This really is the perfect go-to salad for sandwiches or on top of a green salad.
You could easily add crumbled bacon, or raisins, or cashews, or even mix in a little curry powder to the mayo. Of course, homemade mayo puts this salad over the top. But again, a good quality store-bought mayonnaise works perfectly well, too. After cooking the chicken, the salad comes together in only about 15 minutes!
How To Make Chicken Salad
EXPERT TIP: Cook the chicken up to 3 days before assembling and serving. You can also make the homemade mayonnaise several days in advance, too!
Although chilling the salad after it’s mixed is recommended, we think to let the salad return to room temperature is great for taste when serving.
Watch us show you how easy it is to make this truly incredible recipe!
Other “Best-Ever” Salads to Try
What Makes It So Delicious?
So many folks have made this salad and asked us in complete sincerity: “What makes this chicken salad recipe so darn delicious?”
Well, there are several reasons, we believe: Here are some of the main ones:
- Roasting the chicken ensures flavorful, juicy chicken for the salad. In a pinch, you could certainly use a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket.
- The addition of seedless grapes, almonds, and fresh dill are part of what makes this dish so wonderful.
- A mix of mayonnaise, Dijon, and lemon juice adds a freshness that is just so very delicious. It all adds up to the best chicken salad sandwich you can imagine!
Homemade Mayonnaise Adds More Freshness
If you really are in the mood to make this truly the BEST-EVER chicken salad…make your mayonnaise from scratch.
There’s nothing better than homemade classic mayonnaise (click for recipe).
Of course, good-quality store-bought mayonnaise will work just fine, but we absolutely LOVE making it from scratch! One thing to keep in mind, though, homemade mayo has raw egg in it, which could be an issue with the very young, the elderly, or anyone with a compromised immune system.
It’s all about using fresh ingredients.
Fresh dill and parsley add a layer of flavor that we think puts this salad over the top.
If you can’t get fresh, dried will work, just use half the amount that you would be using if fresh.
And it’s even better after it sits in the fridge for a few hours, or overnight! This chicken salad sandwich recipe is really about as good as they come!
I mean, just look how delicious this looks!
Wait until you taste it!! You and those around you will love it!
If you are looking for an easy chicken salad recipe that tastes like something you’d get at an amazing restaurant, you need to look no further!
You can almost taste how good this is just by looking at it.
There is a reason this is hands down the most popular recipe on How To Feed a Loon!
Best-Ever Chicken Salad FAQs
- How far advance can it be made? We recommend serving soon after the salad is assembled. However, you can prepare the chicken and the dressing up to several days in advance. We will say the salad is even tastier after it sits in the refrigerator for a few hours. We just suggest bringing the salad back to room temp before serving. But that’s just a suggestion!
- Is a rotisserie chicken okay to use? Absolutely! We feel pretty strongly that the roasted chicken pieces yield an even tastier salad, but a good-quality rotisserie chicken will work, too. Just please don’t use canned chicken. Please.
- What other ingredients could I include? The sky is practically the limit: We love dried cranberries, sliced apples, cashews or peanuts, even capers! Fresh oregano, rosemary and/or thyme is great, too!
- Can the salad be frozen? Yes! Freeze for up to 1 month in an air-tight container. Let thaw completely and return to room temperature. You may need to make a small batch of the dressing just to stir in before serving after it’s been frozen, but that’s not 100% necessary.
Ready to make the best lunch dish in town? Go for it!
And when you make it, take a picture and post to Instagram and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and #HowToFeedaLoon
Best-Ever Chicken Salad
Video
Ingredients
- 4 lbs chicken parts (bone-in, skin-on thighs and breasts work well) (You'll need about 4 cups)
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup grapes seedless, halved (red and green varieties are great)
- 1 cup almonds thinly sliced
- 2 stalks celery finely diced
- 3 scallions thinly sliced (white and green parts)
- 2 tablespoon dill fresh, chopped
- 1 tablespoon parsley fresh, chopped
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt (start with ½ teaspoon, then add more, to taste)
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Rub the olive oil all over the chicken pieces and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until internal temp reaches 165°F using an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and let cool. Remove the skin then pull the meat from the bones and roughly chop.
- In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, grapes, almonds, celery, scallions, dill, & parsley.
