This chicken salad recipe is one of my favorites—it makes a delicious quick lunch or dinner.
Chicken, mayonnaise, a few add-ins and some seasonings come together to create a creamy salad or filling for a homemade chicken salad sandwich or wrap!
Chicken Salad Ingredients
- Chicken: I most often use rotisserie chicken, but leftover chicken of almost any kind, including grilled chicken, can be used. If using canned chicken, mix all ingredients except the chicken in a bowl and then gently fold in the drained canned chicken.
- Add-ins: Since this is a classic chicken salad recipe, I add celery for crunch and green onion for flavor.
- Dressing: Mayonnaise adds a creamy texture, while simple seasonings add flavor.
Variations
- Add dill or other fresh herbs.
- Lighten it up a bit by replacing half of the mayo with Greek yogurt.
- Change the flavor by adding ranch dressing.
- Dress it up with add-ins like chopped apples, grapes, or chopped nuts such as almonds, walnuts, or pecans.
How to Make Chicken Salad
Prepare this classic chicken salad recipe in just 15 minutes with only a few simple ingredients.
- Chop cooked and cooled chicken and place into a large bowl with celery and onions.
- Mix dressing ingredients (recipe below) in a bowl. Toss with chicken.
- Serve on rolls, bread, or over a bed of lettuce.
Serving Suggestions
- This chicken salad sandwich recipe can be served on any type of bread, including a croissant. I love to lightly toast the bread.
- Serve it with crackers for snacking.
- Spoon it over greens or into lettuce leaves to make lettuce wraps.
Storing Leftovers
Refrigerator: Store chicken salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Stir before serving.
Freezer: Prepared chicken salad doesn’t freeze well however, to prep ahead, dice the chicken and freeze it it. When ready to make the salad, combine the thawed chicken with the remaining ingredients below for a quick lunch!
More Favorite Sandwiches
This chicken salad recipe is a favorite lunch or light dinner. Here are more easy sandwiches that top our list!
Classic Chicken Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chopped chicken or shredded chicken
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 rib celery diced
- 1 green onion thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon seasoned salt more to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill or ¼ teaspoon dried dill, optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add chicken, mayonnaise, celery, green onion, mustard, salt, pepper, and dill if using. Mix well to combine.
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
- Serve as a sandwich or over salad.
Video
Notes
- 1 cup chopped red grapes or 1 cup chopped peeled apple
- 2 tablespoons chopped nuts (pecans or almonds)
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Salad
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
I like to add a diced ghost pepper it really gives it a kick.
This recipe is really good. The seasoning salt was the perfect addition of flavor. We ate it on pretzel rolls.
Good!!
I followed your recipe but, added some sweet relish at the end. I enjoyed it very much.
This is really good. I make it all the time. Sometimes I add craisins and chopped pecans.
So simple and so very tasty!!
I have never made or had chicken salad before. I’ve always been intrigued but never remember to use leftover chicken for it. I made chicken alfredo yesterday for my kids bday and had bunch of chicken leftover because it ended up so dry. This recipe was amazing! I used the dill and upped the wet ingredients a little too, and you couldnt tell the chicken was dry! I also used spicy brown mustard because I didn’t realize my Dijon was bad. Thank you for this! seriously so good!
look forward to the yummy receipy
Perfect simple chicken salad! I didn’t have green onions so I used some dried minced onions instead – still delish.
Both nutritious and delicious, this recipe offers a great option to support a healthy lifestyle.
A simple and tasty recipe that gets better the next day. I did add a bit more mayo and mustard. I will definitely make it again!
Turned out very dry for us, I had to add some extra mayo and a touch more mustard. I also used brown mustard instead of Dijon as I only had that and yellow in the house.
Thank you for sharing your alterations, Amber! That sounds delicious.
This is a great recipe. I prepared the recipe as written except I added a heaping tablespoon of sour cream. As for the 1/2 cup of mayonnaise I used 1/4 cup of Dukes and 1/4 cup of Hellman’s.
This recipe is a keeper for a classic chicken salad.
My whole family loves this meal!
the dijon is a great addition! i would have never thought of that
no dill or green onion in the batch i made.
very good! didn’t have fresh dill I used about 1/4 t. dried and added one more stem of green onion mine were on the small side and about 10 red grapes sliced. served on croissants with lettuce and a drizzle of rasberry dressing. yum!!!
this is the best chicken salad I’ve ever had easily. made it again and again…and will continue to! one question though….I’m in the process of making a quadruple batch and sure would like to freeze some. does it freeze okay?
This was in the article before the recipe: FREEZER: Chicken salad doesn’t freeze well. To prep ahead, simply dice the chicken and freeze. When ready to make, combine it with the ingredients below for a quick lunch!
This is too easy. Being the only meateater in the house, I’m always looking for ways to make a whole roast chicken leftovers interesting. I pretty much follow the recipe but don’t add dill. Made it a few times now but this time I used Duke’s Mayo instead of the usual (common) brand. Man it takes it to the next level altogether. I eat it in a soft flour wrap with chopped lettuce and tomato. Can get four or five wraps out of this recipe. Highly recommend using Duke’s mayo if you try this.
Sorry Stephen!!! Tried both Hellman’s & Dukes as well as Aldi brand and I prefer both over Dukes.
You should change the ingredient to use the correct term; 1 rib of celery. A stalk is the entire bunch of ribs. Very confusing when you havent started so cant eyeball how much it actually needs, so I’m spending a great deal of time searching the comments for a clue of which one it actually is.
Hi Rachel! This recipe using one rib of celery.
You have a point Rachel. A stalk is the whole head of celery but who would actually put a whole head of celery in a small batch of chicken salad? That would definitely make the recipe a celery salad with a bit of chicken. Unless thats what you would want. In other words it may not have been worded perfectly but add what you want to it.
Your baked chicken was amazing. My great nephew lives with me and couldn’t believe how good it was. he is an Athletic trainer and he ask me to make it again !! That was a great complement to you and myself. THANK YOU
That is so kind of him! Thank you for sharing that with us, Eileen.