How To Make Quick And Easy Chicken Salad
Letting this sit in the fridge for a bit, helps meld the flavors together. Shoot for at least an hour. In a medium sized bowl combine the chicken, grapes, pecans, green onions, celery, mayonnaise, lemon, and mustard. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with croissants, romaine, or with crackers. This chicken salad is always so fun for everyone to make their own sandwich or add it on top of green lettuce.
Roast Chicken Salad Sandwiches
There are a variety of ways you can cook chicken to put in your chicken salad. You can poach, sear, bake, fry or roast it to create the best flavor profile for the type of chicken salad you are looking to make. For this recipe, roasting the chicken develops a beautiful brown, crispy skin and, with the addition of lemon and fresh herbs, creates a juicy, tender, bright meat to use as the base of the salad. To save prep and cook time, whip up some homemade mayonnaise and chop up lots of fresh herbs and celery while the chicken cooks.
Get the Recipe: Roast Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Easy Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad Recipe
What should I make for dinner tonight? This might just be the number one question that we ask ourselves almost daily over here.
Then you have come to the right place, we have rounded up 15 easy grilled chicken caesar salad recipe that we have shared over the years.
Plus, there is such a variety of flavours in these recipes, so you are sure to find something for you. Most of these recipes are quick and easy ones made especially for busy weeknights.
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Why You’ll Love It
This homemade chicken salad recipe is great for easy lunches or fun occasions like picnics. Bring it to work for a healthier and less expensive lunch than getting fast food. There are plenty of fresh ingredients that make this taste way less one-dimensional than your average grocery store chicken salad! It’s definitely worth making at home.
I kept this recipe really simple so that it will appeal to a wide variety of tastes and also so you can change it up if you feel like it. Apple is the not-so-secret ingredient in my version of this popular recipe. It adds a sweet and tart flavor as well as a supremely satisfying crunch!
Equipment I Love For This Recipe
A food processor and Instant pot are my two highly recommended pieces of equipment for this recipe. Sure, you can get by without it, but both of these are some of my most loved kitchen tools. They just have so many uses!
A note on affiliate links: This just means I get a small commission when you order these items using these links. It helps support the blog and I really appreciate it!
Read Also: Chili’s Buffalo Chicken Salad
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Tips for Making Chicken Salad
- This recipe calls for almonds but you can use other types of nuts like pecans, walnuts, or cashews.
- Replace the mayo with pureed avocado and sour cream for an avocado chicken salad.
- Cut the calories in this recipe by using Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise.
- This recipe takes a total time of 5 minutes to throw together, but youll want to refrigerate it for at least an hour to give the flavors a chance to come together.
- Make BBQ chicken salad by adding 2-3 tablespoons of your favorite BBQ sauce in place of some of the mayonnaise.
How to Store Chicken Salad
- Serve: Dont leave it out at room temperature for more than two hours for food safety.
- Store: Chicken salad will last refrigerated for 3-4 days, wrapped tightly with plastic wrap.
- Freeze: It is not recommended that you freeze chicken salad because the mayonnaise will separate when defrosting. You can freeze the cooked chicken, then just defrost it in the refrigerator the day before you want to make the salad, and add the other fresh ingredients the day of.
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About the Author: Sabrina Snyder
Sabrina is a professionally trained Private Chef of over 10 years with ServSafe Manager certification in food safety. She creates all the recipes here on Dinner, then Dessert, fueled in no small part by her love for bacon.
Sabrina lives with her family in sunny California.
How Do You Make Plain Chicken Salad
I am not opposed to gourmet chicken salad with nuts, fruit, fancy spices and dried fruit. But for a sandwich, nothing beats this basic chicken salad recipe. Just those three simple ingredients, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and no more.
If youre looking for a good, easy chicken salad recipe without celery, like my dad, this is it.
If you like your chicken salad without eggs , like I do, this will make your belly happy. Ive never really understood why people put boiled eggs in chicken salad. No thanks!
You dont really need a recipe, but Im including one at the end of this post so you can get the proportions right.
Now, Im pretty sure chicken salad is eaten everywhere from east to west, north to south and everywhere in between. But in my mind, its a quintessentially southern food, the kind of thing youll find at summer picnics or church potlucks or baby showers, served out of a big Tupperware bowl alongside the sweet tea, baked beans, potato salad, pimento cheese and mandarin orange JELL-O salad.
But no matter where yall are from, I know you can appreciate a good meal, especially a simple one that can be fancied up depending on the occasion.
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How Can I Make Chicken Salad Healthier
Many people ask, Is chicken salad healthy? Chicken salad can definitely fit into your healthy-eating planwith a few tasty tweaks. Use lean, white breast meat to start. To cut back on the fat and calories from mayonnaise, incorporate mashed avocado, plain Greek yogurt or vegan mayonnaise When choosing your crunchy ingredients, opt for fresh, chopped veggies like onions, green bell peppers or carrots. Finally, serve your chicken salad in a lettuce wedge or over a mixed greens salad for more nutrients without the extra carbs.
