Best-Ever Chicken Salad is really the perfect go-to chicken 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!
BEST-EVER CHICKEN SALAD IS EASY TO PREPARE
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 THIS RECIPE SO GOOD?
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 chicken salad 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 you can imagine!
HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE RECIPE ISN’T HARD TO MAKE
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!
I mean, just look how delicious this looks!
Wait until you taste it!! You and those around you will love it!
How about a close up of all this deliciousness?
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.
Now, ready to impress? Go and make this Best-Ever Chicken Salad!
And when you make it, take a picture and post to Instagram and tag @howtofeedaloon and #howtofeedaloon
Best-Ever Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 4 lbs chicken parts (bone-in, skin-on thighs and breasts work well) (You'll need about 4 cups)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup seedless grapes, halved (red and green varieties are great)
- 1 cup almonds, thinly sliced
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
- 2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Kosher salt (start with 1/2 teaspoon, then add more, to taste)
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Pre-heat 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, dll, & 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!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
great recipe – a keeper!
I love this recipe! I made it a few times but the most recent I added celery seed to complement the celery, and WOW it got even better! Thank you.
Wow! Celery seed sounds great! Thank you for letting us know and we are so happy you are enjoying the recipe! Stay in touch! Best, Kris & Wesley
ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS RECIPE ❤️❤️❤️
It’s my third time making it today and going to the store to get some rotisserie chicken! I’m going to try to make it with avocados this time
I absolutely recommend fresh dill it’s soooo good!!
Awesome!!!! We are so thrilled you love this chicken salad as much as we do!! Avocados sound heavenly!! Thanks so much for letting us know, Meg, and please stay in touch!! xo Kris & Wesley
It turned out heavenly thanks to you guys I ate it for breakfast yesterday with the mini croissants mmmm… My husband kept sneaking it from the container with chips in his hands lol we love your recipe!! Thank you soooooo much!!
Yay!!! Meg, that is such GREAT news! So happy you and your husband enjoyed it!! And thank YOU so much for letting us know. Means the world to us. Stay in touch! All the best, Kris & Wesley
This is a wonderful recipe and my family request it often. It would help for non pro chiefs such as myself if you would give the measurement for the dry dill and parsley, I don’t always have fresh on hand but always have dry spices in my pantry. Thank you for sharing this family favorite recipe.
We make slavic chicken noodle soup and save our chicken for our chicken salad. Thought i would find a new recipe, so I tried yours. It was zdumiewający ~! Even though with boiled chicken the texture is different, it worked out and tasted great. Thanks for your video too.
i really like your dish basically am pure vegii but i really like your recipe .
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Ok, so I broke out of my comfort zone and made this chicken salad. I normally make it the way I make tuna salad and am I glad I stretched my wings! I cook for a small school and the kids all gave this 2 thumbs up! I leery of the dill so I only got one thing and ended up adding dry as well. No nuts due to allergies and the grapes and dried cherries were on the side. Served these in ww pita. Still fabulous! Definitely will make again!
I love your recipe for the chicken salad and the homemade mayonnaise. I am making the mayo right now but it won’t get thick! Help! Any suggestions? I am using all of your ingredients including the avocado oil.
Hi!
I had the same trouble with the mayo. Apparently, you have to slowly add the oil as you blend the other ingredients. To fix the thin mayo- put 1 egg yolk in a separate bowl. Slowly start to add thin mayo mixture to the egg yolk while blending or whisking. It should start to thicken around 2 min.
This was so delicious – best chicken salad I have ever made!! I used two rotisserie chickens which required a bit more of the mayo mixture. As one of those rare people who don’t like celery, I subbed some baby bok choy ribs to keep the crunch! Can’t wait to try this base with some mango chutney and curry powder. Thanks so much!!
Man, oh man, that sounds great! I bet bok choy ribs were great! I’ve added curry before, and it’s divine. Thank you for letting us know and please stay in touch! Best, Kris & Wesley
I’ve been searching for a good chicken salad recipe and tho the dill weed scares me, I’m going to give this a shot. I do a slow broast of whole chickens the night before with the usual suspects (onion, carrot, celery, s/p. gallon of water, & bay leaves) as this also becomes a broth for another day. After deboning I let the bones and the cooked veggies continue to cook all day. I create lunch for a small private school so no nuts and the grapes, dried fruit, and possibly even the celery will be served on side as options along with shredded lettuce & tomato slices. It will be served on ww pita. Lots of homemade pickles and veggies accompany. I’ll let you know how this goes.
Sounds wonderful, Michele! We really hope you and the kids like it! Do let us know! 🙂 Kris & Wesley
Ok, so I broke out of my comfort zone and made this chicken salad. I normally make it the way I make tuna salad and am I glad I stretched my wings! I cook for a small school and the kids all gave this 2 thumbs up! I leery of the dill so I only got one thing and ended up adding dry as well. No nuts due to allergies and the grapes and dried cherries were on the side. Served these in ww pita. Still fabulous! Definitely will make again!
Hi Michele! That is so wonderful to hear! It’s fun to break out of that comfort zone every now and then, especially when you have success. And especially happy to hear that the kids liked it. Sound wonderful in a pita! We’ll definitely have to try that. Thanks so much for letting us know and thanks for the great review!! Please stay in touch. All the best, Kris & Wesley
I really enjoyed this! I think next time I will shred the chicken. Love this recipe! Thank you ^_^
Great, April! So glad you liked the recipe, we love it, too! Thanks for letting us know! Best, Kris & Wesley
This is the best chicken salad recipe but however the pictures show using fresh dill, not parsley. So I added the fresh dill and I will tell you does make it number one.
