Somewhere between all the shopping, cooking, and party planning, the magic of the Holidays can be lost. No one wants to have a blue Christmas. That's why I've brightened things up and made the holidays fun again with this Spiked Lemon Pepper Chicken Salad.

This chicken salad is bright, bold and full of flavor. It makes a great grab-and-go snack or part of a meal during this busy time of year and is even better as a holiday party appetizer. It's an easy, quick-to-toss-together, nosh-worthy bite.

To start this chicken salad off, I thought why not add a little fun back into the mix with Mikes Hard Lemonade?! So, I cooked my chicken in plenty of Mike's Hard Lemonade, lemons, and enough spices to give it that kick-in-the pants, bold lemon zing flavor that I was looking for. So now you can not only Drink on the Bright Side with Mike's Hard Lemonade, but you can now eat on it too!

Mike's Hard Lemonade was the perfect thing to cook this chicken in. You can taste the difference - it gave it plenty of flavor while also keeping it nice and moist.

Once the chicken was cooked, I shredded it and mixed it up with even more lemony goodness, fresh herbs, and some Greek yogurt to boot. The result was a perfectly delicious chicken salad; perfect to spread over celery sticks or crackers at your next Holiday party. Serve it right up next to Mike's Hard Lemonade for a bold and bright cold appetizer.

What's great about this chicken salad is that it is versatile with its meat. If you are like me and still have leftover turkey from Thanksgiving stocked away in the freezer, you could totally use that up here too! Just swap the turkey in for the chicken and ta-da! Leftover re-do.

Did I mention that this chicken salad is gluten-free and light enough to be a guilt-free bite as we get here in closer to those New Year's Resolutions?! Truth.

Spiked Lemon Pepper Chicken Salad
TheSkinnyFork.com

The Skinny:
Servings: 8 • Size: About 1/2 Cup • Calories: 143 • Fat: 6 g • Saturated Fat: 1 g • Carb: 6 g • Fiber: 1 g • Protein: 17 g • Sugar: 3 g • Sodium: 186 mg

1 Lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
1 C. Mike's Hard Lemonade
1 Whole Lemon, Sliced & Seeded
1 Tbsp. Salt-Free Lemon Pepper Seasoning
1/2 Tsp. Sea Salt
3/4 C. Plain Fat-Free Greek Yogurt
1/2 C. Sliced Almonds
1/4 C. Fresh Parsley, Chopped
4 Green Onions, Sliced
1/2 Lemon, Juiced & Zested
2 Tbsp. Light Mayonnaise

Directions:

Place the 1 Lb. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, 1 C. Mike's Hard Lemonade, 1 Whole Sliced Lemon, 1 Tbsp. Salt-Free Lemon Pepper Seasoning and 1/2 Tsp. Sea Salt into the base of a pressure cooker or crockpot.

Pressure Cooker: Seal the lid, set the lid to not vent, and cook on the poultry setting for 45 minutes.

Slow Cooker: Close the lid and cook on high for 4-6 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.

Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from either cooker accordingly to shred or cube as desired and discard the cooked lemon slices and juices.

Allow the chicken to cool slightly before mixing with 3/4 C. Plain Fat-Free Greek Yogurt
1/2 C. Sliced Almonds, 1/4 C. Fresh Parsley, Chopped, 4 Sliced Green Onions, 1/2 Lemon Juice and Zest, and 2 Tbsp. Light Mayonnaise.

Place in an air-tight container in the fridge to cool for at least 2 hours or until ready to serve.

I served mine with celery sticks for a more “resolution friendly” party appetizer!

Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Nutritional Claims: Low Carb, Sugar Conscious, Gluten Free, Wheat Free, Peanut Free, Soy Free, Fish Free, Shellfish Free, Pork Free, Red Meat Free, Crustacean Free, Celery Free, Mustard Free, Sesame Free, Lupine Free, Mollusk Free