Can I Use Something Besides Pickle Relish
The pickle relish in this recipe provides a lot of flavor, thanks to the sweetness and tartness of the pickle brine.
I do recommend you use sweet relish, not dill pickle relish. You can also dice up some sweet pickles if you dont have any relish on hand.
And I bet some sweet and spicy pepper jelly used in place of the relish would be pretty tasty.
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Chicken Salad Avocado And Cheddar Panini
These Chicken Salad, Avocado and Cheddar Paninis strike a balance between bright vibrancy and rich, buttery deliciousness. The salad itself consists of tender chicken, red grapes, slivered almonds, pecans, onion, Granny Smith apple, dried cranberries and lots of salt and pepper, each of which adds a fresh flavor and strong texture to the salad. Once assembled on a croissant with avocado and plenty of cheddar, the brighter elements of the chicken salad balance the richness of the other sandwich elements. Enjoy for brunch, lunch, dinner, daytime snack, midnight snack, elevenses, etc. .
Get the Recipe: Chicken Salad, Avocado and Cheddar Panini
Ingredients In Chicken Salad
Chicken:
- Use leftovers from last nights dinner or leftover rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken.
- To Make Chicken for chicken salad I like to use either poached chicken or baked chicken breasts or thighs.
- You can use canned chicken in a pinch but of course fresh is best when possible.
- Ensure the chicken is cooled and shred or chop the chicken into bite sized pieces.
Add-ins:
- As this is a classic chicken salad recipe, Ive kept the additions to a minimum. Celery for crunch, green onions for flavor.
- This recipe can be made with a variety of nuts, veggies, and fruit for added flavor and texture.
- Chicken salad with grapes, avocado or dried cranberries is a favorite. Pecans or almonds pair well with this recipe.
Dressing:
- Mayonnaise is the base of this recipe and its simply seasoned.
- You can get creative and substitute some of the mayo for ranch dressing or your favorite salad dressing recipe.
- Create an Avocado Chicken Salad by replacing some of the mayonnaise with mashed avocado.
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What To Serve With Chicken Salad Sandwich
There are a few ways to present this amazing chicken salad. Spread it on a flakey croissant, , serve with ritz crackers and a vegetable tray, or serve in lettuce cups for a low carb option. Salty potato chips, in my opinion, are a must, but there are other options that will still make a satisfying meal, whether its lunch or dinner. Serve with a wonderful cup of soup, some fruit, and vegetables with this incredible dip and youve got it made!
Dressings, Sauces, and Dips
Pineapple Chicken Salad With Grapes
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Chicken Salad with Grapes is the perfect simple meal and a great twist on a classic Chicken Salad. Its flavorful with lots of texture and color.This easy salad can be made with leftover Oven Baked Chicken Breasts or rotisserie chicken!
Serve this as an easy weeknight meal with a tossed salad or make it ahead of time to enjoy for lunch throughout the week.
In partnership with Nestea
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How Do You Make A Grilled Chicken Salad Wrap
To assemble:
Place 2 ounces of chicken on top of the lettuce and then spread ½ tablespoon of mustard. Add 1 tablespoon each of onions, carrots, and cheese, & roughly ¼ lemon zest. Then fold the tortilla into a wrap. Place your tortillas onto the griddle & lightly sear on all sides for 3 minutes on each side.
The Best Chicken Salad
This Chicken Salad is truly divine. At first glance you might balk at the grapes, but trust me, they make the salad exquisite. The sweet crunch of the grapes combines beautifully with the chicken and richness of the mayo. The celery and pecans create nice crunch to the chicken salad that elevates it to the next level.
I love using this for picnics and special lunches. It is so easy to make but it is so fancy at the same time. Chicken Salad comes together in a flash so you can have this on the table in no time. And you will love how it is so versatile as well, serve it as a wrap, on a croissant, on some rye bread, or in a lettuce bowl. However you serve it, just make it! You are going to love it, it is so divine!
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Make Chicken Salad Again And Again With These Kitchenware Essentials
Stir together gently
Until everything is thoroughly coated.
Now, if youre feeling particularly naughty and saucy and feisty, please sprinkle in some homemade OR, in my case, STOREBOUGHT bacon bits. Again, dont overdo itjust a little bacon flavor will do.
Now, I have fried up thick, peppered bacon, chopped it fine, and sprinkled it in the chicken salad before, and it was almost too delicious for me to bear. So try that sometimebut enter at your own risk.
Now, taste it, salt it, pepper it, add more dillwhatever you need to do to make it perfect. Just remember to fold/stir gently throughout this process.
And when youre finished, do this! Because Martha might be watching.
