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
Mary L says
I hope your comment can be deleted as it has no bearing whatsoever on the recipe. So why you had to comment to begin with is ridiculous. I will pray for you that God helps you find more constructive things to do in your life then to make an awful comment on a chicken salad recipe.
krislongwell says
God bless you, Mary.
Mary L says
Hi Kris and Wesley,
I just made the chicken salad and I took a taste and it is delicious. I have it in the fridge getting chilled for dinner later. So the only thing I did not do is add the dill. And that is because I went to two stores and no fresh dill. So when I got home I realized I had some Marzetti dill dip and so I added a tablespoon to the chicken salad. I was getting dill in there one way or another. So now I am debating on what I want to serve it with. This awesome tea house I go to puts the chicken salad in won ton cups. I have never tried this so going to look up if I can by them or if I have to make them. The chicken salad tasted great in them. It gave it a nice crunch. Well have a great evening an thanks for a great recipe.
krislongwell says
Hi Mary!
Don’t you hate that when the store is out of an ingredient! Well, sounds like you found a good solution. I do have to say I think the dill is one of the key herbs that makes this salad sing, but it sounds perfect what you did. And, the won ton cups sound wonderful. Love it! This salad is quite versatile, so I think it will be awesome served that way! Thanks for letting us know, and let us know what you and your loved ones think of it! Have a great meal and evening!! Kris & Wesley
Bev says
Our family has been making this for the past 35 years; the only thing different is we add 1 or 2 Tablespoons Capers and do not use the dill. We also use this as a salad and then we add 1-1/2 cups of cooked/rinsed/drained shell macaroni and serve on a leaf of lettuce, a slice or 2 of tomatoes and a couple slices of avocado (marinated in lime juice and black pepper). Amazing that our recipe is almost identical.
krislongwell says
Hey Bev! We LOVE capers! Your version sounds really good! And hey! Great cooks think alike, right? Thanks for sharing, and do please stay in touch!! Best, Kris & Wesley
Amy says
This really is the best chicken recipe salad! My husband and I absolutely LOVE it. It’s delicious fresh but it is even better the next day. Thank you so much for sharing this awesome recipe!
krislongwell says
Thank you so much, Amy!! We agree, it really is great just as it all comes together, but the next day…even better!! We are so glad you guys like it! Please stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley
Rosemary Gibson says
Do you have the nutritional breakdown for this recipe? I cannot wait to try it. I had Bariatric Surgery and am always looking for new ways to eat healthy food. This looks REALLY good.
Carolyn says
Which is right? Your video calls for 2 ribs of celery and 3 scallions. Your printed recipe calls for 1 rib of celery and 4 scallions. Pretty big change in flavor.
krislongwell says
Thanks Carolyn!! Great catch. I am always tweaking recipes over time. We did this video about a year after I first developed this recipe. When I make it now, I go with the 2 ribs of celery and 3 scallions. I decided to pull back on the scallions, even though I love them. I was looking for the perfect blend of flavors. Thanks again, and let us know how it turns out!! Best, Kris (& Wesley).
Allison says
Well it really is the best!! I have made this for our family when we go to bible conventions. I look for something that will taste great and keep nicely. This is golden!! Last time I made it, it was for a family that was new to our congregation and the kids loved it!! Thanks for helping me be not a peanut butter and jelly mom all of the time
krislongwell says
That’s awesome! Merry Christmas!!
Lynda van Leeuwen says
Wish I could get TimHortons to use this recipe in their Canadian stores! It is so much better than their current chicken salad sandwich, which I ordered yesterday because there was no egg salad! This is a lovely recipe!
krislongwell says
HI Lynn! Thank you so much. We kinda agree…I haven’t found a chicken salad recipe that beats this one. Took me a while to get it just right, but now it’s a favorite of ours and we really get a lot of positive feedback when good people like you give it a try. Thank you so much for letting us know, and please stay in touch! Kris & Wesley
Chris says
Hello,
I was hoping to get a serving size with calories so I can plan my other meals around this. Thank you!
krislongwell says
Hey there! 12 oz. per serving with 360 calories (using a light mayo). Enjoy!