- In a small-medium bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, lemon, mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Add the mayo/mustard mixture to the chicken mixture and gently stir until well mixed.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Serve on a bed of greens with sliced tomatoes and avocado. Or, serve on bread with green leaf lettuce. Add more toppings to your taste!
Notes
Nutrition
Gloria Mueller says
Delicious. I did add one chopped Granny Smith apple too. Loved it! Thanks
krislongwell says
Thanks, Gloria! The chopped Granny Smith apple was excellent, I’m sure! Yum! Thanks for the feedback, and please come back often. All the best, Kris and Wesley.
Allene Garey says
I love your chicken salad and would like to get more recipe from you both. I’d especially would like you potato and pasta salads. Thank you. Just general information I’m 81 years young.
krislongwell says
Hello Allene! Thank you so much for your note and we are thrilled that you enjoyed the chicken salad. It was on of our favorites, for sure! We do have a pasta salad and potato salad on the site, too. Just do a search in the search box in the upper right corner, and you’ll see them. Let us know if you can’t locate them. Thanks so much, and stay in touch! Best, Kris & Wesley
Kelly says
I detest mustard in all forms! Can you taste it in the salad? If so, can it be omitted without changing it from the Best-Ever to just Almost the Best-Ever?
krislongwell says
Leave it out! I’m pretty sure you’ll still love it!
Marci W. says
I made this using rotisserie chicken and it was delicious! I was hoping for leftovers, but everybody had seconds. LOL Which I definitely prefer to people not liking my food. I will definitely be making this again.
krislongwell says
That’s so funny, Marci! Well, I couldn’t agree more…I love leftovers…but when it’s because people aren’t eating what you made them…it’s not so great! So very happy that you and your guest enjoyed it. And thank you for letting us know. Please stay in touch! Best, Kris & Wesley
Emily says
Made this for a luncheon today. I used a large rotisserie chicken and I chopped almonds because I couldn’t find the slivered almonds. It still came out great! Everything is so balanced. I added a couple tbsp plain Greek yogurt because I like it extra creamy.
krislongwell says
Emily…aren’t those rotisserie chicken’s the best?! I do that often as well, when I’m in a pinch for time, and it turns out amazing. Love the addition of Greek yogurt. I bet that was amazing…will have to try that next time. Thanks for letting us know how it turned out…and stay in touch!
Kristen says
A lot of different recipes say “the best”, but I am really amazed at how good this recipe is. I believe that it can be called the “The Best”!
krislongwell says
Thank you, Kristen!! That word does get thrown around a lot, but we have to agree…we think this chicken salad really is the best! It means the world to us that you agree. Please stay in touch! All the BEST, Kris & Wesley
Jan Doyle says
I’m taking a friend to the hospital for a back procedure Tuesday and I wanted to take her lunch/dinner when I picked her up to have when she got back home. This is perfect!! I can add some good crackers or bread, a fruit salad perhaps and have a great little meal. Thanks.
krislongwell says
Perfect! I have made this for a very finicky eater neighbor a few times when she had been in the hospital…and she can’t stop raving about it. I think your friend will thank you very much. Let us know how it turns out, Jan! All the best. Kris
Lara says
I can’t wait to try this! To save time I may need to use rotisserie chicken. Could you tell me how many cups of cooked chicken I should use? Thank you!!
Susan says
I used 3 1/2 – 4 cups of cooked, diced chicken per recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. I’ve made it twice so far and have shared the recipe numerous times. It’s delicious!
krislongwell says
Perfect, Susan!! So glad you’ve enjoyed it! Lots more to come!! Kris & Wesley.
krislongwell says
Hi Lara! I use rotisserie chicken often with this, too, and still love it. One chicken should give you about 3 cups which is just right. Just keep an eye on the dressing to chicken ratio…don’t overdue it with the dressing. Add a little, then mix, until it just coats the chicken. Perfection!! Let us know how it turns out! Thanks!
