Chicken Salad
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It’s easy to make a classic Chicken Salad that’s full of flavor using this simple recipe! This traditional chicken salad is made with a creamy dressing, dried fruit, and almonds, giving it a delicious variety of tastes and textures. Using cooked rotisserie chicken means this easy recipe comes together in just 10 minutes!
In my world, a classic chicken salad should always contain a sweet element, a crunchy element, and a creamy dressing. From there, the options really are endless! I’ve probably made a version of this chicken salad a dozen different ways over the years, but this combination is my all-time favorite!
Crunchy celery and almonds, sweet dried cherries, tart mandarin oranges, and a creamy mayonnaise dressing are combined to make the ultimate chicken salad. Of course you can use dried cranberries, instead of cherries, and walnuts instead of almonds, but this chicken salad recipe is a great starting point for making the best chicken salad!
Whether you serve the salad on toasted sourdough, in a lettuce wrap, or made into a croissant sandwich, I guarantee that you’re going to fall in love with the various flavors and textures in this chicken salad recipe!
Key ingredients
Above I show you all of the ingredients for the recipe (because I’m a visual person and I find it helpful, hopefully you do too!). Below I tell you about the main players in the recipe. The full list of ingredients with measurements can always be found in the recipe card.
- Cooked, chopped chicken – I like to pull the chicken off of a rotisserie chicken from Costco. This is the quickest and easiest way to make this chicken salad. You can also use this Instant Pot Shredded Chicken recipe and simply chop the chicken, instead of shredding it, after you’ve cooked it in the Instant Pot. You can also make this recipe with diced grilled chicken, or poached chicken breasts.
- Dried cherries – or another dried fruit, like raisins or dried cranberries.
Additions and substitutions
While this recipe is my favorite way to make a traditional chicken salad, it’s also easy to make some quick additions or substitutions based on what you have in your kitchen. Try any of these delicious chicken salad variations to make it your own!
- Add ½ cup diced apples.
- Replace the mandarin oranges with red grapes, sliced in half.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, liked green onions, dill, tarragon or parsley.
- Replace the celery with minced green bell pepper.
- Replace the sliced almonds with other nuts, like chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Add 2 diced hard boiled eggs.
- Add 1 teaspoon dijon mustard for a layer of tang.
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients for the salad to a large bowl. Toss to combine everything.
- Transfer to the fridge for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.
Easy as that, in two simple steps you have the ultimate chicken salad, perfect for any meal!
Ways to serve it
One of the things I love about making chicken salad is that you can eat it a variety of different ways! Try all of my favorite options and eat it a different way every day.
- Lettuce wraps – wrap the salad up in butter or iceberg lettuce leaves for a light and low-carb option.
- Croissants – probably my favorite way to serve the chicken salad is in a warm croissant. I love the croissants at Costco, so if I know I’m making the salad, I always pick some up! I like to add a couple leaves of butter lettuce to the inside of the croissant before adding the chicken salad.
- Wraps – heat a large “burrito size” tortilla, add a couple of pieces of lettuce to the middle, then top the lettuce with the chicken salad. Fold the ends over the filling, then roll up the tortilla for a tasty wrap!
- On toast – toast a piece of your favorite bread (I like sourdough) then top it with the chicken salad.
- Bagel sandwiches – toast a bagel, then top it with lettuce, a slice of tomato and chicken salad to make a tasty breakfast. Perfect for on-the-go mornings!
- Tea sandwiches – to make tea sandwiches, you’ll need white bread and butter lettuce, or romaine lettuce. Place pieces of lettuce on a slice of bread, top with the chicken salad and another piece of lettuce. Add another slice of bread on top, then remove the crusts of the sandwich. Cut the sandwich into halves or quarters, depending on the size of sandwich you’d like to serve.
Classic Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked, chopped chicken , from rotisserie chicken, pressure cooked chicken, poached or grilled chicken
- ½ cup diced celery
- ¼ cup minced red onion
- ½ cup sliced almonds, or chopped walnuts
- ½ cup dried cherries, or dried cranberries
- ½ cup mandarin oranges
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
Instructions
- Add the cooked chicken, celery, onion, almonds, cherries and mandarin oranges to a large bowl.
- Add the mayonnaise, salt, black pepper and thyme. Stir to combine everything.
- Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.
- Serve on croissants, in lettuce wraps, on toast, or in a tortilla wrap.
Notes
- Store chicken salad leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. The salad is meant to be eaten cold, so there’s no need to heat it up.
- This recipe is naturally gluten free. Serve the salad on gluten free bread, or lettuce wraps, to make a gluten free meal or snack.
- Taste the salad after it’s been refrigerated and add salt, if desired. The chicken you use to make the recipe will determine how salty it is. For example, some rotisserie chickens are saltier than others. If pressure cooking chicken breasts in chicken broth, it will be more salty that cooking them in water. This is why I recommend lightly salting the salad with 1 teaspoon salt, then tasting and adding more salt at the end, if needed.
- To make a lighter version of this salad, replace the mayo with Greek yogurt. While it won’t be quite as creamy, it will still be delicious, and lower in calories.
Nutrition Facts
More easy chicken recipes
Try these other tested and perfected chicken recipes, perfect for an easy meal!
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