HI Georgie! Thank you so much! We agree, we think the addition of the fresh dill is one of the reasons this chicken salad is so delicious. The parsley is a nice touch, too. Please stay in touch! Best, Kris & Wesley
I give it 10 stars outta 5. I know the math does not add up but who cares!? This is a blessing and I am enjoying it!
A friend told me if I made it again to bring more to share. It was much enjoyed by my guests, some whom are not easily impressed, so thank you for sharing!
You just made our day, week, month!!! We are THRILLED that you had such success with the chicken salad. That is so wonderful to hear, and thank you so much for letting us know!! Please stay in touch!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
Can this be frozen after it’s all mixed up?
HI Darcy! Sorry for the delayed response…we’ve been out of town. Yes…this can be frozen once prepared. I would allow to thaw for at least 24 hours in the fridge. Let us know how it turns out. Thanks! Kris & Wesley
This chicken salad was absolutely delicious. My movie night girlfriends all enjoyed it.
Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Sharon so much for letting us know! And we are so happy you and the gals loved it! Sounds like a blast!! Best, and please stay in touch! Kris & Wesley
Definitely a great recipe. I reduced it by half since I had 2 lb of chicken, added a hint of California garlic powder and cashews, not almonds (personal preference).
I plan to use this recipe again for a get-together.
Thank you for the recipe, next is the homemade mayo!! 5 Stars for this recipe, God bless you and your skills, amigo!
Thank you so much! We are so thrilled you had success with and sounds like you made some delicious modifications to it…which is great! Thanks for letting us know, and do let us know how the mayo turns out! xoxoxo Kris & Wesley
OMG! This truly is the BESTEST chicken salad! Thank you! My cooking skills are 3/10 but this recipe is fail proof! I’ve been searching for a good chicken salad recipe for days now and luckily I landed here. My husband (who is the good cook in the house) was kind of doubtful as to what result I will produce but when he tasted it, he just couldn’t get enough of it!
We are from the Philippines by the way! (Salamat! Or thank you in English)
Hi Lalaine!!
Wow!! That is so fantastic to hear! Sounds like you made the dish perfectly!! Thank you so much for letting us know, and stay tuned…and please stay in touch! Best, Kris & Wesley
This recipe is amazing. It is so easy and so delicious. I had been CRAVING good chicken salad and this 100% hit the spot! I cannot wait to try more of your recipes:):):).
Thank you, Rachel!! That is so wonderful to hear! Thank you very much for letting us know and please do stay in touch and give the other recipes a try…we think you’ll like them, and when you, let us know what you think! All the best, Kris & Wesley
OMG – Best Ever is RIGHT!!!!! Added my almonds to the salad for that crisp texture – freshly toasted – and just before I served the chicken salad, in a cup of Belgian Endive, sprinkled just a few on top for that professional look. Add a Peach Bellini and you have a Girl Luncheon.
Trying this tomorrow, ( 7/31/18). I’ll let you know how well I do and if my company likes it. It definitely looks delicious. Glad I found you two on line.
Awesome, Victoria!! So glad you found us, too! And please do let us know what you think!! Kris & Wesley
I give this recipe 5 stars!
Y’all, I made this for a baby shower and omitted the nuts (in case there was an allergy), and everyone loved them!! It’s very savory and the grape helps sweeten it. It’s perfect!
Woo hoo!!!!! THANK YOU!!
Y’all, I made this for a baby shower and omitted the nuts (in case there was an allergy), and everyone loved them!! It’s very savory and the grape helps sweeten it. It’s perfect!
Yay!! Lauren! You just made our day!! That is so great to hear and we couldn’t be happier that you had success with this chicken salad! Thank you so much for letting us know, that really means a lot to us. xoxo Kris & Wesley
Can I do craisins instead of grapes? And walnuts instead of almonds? Same amounts?
Yes to both! Sounds delicious!! Let us know what you think!! Best, Kris & Wesley
Hello, I am hosting a baby shower and want to serve this on croissants. Do you think I could use cashews instead of almonds? Thanks for such a delish looking recipe. Also would it triple well? Thanks!!!
Hi Shawn! Cashews would be great. Maybe give them a little chop, but they would be great. And yes, we’ve had many folks triple (even quadruple) the recipe to great success. Let us know how it turns out!! Best, Kris & Wesley
Forgot to punch the Five Stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️‼️
Helene!! Thank you so much for letting us know and we are thrilled you had success not only with the chicken salad, but the homemade mayo, too. That is so fantastic. And thanks for subscribing! You are the BEST! Stay in touch!! xoxo Kris & Wesley
No dude. YOU GUYS are the best!
So looking forward to the next recipe! And being thoroughly [distracted from politics ] entertained<—
THANK YOU!!
Okay guys! Prepared everything earlier today and we are chilled to perfection. The mayo came out exactly as your video! I watched it a couple of times and followed the recipe to the letter and wag-lah, I have the bestest light yet very satisfying meal ready for friends and family. This chicken salad is amazing! Your instructions were precise and delivered fail-safe results! Thank you so much. No more store bought mayo for this group! Cheers :o)
(also, I’m a new subscriber)
Would boiled eggs be good in this recipe?
Yes!!! 🙂
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.
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
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!!
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.
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
Best Salad Recipe Ever
Keep Up The Good Work
Awesome
Thank you so much, Sam! We really appreciate it. We’ll keep ’em coming!! Kris & Wesley
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.
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
What I mean is for how long can I store it in my fridge before it goes bad.
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
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