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Home » Recipe Index » Lunch

Best-Ever Chicken Salad

Published: Jan 24, 2018 · Modified: Aug 11, 2020 by Kris Longwell · This post may contain affiliate links

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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!

best-ever chicken salad recipe

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

  • Best-Ever Tuna Salad
  • Classic Pasta Salad
  • Best-Ever Egg Salad
  • Best-Ever Potato Salad

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.

An immersion blender in a jar of homemade mayonnaise.

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.

Best-Ever Chicken Salad

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!

best-ever chicken salad recipe

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 recipe

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

chicken salad recipe

Best-Ever Chicken Salad

This Best-Ever Chicken Salad is really wonderful.  Perfect for incredible chicken salad sandwiches (croissants are great!), or ton top of a lovely bed of green.  Either way, you're just going to love this Best-Ever Chicken Salad!    Using our Homemade Mayo recipe makes it even better!
4.93 from 262 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: lunch
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 10 people
Calories: 273kcal
Author: Kris Longwell

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

You can prepare the chicken for up to two days in advance.  The dressing can be made 1 or 2 days in advance.  Assemble all ingredients day of serving.  We feel for best flavor, place assemble the salad in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours (or overnight), and then set out one hour before serving.
The salad is best served fresh but can be frozen.  Simply let thaw and then come to room temp.  To freshen the salad up, make a small batch of the dressing and stir in before serving.
We love serving this salad in croissants, although it's so delicious (and beautiful) over a bed of lettuce. 

Nutrition

Calories: 273kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 400mg | Potassium: 165mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 135IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe? Take a Picture!Mention @HowToFeedALoon or tag #HowToFeedALoon!

 

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Comments

  1. Colleen says

    January 24, 2018 at 5:34 pm

    Quick question – have a wet mustard allergy, would it be OK to use dry mustard? If so, how much? Thanks – love you guys. Found you with your Potatoes Dauphinois and fell head over heels!

    Reply
    • krislongwell says

      January 24, 2018 at 6:11 pm

      Hi Colleen!! It is so wonderful to hear from you, and thank you!! Sending lots of love back to you, too! Absolutely you can use dry mustard. I’d go with a teaspoon of dried mustard, and maybe add in 1/2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. Those two will work together nicely. Let us know how it turns out and please stay in touch! xoxo

      Reply
  2. Roger says

    January 16, 2018 at 9:03 pm

    5 stars
    Just made your chicken salad recipe just as you said to and it was awesome…shared the salad with a friend who liked it so much they asked for the recipe. You just made a new fan. Thanks guys.

    Reply
    • krislongwell says

      January 18, 2018 at 9:12 am

      Hi Roger! That is so fantastic to hear! We are so glad you guys loved the recipe! Thank you so much for letting us know, and please stay in touch! Best, Kris & Wesley

      Reply
  3. Jaznee says

    January 05, 2018 at 2:25 pm

    5 stars
    I tried this recipe but i didn’t add the almonds and instead of grapes i used pieces of apples and it was amazing will be making more soon i love you guys .

    Reply
    • krislongwell says

      January 05, 2018 at 7:56 pm

      Sounds awesome! Apples are wonderful in this chicken salad! Makes me want some right now! Thanks for reaching out to us and please stay in touch! Best, Kris & Wesley

      Reply
    • Diana says

      January 06, 2018 at 2:42 pm

      I tried this recipe today (without the grapes and almonds) and it was DELICIOUS, even my husband LOVED it. I made chicken salad stuffed tomatoes and wow!!! I do love chicken salad with grapes and nuts, so we will be doing this again adding both, just didn’t have them on hand. You are so right this recipe is so versatile that you can add/delete to your taste. The dressing is what makes this salad, there I’ll NEVER change a thing with that!!!! Thank you Thank you Thank you….

      Reply
      • krislongwell says

        January 06, 2018 at 6:32 pm

        Thanks, Diana!! You are so right, it’s all about the dressing! So very, very happy to hear that you and your hubby loved it! Please stay in touch!! All the best, Kris & Wesley

  4. Chris says

    January 04, 2018 at 7:31 pm

    5 stars
    Fantastic! I had some leftover chicken breast from another meal and thought this one looked like a winner and I was right. Thank you!

    Reply
    • krislongwell says

      January 05, 2018 at 7:55 pm

      That’s so great to hear! Thank you for letting us know!! Please stay in touch, Chris! Thanks again! Kris & Wesley

      Reply
  5. Jess says

    December 31, 2017 at 4:05 pm

    Absolutely delicious! Added cumin & worcestershire instead of salt. Yum…

    Reply
    • krislongwell says

      January 02, 2018 at 3:06 pm

      Yum! The additions sound fantastic!! Thanks for letting us know and please stay in touch!!
      Best,
      Kris & Wesley

      Reply
  6. Bubba says

    December 17, 2017 at 5:02 pm

    I had this several years ago and thought it was nasty. Still think it is. So the name is misleading since I know about 20 people that won’t touch it. To me it’s the Worst ever chicken salad.

    Reply
    • Mary says

      December 17, 2017 at 10:33 pm

      5 stars
      I am so surprised that you think this recipe is not a good one Bubba. What didn’t you like about it? Can you be specific. The chicken is whatever you like…store bought rotisserie or making your own chicken at home. That is a good part of the recipe. The other items are just regular items. There is nothing like horseradish or some crazy secret ingredient. So I am wondering if by chance you and your 20 friends are doing something incorrectly to make it be so nasty as you say. Almost all the rest of us think it is an awesome recipe. Oh and did your 20 friends also make it themselves or did they try yours?

      Reply
      • Dan Spalding says

        January 25, 2018 at 9:50 pm

        5 stars
        When I see a negative reply to a recipe that is so well liked, I can’t help but wonder if they are trying to act like they are a gastronome. And for someone to have 20 friends that hate it, I don’t believe it!!