Allison Ray says
Hello!
I was wondering how many calories would be in a typical serving size for the chicken salad by itself (no bread). Thanks!
krislongwell says
HI Allison!
One serving size is approx. 12 ounces. And if you go with a light mayo, the calories count per serving is 360. Hope this helps! Let us know how it turns out, if you make it. We’re pretty sure you’ll love it1
Chris says
Thank you so much for getting back to me! I made it on Sunday and it’s AMAZING! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
krislongwell says
Woo hoo!!! So glad y’all liked it!!
Abbey says
Simply amazing! My first time making chicken salad and so glad I chose this recipe. Made it for my boyfriend for the work week but I can’t stop eating it myself! Delish.
krislongwell says
That is awesome to hear, Abbey!! We are so glad you liked it. It is definitely one of our favorites! Thank you for letting us know! Stay in touch! Best, Kris and Wesley
Deanna says
This really is the BEST chicken salad ever! I made this last week while I was on vacation, using leftovers from another recipe where I had made crock pot Rotisserie Chicken and had leftover chicken meat. I pretty much ate the whole bowl by myself it was soooo good! I did let me 10 year old try some when he came home from school and he’s always skeptical about new things and he was like WOW mom! That’s really good! But I must admit that little bowl I gave him was all he got! The rest I ate through the week with wheat thin crackers, yum! I made as directed with the exception of I didn’t have any Dijon mustard so I substituted it with Chardonnay Mustard and I used my left over chicken from the previous meal mentioned. Thanks sooo much for sharing this recipe! I can’t wait to make this again!!
krislongwell says
Thank you, Deanna! We are SO thrilled to hear that you liked this chicken salad. It is definitely our favorite! And how awesome that your 10 year old son gave it a big thumbs up!! Thanks again for letting us know how it turned out! And do stay in touch! Kris & Wesley
Julia Sass says
Looks amazing! I want to make this for camping this weekend. How long will it keep in the fridge you think??
krislongwell says
HI Julia! This salad will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. I think it’s best when it sits over night and then you eat it the next day…the flavors really meld, yet everything is still very fresh. You could make it tomorrow and then head out camping the next day, and it will be perfect. You’ll just need to keep it in a cooler, obviously. Let us know how it turns out…and have a GREAT weekend camping. We’re jealous! 🙂 Kris & Wesley
Julia Sass says
Thank you so much for getting back to me so quickly!! I am going to make it today then. I will let you know how it turns out and how everyone likes it! Thanks again 🙂
Melissa says
This chicken salad is amazing! I can’t wait to taste is tomorrow after it has been in the fridge.
krislongwell says
Awesome!! How was it the next day? We LOVE it after it sits in the fridge over night! Stay in touch!! Kris & Wesley 🙂
Melissa says
Fantastic
krislongwell says
🙂
Neva says
Wow! I just made your Best Ever Chicken Salad and it is! It’s very different from the chicken salad my mom always made with boiled eggs and sweet pickle relish. I had mine on a croissant. It was so good I had seconds. I’ll be making it again soon. Thanks for sharing.
krislongwell says
Awesome!! Thanks for letting us know, Neva! Stay in touch!! 🙂
Tim Wiese says
Can’t wait to make & try your chicken salad recipe- it sounds great!! I love chicken salad with fruit & nuts in it- this sounds perfect on bread or just crackers for a snack!! Yummmmmmm!will make tomorrow for lunch!! With a rotisserie chicken for sure!!
krislongwell says
Awesome, Tim! We love it, too! Let us know what you think…we think you’re gonna like it! 🙂
Abby says
Hey I really wanted to make this chicken salad it looks so healthy j was wondering how many calories in this whole batch love your recipes!
Thank, Abby
krislongwell says
Hi Abby!
I don’t have the exact calorie count for this salad. You’ll run into some calories in the mayo, but not too much…I’d say less than 100 calories per serving. I don’t like my chicken salad to be too heavy with the mayo. All in all, this is a pretty healthy recipe. You could go with a low-cal mayo, but in my opinion, it will alter the taste too much. Hope you try it, though, and if you do…let us know what you think! Thanks, Kris & Wesley