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
Veka says
Love, love, love with a capital ‘L’! Served this for my in-laws at a brunch style gathering and it was a big hit. I’m keeping this receipe forever and making often! Thank you for posting.
krislongwell says
Veka!! Thank you so very much!! That makes us so happy to hear that you provided such a hit for the in-laws! We know that’s not always easy to do!! :). So glad you all enjoyed the recipe and sounds like you prepared it perfectly. Please stay in touch!! Best, Kris & Wesley
Sharon says
PERFECTION… complete awesomeness. Really I’m sure you know that based on all your comments. But I just had to take a moment to thank you very kindly from Canada! I usually never comment on recipes because I am a very picky home chef; but this left my family salivating for more! I did add a bit of chilli powder, and served it on lettuce leaves, as lettuce wraps. Fabulous, wonderful, and bravo!!
Camille says
Love this recipe! I particularly like the sweetness of the grapes with the crunch of the almonds! This will be my go to chicken salad recipe! Thanks.
krislongwell says
Thank you, Camille!! We agree, we really like the sweetness of the grapes (but not too sweet!) and those almonds are subtle but add such nice texture. Thank you SO MUCH for taking the time to let us know. Means a lot!! And we are so glad you enjoyed it! Stay in touch!! Best, Kris & Wesley
Sam Saha says
Best Salad Recipe Ever
Keep Up The Good Work
Awesome
The Loon says
Thank you so much, Sam! We really appreciate it. We’ll keep ’em coming!! Kris & Wesley
Jay says
Thank you for this recipe! This is the best chicken salad I’ve ever made. I finally found a keeper. Will be making this for years to come.
krislongwell says
Wow, Jay! That is so awesome to hear! We are so happy you enjoyed the recipe! It is definitely one of our all-time favorites. Thanks again! Best, Kris & Wesley
Rita says
What I mean is for how long can I store it in my fridge before it goes bad.
krislongwell says
Hi Rita! It’s all fully cooked, so it could easily stay in the fridge in a container for a week. It will not be quite as fresh (obviously), but will still be fine for eating (and still very delicious!). You can also freeze for up to two months. Enjoy!! Best, Kris & Wesley
krislongwell says
Hi Rita! It’s all fully cooked, so it could easily stay in the fridge in a container for a week. It will not be quite as fresh (obviously), but will still be fine for eating (and still very delicious!). You can also freeze for up to two months. Enjoy!! Best, Kris & Wesley
Rita says
How long do you think this will last in my fridge? It’s delicious!
SG says
Just made this for 50 volunteers and it was a HUGE hit… thankfully I hid a bowl of it away for my sister-in-law and myself for after we were done serving everyone. My husband says it’s the best he’s ever had… even better than his Momma’s (but we won’t tell her that). Whoa!
Can you please tell me how many servings one batch of your recipe makes? I’m trying to figure out how much I can eat of it, without overdoing it, although it’s very hard to step away from the bowl.
krislongwell says
Hello!! That is absolutely amazing and so wonderful to hear! How wonderful for you to make this for 50 volunteers! You can get quite a few servings out of one batch. If you’re using approx. 4 cups of cooked chicken, you could easily get 8 – 12 servings out of it. If you’re making sandwiches (not overly stuffed), you should be able to easily get 10 sandwiches out it.
We really hope this helps, and again…thank you so much for letting us know how you (and your husband and volunteers) liked it. That means so much to us.
Best, Kris & Wesley
Jaci says
Good afternoon from Missouri. I just cooked the chicken in our instant pot and waiting for it is your wonderful dressing. Can’t wait to incorporate them and chill to enjoy for dinner. Thank you for the recipe and wonderful video.
krislongwell says
Hi Jaci! We love Missouri and have lots of relatives there!! My mom and dad met at college in Missouri (Central Methodist) and so that state holds a dear place in our hearts! Great idea about cooking the chicken in the amazing Instant Pot! Can hardly wait to hear what you think of the salad. Let us know! xoxo Kris (& Wesley)
Taylor says
I am planning on making this for my baby shower this weekend. Expecting to serve about 30 people, and will be using miniature croissants. Probably making about four dozen sandwiches. Would doubling or tripling this recipe work best? Thanks in advance. 🙂
krislongwell says
Hi Taylor! Woo hoo! Baby shower! That’s a lot of work, but we’ve got a feeling you’ve got it under control and it will be stellar! Well, I’d probably say you might want to consider tripling it. I know that seems like a lot, and depending on how you stuff the sandwiches, you might have some left over. But we’ve had lots of folks ask us this before, and several have said guests liked the chicken salad so much, they gave the left-overs as parting gifts. I know that sounds crazy, but we hear it quite a bit. My rule of thumb is to make sure you have enough, and if you’ve got some left over, you’ll find something to do with. Please let us know how it turns out. And best of luck with the baby shower and especially the mother-to-be!! Yay!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Natalie Ellis says
Such an amazing salad However, I’m wondering what is the difference between boiling chicken and toasting chicken? And which one is more delicious?
krislongwell says
Hi Natalie! Fantastic…well, I’m partial to roasting the chicken. If you don’t overcook it (until 165°F), you’ll have a nice juicy chicken with flavor locked in from the roasted skin and bone (that of course you’ll discard). Let us know what you think! Best, Kris & Wesley
Lynne says
I made this for a luncheon and there was none left over for me! Life is so unfair! I made another batch and it is absolutely delicious.
T says
So you give two stars? That makes sense..
Zee Bass says
Why only 2 stars, we Really curious?
Dave says
Cooked my chicken sous vide, 4 hours, then made this salad, tender and good. Thanks for this recipe.
krislongwell says
Oooohhh…yes…sous vide…nice. Thanks for letting us know!! Kris & Wesley
A. Kniestedt says
Best chicken salad ever!!!
So happy about finding this recipe!
krislongwell says
Yay!!!! So glad you liked it! The Best-Ever Tuna Salad is really good, too!! Thanks for letting us know!! 🙂 Kris & Wesley
Martha says
Alright you guys! This is the crack of chicken salads! I took this to a meeting and it was a hit with all of the ladies. I used apple instead of the grapes and left out the almonds due to allergies. The star of the show is definitely the fresh dill. It really put the whole dish over the top. I tried to make the mayo but it was a fail. I can’t even imagine how good it would be if I had been able to use it. Thanks!
faith says
This was a delicious way to use my leftover chicken, so good! Due to pantry restrictions, I substituted grape tomatoes for grapes, pistachios for almonds, and chives for scallions ~ and it was divine. Thanks for the recipe.