      • Mary says

        January 26, 2018 at 1:37 pm

        5 stars
        I agree Dan. Maybe the criticism is because they themselves made some errors in the recipe and served it to people.

        This is one of the best chicken salad recipes out there. My step son called me, after I made it for him, to get the recipe, He makes it all the time now.

        Mary

  7. Camielle Holcombe says

    December 01, 2017 at 7:26 pm

    This recipe is awesome! I don’t use grapes or almonds, but I add giardiniera. It’s marvelous! If you’ve ever had potbelly, this comes close!

    Reply
    • krislongwell says

      December 04, 2017 at 3:27 pm

      Hi Camielle! We have had Potbelly, and love it. And we LOVE giardiniera (although I can never seem to spell it correctly!). Your version sounds wonderful. I think that’s what people like so much about this recipe, it’s very adaptable to your own tastes! Thanks so much for letting us know, and please stay in touch! Best, Kris & Wesley

      Reply
  8. Vickey says

    October 15, 2017 at 9:05 pm

    I made this for a baby shower. Everyone raved about it and personally, this is the best chicken salad I’ve ever made. One guest said she has never liked chicken salad, but this made her want more. I made the mayonnaise following your recipe and it was fabulous.
    Thanks for a great recipe. This will be my chicken salad recipe from now on.

    Reply
    • krislongwell says

      October 16, 2017 at 8:49 am

      Vickey, that is wonderful to hear, and thank you so much for letting us know. And that’s awesome that you made the mayo, too! I’m sure it was fantastic! So glad you and your guests like it. Nothing much better than that! xo Kris & Wesley

      Reply
  9. Jen says

    October 03, 2017 at 7:44 pm

    5 stars
    My son raved about a chicken salad sandwich with grapes he had at a wedding, so I searched for a recipe like it, and tried yours. Oh my!! The flavors balance beautifully. I had mine on Multigrain bread, and it was still delicious! And using a rotisserie chicken made this recipe so ridiculously fast, this is going to be a weekly meal for us. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!

    Reply
    • krislongwell says

      October 05, 2017 at 8:40 am

      That is awesome, Jen! Yes! Rotisserie chicken works wonderfully! Sometime when you’ve got a little extra time, try roasting the chicken, it’s pretty amazing, too. So glad you and the family liked it. And thank you so much for letting us know. Please stay in touch! Best, Kris & Wesley

      Reply
  10. Ruth says

    September 24, 2017 at 3:24 pm

    5 stars
    This is great; the combination of sweet with savory is just right . One I make that I got from my mother uses sweet western cantalope cut into bite size pieces , halved grapes, toasted slivered almonds, and chicken. I don’t have the amounts, I just eyeball what I want. Add mayonnaise and salt when ready to serve as it brings out the water in the cantalope. I have never served this that it was not liked and the recipe wanted. I think she tried to make a similar salad that she ate at the Pump Room in Chicago years ago.

    Reply
    • krislongwell says

      September 26, 2017 at 10:58 am

      That all sounds great, Ruth! This recipe is very adaptable to individual tastes. But we really do love it. It’s also our most popular recipe on the site! Thanks for letting us know, and please stay in touch! Best, Kris & Wesley

      Reply
  11. Becky says

    September 11, 2017 at 3:34 pm

    This is the best chicken salad recipe ever! Everyone loved it. It is excellent with croissants. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • krislongwell says

      September 12, 2017 at 9:08 am

      Becky, you just made our day! So glad to hear you all loved the chicken salad. We love it, too, and have it every chance we get! Thanks for letting us know, and please stay in touch! Kris & Wesley

      Reply
  12. Patti says

    September 11, 2017 at 2:05 pm

    5 stars
    My husband really likes this chicken salad and I thought I wouldn’t but I do! He asks for it all the time. Thank you for the recipe.

    Reply
    • krislongwell says

      September 12, 2017 at 9:09 am

      Woo hoo! That’s so great to hear! You guys have good TASTE! Thanks so much for letting us know. All the best, Kris & Wesley

      Reply
  13. Linda T says

    September 09, 2017 at 6:39 pm

    I am anxious to try your recipe. It sounds so good and your contributors seemed to love it. One day recently I was in a hurry and didn’t have all these ingredients so I used canned chicken, mayonnaise, CRAISINS, and pecans and it was delicious, especially for a quick meal. Probably doesn’t compare to all your delicious ingredients so I will try yours soon.

    Reply
  14. Debbie says

    September 04, 2017 at 7:55 pm

    Fixing your chicken salad and serving in mini croissants for my niece’s baby shower.
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • krislongwell says

      September 04, 2017 at 8:19 pm

      Woo hoo!! We really, really hope everyone loves it at the baby shower! How wonderful! Hope mommy and baby are doing well and we send our best! Thanks for letting us know about the recipe. Stay in touch! xoxoxo Kris & Wesley

      Reply
  15. Brittany says

    August 22, 2017 at 8:44 am

    Does anyone know how many calories are in a serving?

    Reply
  16. Jennifer says

    August 16, 2017 at 1:15 am

    This is the only recipe for chicken salad that my family will eat. My past chicken salad was boring and bland. So glad I found this one. Actually making it for dinner tomorrow. Thanks.

    Reply
    • krislongwell says

      August 16, 2017 at 9:14 am

      Awesome!! That is so great to hear! It’s not always easy to keep the family happy! 🙂 Glad we could help!! And thanks so much for letting us know. Best, Kris & Wesley.

      Reply
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Welcome!

Kris & Wesley (The Loon) live for fun, food, and fabulousness. "How to Feed a Loon" is a celebration of just that. Come join us on this joyous culinary ride.

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