Susan Foshinbaur says
This was a big hit at my daughter’s baby shower. There were approx 80 guests so I 8x the recipe. I poached 15 lbs of boneless chicken breasts which yielded about 32 cups of cubed chicken. There was LOTS left over (I didn’t dare shirk on my only responsibility) so I divided up the leftovers into takeaway containers and put them out on the table next to the party favors as guests were leaving. There was not one container left! I received many requests for your recipe during and after the party and shared your website with them all. I love your videos and look forward to making more of your delicious-looking dishes.
krislongwell says
Susan! You just made our day!! That sounds FANTASTIC!! Wow! 15 lbs of boneless chicken breasts!! You weren’t taking any chances, for sure! And how incredible that you gave everyone their own container of the chicken salad. I’m so thrilled that everyone liked it. Sounds like you did it perfectly. That’s just wonderful. Thank you so very, very much for sharing. Keep coming back and please stay in touch. All the best! Kris (& Wesley…the Loon).
krislongwell says
No worries!! 🙂
Annie Herbert says
Hi I want to make this for a wedding shower this weekend. Could you tell me about how many this will serve?
Thank you!
Annie
Annie Herbert says
Never mind I am a ding dong I just saw it serves 4-6
Sorry to bother you!
krislongwell says
You are NOT a ding dong!! No bother at all. Hope it turns out great! Have fun!!
krislongwell says
HI Annie! It depends on how you’re serving it. I say 4 – 6 people, but that’s if you making a nice-sized sandwiches. If you serve with slider buns, or just as a salad, this recipe could easily feed 10 – 12. In the video, you’ll see that we doubled-the recipe, and you’ll see how much it made. We fed it to an audience of approx. 40 people, and had enough. Let us know how it turns out! Thanks so much!!
Teddie Lehmann says
I just LOVE you guys – You are awesome! My kids (8 & 9) will eat about anything the loon comes up with with makes me love you MORE! They love this!
One question – We are about to road trip – Which recipes do you think will work best for the 20 hour 2-day car ride? (Besides mojitos for Mommy 🙂 )
krislongwell says
Hi Teddie!! That is so awesome to hear! And so glad your kids like the Loon Approved recipes! That really makes so happy. Well, for a road trip, this chicken salad is great…you’d just have to keep cool in a cooler, if that’s an option. I have a couple pasta salads, and a potato salad that would be nice, too. But again, would need to keep them in a cooler. You could make some fried chicken, but that’s kind of involved. I have a recipe for Lemon Bars, that are really nice. Plus, I’ve got several cookie recipes that are Loon favorites, too. All of these are on the site, just search for them in the search bar. I’ll have to think some more on it, it’s a good question, maybe we’ll start a new category on the site called ‘Food to Take on the Road!”:)
Christina Burkett says
Just made for my sister’s baby shower today! So wonderful! lots of compliments on this salad from the guests!!
krislongwell says
That’s so great to hear, Christina! I am thrilled that it turned out good, and that your guests enjoyed it. I’m sure you prepared it perfectly! Exciting news about the baby, too. That’s always such an exciting time for a family. Stay in touch. Cheers! Kris (& Wesley)
Lizbeth says
I just finished making your chicken salad recipe & it’s phenomenal!
I was concerned with 2T of dill & almost decreased it but so glad I didn’t. Chicken salads I have made in the past, I sample prior to refrigerating to see if I need to adjust anything then I put them into the fridge to allow the flavors to marry because it’s not very tasty prior. Your chicken salad? I’m surprised I had any to put into the fridge! Delicious even before having a chance to sit.
Thank you for my go-to chicken salad recipe!
krislongwell says
Hi Lizbeth! Thank you so much for the note! I couldn’t be happier that you enjoyed this chicken salad. I played with the ingredients and measurements for quite a while until I thought it was just right. Both Wesley and I love dill, and think it compliments the salad just perfectly. Thank you again, come back often, and stay in touch! All the best! Kris (& Wesley).
Angie says
Oops…. Sorry…. You rub in on the chicken.
krislongwell says
No worries!!!! Let me know if you make it and what you think. All the best!!
Molly says
Hi! The chicken salad is fantastic!!! I like it so much, I’m adding it into my regular meal plan. You say it’s 245 calories per serving, but do you know the serving size?
krislongwell says
Hi Molly!! Thank you so much!! That is wonderful to hear! Serving size is 3/4 cup. Hope this helps and please stay in touch!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Angie says
You listed good quality olive oil , but I don’t see where you used it in the recipe.
Jule says
Rubbing it on the chicken, it’s right there.