The Best Chicken Salad Recipe (2024)

I don’t know about you but I am pretty picky about chicken salad and this is the best chicken salad recipe. It has the perfect blend of chicken, veggies and seasonings.

Chicken salad really has to be just right and this is a great chicken recipe. You might also like our crock pot chicken salad as well. We love serving on a bed of lettuce or making a chicken salad sandwich for an easy spring recipe.

This creamy and delicious chicken salad is perfect for potlucks or a weeknight dinner. You can even use leftover chicken for an easy chicken salad recipe.

Why We Love This Recipe

I love how simple these ingredients are. Most of the ingredients will make at least 2-3 batches of this recipe. This recipe is so budget friendly and taste amazing.

You will love how flavorful this chicken salad recipe is and how quick and easy it is to make.

Ingredients

This all comes together for the best chicken salad recipe. It is so good. Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe in the recipe card.

Variations Ideas

There are so many different ways you can enjoy chicken salad. Here are some of our favorite add-ins that we have tried:

• Dried Cranberries
• Eggs
• Pickles
• Black Olives or Green Olives
• Green or Red Bell Peppers
• Red Grapes
• For a crunch, add nuts like pecans or Sliced Almonds
• Lemon Juice
• Use Greek yogurt instead of mayo.

How to Make Chicken Salad

• Step 1 – Combine Ingredients – Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

• Step 2 – Serve immediately as a sandwich or over salad. If you are trying to eat low carb, just make a lettuce wrap or serve in a salad.

Expert Tips

• Prepare Ingredients ahead of time – This is the perfect recipe to prepare your chicken ahead of time. You can store in the freezer or place in the fridge until ready to mix with the other ingredients. You can even prepare your vegetables in advance.
• Refrigerate – When not serving, make sure your store the chicken salad in the fridge.
• Sour Cream – To balance out the taste of the mayonnaise, feel free to mix in ⅓ cup of sour cream.
• Mixing Ingredients – Mix the ingredients in a large bowl to ensure that all the ingredients with the mayonnaise and seasoning.
• Serving – We love serving this chicken salad on lettuce and croissants but you can also serve on bite size bread. This would make the perfect appetizer.
• Double the Recipe –This recipe can easily be doubled if you are serving to a crowd. Just add in more chicken and combine with the other ingredients.

How to Cook Chicken

You can use rotisserie chicken for this recipe, but I like to cook my own chicken to save money. Try one of these easy ideas to cook poached chicken.

• How to Boil Chicken Breasts
• Crock Pot Shredded Chicken
• Instant Pot Shredded Chicken

How to Shred Chicken

Once you have cooked the chicken it is now ready to be shredded. You can shred the chicken with two forks or my favorite way is to use a stand mixer.

This has been a game changer for getting chicken shredded quickly and easily. We give you all the tips and tricks here onHow to Shred Chicken.

If you don’t like shredded chicken, you can easily chop the chicken into small pieces.

Can Chicken Salad be Frozen?

We don’t recommend freezing the chicken salad. But what we do recommend is freezing the cooked chicken. If you have leftover cooked chicken, simply chop up the chicken and put in a freezer back.

Then it is easy to pull out the frozen chicken and let it thaw to follow the steps to make chicken salad. Learn more on our Can You Freeze Chicken Salad post.

How to Serve Chicken Salad

Chicken salad is the perfect dish to make when you are feeding a crowd or for a quick lunch idea.

I like to enjoy chicken salad on lettuce for a low carb option, but it also delicious on a croissant. You can even serve on Hawaiian Rolls or crackers.

If you like to make charcuterie boards, place a bowl of the chicken salad on the board. Then add your favorite crackers for an easy charcuterie board idea.

How to Store Simple Chicken Salad

This chicken salad is so easy for everyone to enjoy. Occasionally we will have leftovers. All you need to do is store in an airtight container for the flavors to enhance.

The chicken salad will last about a week in the refrigerator. Once you are ready to enjoy again, simply give it a stir and your chicken salad is ready to enjoy.

What to Serve with Chicken Salad

We like to keep it simple and serve easy but delicious sides with chicken salad.

• Pasta Salad
• Chips
• Soup
• Crackers
• Fruit

Topping Ideas

You can definitely enjoy the chicken salad as is but I love to add sliced tomatoes and onion to my sandwich. I prefer to have it on a salad rather than a sandwich as I try to watch my carb intake when I can.

This goes great with the chicken salad.

How to Make Bland Chicken Salad Taste Better?

To turn your bland chicken salad into delicious chicken salad, make sure you seasoning it with fresh herbs in spices. We also like adding in chopped grapes to give it that burst of flavor.

How long is Homemade Chicken Salad Last for?

Homemade chicken salad is good for about 4 days. Make sure it is stored in the fridge if not serving.

Can you Make this Ahead of Time?

Yes, you can make chicken salad ahead of time. But make sure to serve within a couple of days of making it.

How Much Chicken do I Need for Chicken Salad?

This classic chicken salad recipe calls for 3 cups and it is the perfect amount. It gives the delicious chicken salad recipe the perfect combination of chicken and mayo and other ingredients.
This chicken salad is the perfect consistency. Not to runny and not to dry, just right.

Can I Use Miracle Whip instead of Mayonnaise?

You can use Miracle Whip in this recipe if you love the taste of Miracle Whip. However, I prefer mayonnaise because the flavor isn’t as strong and won’t interfere with the other flavors in the recipe.