Now, just allow the chicken salad to chill several hours or even overnightlong enough for the flavors to really meld.
Then, when youre ready, just serve the chicken salad on a bed of lettuceor in hollowed-out heads of cabbage, or hollowed-out bell peppersor put it on English Muffins, top with cheese, and broilor stir in with shell pasta for chicken pasta salad. Yum.
Or! If youre me, you can do this:
Grainy wheat bread.
Toasted. And did you know Id been married nine years before I even owned a toaster? True story.
Honey mustard.
Baby Spinach. And plenty of it.
Chicken salad
How Do You Make A Chicken Caesar Salad
Tear 1 large cos or romaine lettuce into large pieces and put in a large bowl. Pull chicken into bite-size strips and scatter half over the leaves, along with half the croutons. Add most of the dressing and toss with your fingers. Scatter the rest of the chicken and croutons, then drizzle with the remaining dressing.
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Other Great Picnic Recipes
If you are looking for other great recipes to bring to a picnic, consider some of these options:
- My Corn Salad is always a hit!
- Everyone will love this Healthy Potato Salad. The dressing is amazing.
- My Strawberry Spinach Salad would go perfectly with this.
If you make this chicken salad recipe or any of my other recipes, leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
How Long Will This Chicken Salad Keep
You can make this salad a day or two ahead of time if you wait to add the lettuce until right before serving. The salad will keep for several days in the fridge, but the lettuce will lose its crunch and get all wilty, so you may want to leave the lettuce out if you expect to have leftovers.
Do you have a favorite chicken salad recipe? Please let us know about it in the comments.
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Easy Basic Chicken Salad No Celery
Ill break down for you the substitutions and methods that can be used to make this easy chicken salad recipe. Every recipe should be somewhat adaptable in my book. This is a great recipe to improvise with because its versatile.
I like to use chicken breasts for my chicken salad because they are lean and healthy, but if you are in a pinch a rotisserie chicken works just fine. Dark meat chicken just wouldnt be very appetizing here.
While I prefer to use red onion, green onions or white onions will work just fine. If youre trying to make this chicken salad even lighter you can replace half the mayo with light sour cream or non fat Greek Yogurt.
I love how the sweet pickle relish plays with the zing of the dijon mustard, but if you prefer , you can replace that with dill pickles or relish for a tangier flavor profile. A little lemon juice is also nice here.
If you want a sweeter application, you could add cut up green apples or seedless grapes to the mix. Some like to add hard boiled eggs, but sorry for me thats verging on egg salad. You do you though!
The Best Chicken Salad Recipe
I dont know about you but I am pretty picky about chicken salad and this is the best chicken salad recipe! It has the perfect blend of chicken, veggies and seasonings.
In the past, I have tried chicken salad that was too runny or had way too much mayo and not enough chicken. Then you have the chicken salad that is just too dry and tastes bland.
Chicken salad really has to be just right. This is a great recipe.
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Chicken Salad With Herb Mayonnaise
This herby chicken salad uses roasted chicken breasts, but rotisserie chicken works well, too. Parsley, dill, chives, oregano, and lemon juice give the salad a lively flavor. Serve in lettuce cups, or in sandwich bread with sliced tomato and lettuce. Add deep-fried sweet potato chips to the plate for a delicious lunch.
Breaded Chicken Salad With Grapes Honey Almonds And Broccoli
Crunchy grapes, a sweet touch of honey, savory almonds, and crisp broccoli make this medley a yummy one. While the chicken bakes in the oven, you can prepare the rest of the saladyou’ll have a meal in 20 minutes.
Recipe: Hot Chicken Salad
The combination of pimentos, Cheddar cheese, water chestnuts, and a potato chip crust give this unconventional baked chicken salad nice layers of texture and flavor. It’ll be your new go-to party dish, as it can be enjoyed as a dip or all on its own.
We jazzed up the traditional Caesar salad by roasting the lettuce, which caramelizes it, and making a few tweaks to a store-bought dressing to give it a homemade spin.
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How To Make Chicken Salad
Prepare a classic chicken salad in 15 minutes with only a few simple ingredients.
For this chicken salad sandwich recipe, any bread will do, thick slices of a baguette or buns/rolls hold up well. This is naturally low carb and its great over a tossed salad as well.
Can I Make Chicken Salad With Canned Chicken
When it comes to the three basic ingredients in this easy homemade chicken salad recipe, you have flexibility there, too. You can poach a chicken breast or use leftover grilled or rotisserie chicken or open up a can of white-meat chicken. If using leftover chicken, you just want to make sure to shred it, using two forks or your mixer, before making the chicken salad.
My mom usually made this chicken salad using canned Swansons or Tyson chicken breast. I usually keep some canned chicken breast in my pantry so I can make this southern chicken salad at a moments notice.
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