Classic Chicken Salad (2024)

• Chicken: Use small pieces of shredded chicken. Leftover roasted chicken, cooked chicken breasts, or thighs are great options. The pieces can also be chopped or diced.
• Vegetables: Diced celery, red onions, and green onions add flavor and crunch.
• Dressing: For a creamy sauce, combine mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).

Ingredient Substitutions

This recipe is versatile and can be customized differently. Here are some tasty ideas to personalize the flavor:

• Add in fruit like sliced red or green grapes or diced apples.
• Add dried cranberries, apricots, cherries, or raisins.
• Herbs like fresh dill, rosemary, thyme, basil, chives, parsley, or tarragon.
• Crunchy nuts like sliced almonds, pecans, or walnuts.
• Add sour cream or Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise, or use a combination to lighten the dressing.
• Add some heat with Cajun seasoning, buffalo sauce, or diced jalapenos.
• Add more vegetables like chopped bell peppers, carrots, or cucumbers.

Step 1: Mix the Salad

Combine the shredded meat, mayonnaise, diced celery, chopped onions, sliced green onions, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.

The more the mixture is stirred, the finer the meat pieces will become.

Step 2: Ready to Serve

I recommend serving the salad immediately or storing it in the refrigerator for up to five days. It’s one of my family’s favorite lunches, so I meal-prep it at the beginning of the week and make a chicken salad sandwich with toasted sourdough, white bread, wheat, or a croissant.

You can also serve this on a bed of lettuce with tomatoes, cucumber, and avocado for a low-carb meal, add it to a tortilla, or make it a lettuce wrap. Serve inside avocado halves or tomatoes.

How can I make a bland chicken salad taste better?

Add vegetables like celery, onions, or carrots, fruits like grapes, apples, dried cranberries, or raisins, and chopped nuts for crunch, like pecans or almonds.

What goes well with chicken salad?

Pair with crisp greens, fruit salad, sweet potato fries or wedges, coleslaw, kale slaw, or tomato or butternut squash soup.

Why does chicken salad get watery?

If not eaten the same day, you may notice that the salad may release some liquid. This is just the juice from fresh vegetables like celery and onion or fruit like apples or grapes. The salt in the salad draws out the moisture over time. Just mix before using.

How do you keep the chicken salad from getting soggy?

The more fresh vegetables or fruits added to the salad, the higher the chance that the salad will become watery if not eaten on the same day. Once the cell walls of the plants are cut, the exposed areas, when combined with salt, will release more moisture. Don’t add fresh veggies or fruit if you want to make the chicken salad in advance. Store in a separate container and add right before serving or within 2 hours.

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