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
Ann B says
This was SO SO SO good! Only wished I would have made MORE! I’m heading to the store today to make another batch. Love watching you two, puts a smile on my face!
Kris Longwell says
Woo hoo!!! We LOVE hearing this!! We are THRILLED you love our chicken salad recipe!! And thank you so much for letting us know!!!! Stay in touch!! Kris & Wesley
Martin says
We made it with leftover chicken from a homemade chicken soup and it still came out great! We substituted a green apple for the grapes and also added dried cranberries.
Ann says
Yum! Very Good! This recipe is a keeper!
Rosa says
Best ever chicken salad i have tried!! This recipe does not disappoint at all.
Sue says
I have always loved chicken salad, have ordered it in many restaurants and have made it myself experimenting with different combinations of ingredients. My search for the perfect chicken salad recipe is over. Hands down this is the BEST chicken salad I have eaten. I used an apple as I had no grapes and it worked well. While I can see making minor substitutions occasionally to just change it up a little, apples vs grapes, maybe cashews in place of almonds, nothing about this recipe needs to be tweaked to make it better. It is fantastic!!
Tone says
I usually don’t leave reviews. But, I feel like I needed to with this recipe. I read some of the comments and saw the good ratings so I had to try it out. OMG this chicken salad is exactly what I wanted it to taste like. It was sooooo good. The only thing I did different was buy mayonaise from the store. I was too lazy to make it LOL!!! It was super easy to follow the directions. Thank you!
Kris Longwell says
Tone, you have no idea how happy you just made us!! We are so so so happy that you had such success and loved the chicken salad! And don’t worry a bit about the mayo, we make this constantly, and honestly, only now and then make the mayo from scratch. But, it’s fun to make homemade mayo!! Thanks so much for letting us know and for the GREAT review! We truly appreciate that so much!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Claire says
This is the first time I have written a review. I was on line looking for a good chicken salad recipe and came across yours. OMG! this chicken salad is the best. When the flavors all come together the taste is amazing. I did not make the mayonnaise nor did I have regular mayonnaise so I used Primal Kitchen Mayo made with Avocado Oil. I shared the salad with my best friend and also my family. They loved it.
Thank you Kirs & Wesley for such a great recipe.
Kris Longwell says
Hi Clarie!! That is absolutely amazing to hear! We are so so happy you and your friends and family enjoyed it so much! And congrats on such success!!! And THANK YOU SO MUCH for letting us know and the GREAT review. That means the world to us. Please stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Riss says
Wow, what a hit! I am on lockdown taking care of my 83yo Dad. Had some frozen grilled chicken to use (I hate that stuff….but you know…buy what you can find and make due). He always claims he only likes chicken salad with mayo, salt and pepper and never lets me make it any other way. Well, I surprised him for lunch with your recipe just now and I think it changed his life. Lol. I really do think the dill and lemon make it. (Of course, we are all making due with what we have, so I spread cranberry sauce on the bread because I didn’t have grapes.) Well, let’s just say his eyes rolled back in his head. I believe OMG and “this is the bomb” were just the start. Absolutely delicious chicken salad. You even made gross, pre-packaged, frozen chicken taste good. Lol. Thank you so very, very much! Stay well!
Kris Longwell says
Wow!! That’s the best thing we’ve heard in a while! We are so so so glad you and your Dad enjoyed the chicken salad so much!! And it sounds like you adapted perfectly! Thank you SO MUCH for letting us know and for the GREAT review! We truly hope and pray you and your loved ones stay safe and healthy!! Stay in touch!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Ervie Martin says
Mandarin oranges gives this salad an awesome taste.
Julia says
I don’t usually rate things online but this was the best chicken salad ever and even my husband loves it and he doesn’t like chicken salad. The dill makes it!
Kris Longwell says
Julia!! That makes us so so so happy to hear!! So glad you had success with the chicken salad and THANK YOU SO MUCH for letting us know!! We appreciate that so very much! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Linda Ridley says
Made this delicious chicken salad!!
Grated my apples skin on washed, celery plenty favorite ingredient ( chopped petite )red grapes seedless ( cut into 4 pieces )but check them had small seeds That may need to be removed. I added two boiled eggs as my mom said eggs make the salad. Just enough Dukes mayo ( favorite mayo) if u like it sweeter Hellman’s if you are like me too lazy to make
Dressing or actually in a hurry. Hope you enjoy my
Similar version —hats off to original recipe !!
Linda says
Wonderful recipe as is, however I added some julienned apples, dried cranberries, and chopped walnuts instead of the almonds and grapes. You could spread a little whole cranberry sauce to the bread for an amazing sweet-tart-savory sandwich!
Gloria Billings says
I added some Cosmic Crisp apple, diced (not peeled). That was a very nice additional flavor. Thanks for this recipe.
Kris Longwell says
Hi Gloria! Apple is a wonderful addition! Thanks so much for letting us know and thanks for the great review!! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Kelly says
Amazing. Best tasting chicken salad I’ve made. Such a great recipe and easy to throw together !
Kris Longwell says
Hey Kelly! Awesome! So glad you liked the chicken salad and thank you so much for letting us know! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Layla says
I loved the fresh taste of this recipe. It was exactly what I was looking for. I made a quarter of this recipe since there is only two of us. I used dried dill because that’s what we had. I used 1/2 tsp but it was a tad too much for my taste, so I’ll just add 1/4 tsp next time. I used walnuts because I love them and I’m not crazy about almonds. I doubled the red grapes because they are delicious. It was a great recipe that I’ll definitely make again.
Kris Longwell says
Hi Layla! All sounds wonderful!! So glad you enjoyed the chicken salad and your modifications sound great! And thanks for the great review. We appreciate that so much! Stay in touch! Kris & Wesley
Michelle says
I substituted some toasted pecans for the almonds and added a chopped honey crisp apple! Thanks for this delicious recipe!!
Kris Longwell says
Awesome! Sounds great! Thanks for letting us know!
Kim says
DELICIOUS!! Just made this tonight with 2 small rotisserie chickens. Not a big fan of chicken salad and never had almonds or grapes in it before; but I had faith and tried it. So glad I did. Flavors are absolutely wonderful! My husband loved it too! Thanks for making me a convert!
Kris Longwell says
Hey Kim! So happy to help lead you to a happy place with chicken salad! LOL!! Keep the faith with us and we’ll try our best to never steer you wrong! And THANK YOU SO MUCH for letting us know and the great review! Stay in touch!! Best, Kris & Wesley
Stacy says
Is the protein around 25 grams?
Kris Longwell says
Hi Stacy, between 20 and 25, is what our nutritional app is telling us. Hope this helps!
Miriam says
I love this recipe! I was wondering, Is there an ingredient you would recommend to add a tad more flavor? Spice? Heat? Not much just something to compliment what’s there and give just a little something “extra”.
Joshua Walker says
1/4 tsp Ground Cayenne Pepper or Crushed Red Pepper. It will get spicier the longer it sits.
Kris Longwell says
Hi Miriam!
So very sorry for the delayed response! As Joshua said, a bit of cayenne or red pepper would certainly add a little heat. As would cayenne hot pepper sauce (ie, Tabasco, Franks, Lousiana Hot Sauce). But, another one of our favorite additions is a little curry powder. Find some with some heat, and it is incredible in this dish! It inspired us to create our own Curry Chicken Salad! (click for recipe). And thank you SO MUCH for the great review. We appreciate that so very, very much!
Rhonda says
Love the recipe. I did tweek it just a bit and added purple onion it really brings out the flavor and I add a little garlic powder . But it’s a family favorite and I always get request . Great dish for luncheons and baby showers .