This is the ultimate Chicken Salad recipe! We call this ‘fancy’ Chicken Salad because of the dressing, grapes, and pecans, but it’s truly easy. This is a fresher and lightened-up version of classic chicken salad, and it’s perfect as a side dish, main course, or for meal prep. It’s especially easy if you use leftover rotisserie chicken.
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Helpful Reader Review
“Another winner. I was looking for a summer dinner, this was perfect. I served it on a bed of spinach & lettuce. My husband had 2 servings. It was perfect the next day for lunch, we made into sandwiches. Thank you for sharing!!” – Cindy ★★★★★
Chicken Salad Video
Watch my easy video tutorial where I walk you through all of my tips for making the best Chicken Salad.
I’ve made and tasted more chicken salads than I can count, and after years of tweaking, this is the one! It has a creamy dressing, but it feels so light and bright because of the lemon and fresh herbs in the dressing. The combination of sweet and savory flavors, and different textures makes this salad exciting and one you’ll make on repeat. This is my go-to lunch salad on busy work days, and it never disappoints. Plus, there are so many ways to serve and keep it exciting (see my serving suggestions below).
We love protein-packed salads like our Chicken Avocado Salad, Autumn Chopped Chicken Salad, and Cobb Salad. This creamy chicken salad is really the best combination of chicken salad and Waldorf salad which is a go-to for lunch. As a busy working mom, I always appreciate quick and easy lunch ideas.
Chicken Salad Ingredients
The 5 ingredients in this chicken salad are simple, but each one is important for the best taste, texture, and color. That said, there are plenty of variations that I’m sharing so you can use what you have on hand.
- Chicken – we use 2 large chicken breasts from a whole roasted chicken, but you can use rotisserie chicken, Baked Chicken Breast, or sautéed chicken breasts instead. Dark-meat chicken, like our quick-cooking Air Fryer Chicken Thighs will also work. I’ve even had good reports with readers using canned chicken in a pinch.
- Celery – adds a great crunch to the salad and lightens up the flavor (if you aren’t a fan of celery, we can still be friends, just replace with diced green apple, bell pepper or seeded diced cucumber.
- Grapes – add sweet juiciness to the salad. Just like in our Broccoli Grape Salad, the grapes are a refreshing addition and make the salad feel ‘fancy.’ You can sub for another fruit such as diced apples or pears or dried fruit like cranberries or raisins.
- Pecans – I suggest toasting the nuts on a dry skillet to really bring out their flavor. You can substitue with walnuts, cashews, sliced or slivered almonds, or sunflower seeds or pepitas.
- Red onion – finely chop half of a medium red onion, or you can add red onion to taste. If you prefer a milder onion flavor, try a vidalia sweet onion. You can also substitute chopped green onion, but red onion keeps better when refrigerated.
The Best Chicken Salad Dressing
This is similar to the dressing from my popular Broccoli Apple Salad. It’s creamy and tangy, and adding sour cream makes it lighter than just using mayo.
- Mayonnaise – use real mayo or homemade mayonnaise for the best flavor.
- Sour cream – we use full-fat sour cream, but you can substitute it with low-fat sour cream or fat-free Greek yogurt.
- Lemon juice – be sure to use freshly squeezed and not from concentrate.
- Dill – finely chopped fresh dill is our favorite, but you can substitute with 2 Tbsp of finely chopped fresh parsley. Fresh herbs really elevate this salad.
How to Make Chicken Salad
This easy chicken salad comes together so fast in one bowl, which is why it’s the ideal lunch option.
- Toast pecans – Place them on a dry skillet over medium/low heat and toss them frequently until they are golden and fragrant. Do not walk away from them because they can burn easily. Transfer to a cutting board to coarsely chop and set aside to cool, then add to a large bowl.
- Chop Chicken – dice cold chicken breast and add it to the mixing bowl. Note: We prefer the texture of chicken when it’s diced instead of shredded.
- Halve Grapes – Cut grapes in half with a serrated knife and add to the bowl.
- Chop celery and onion – cut celery sticks in half lengthwise then thinly slice and add to the bowl along with the chopped onion.
- Make Dressing – Combine the dressing ingredients in a dish and add dressing to the salad.
- Toss to combine – stir until salad is evenly coated in dressing, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
This easy chicken salad keeps well in the refrigerator, so it’s great for meal prep. If you are serving the salad with greens or on toast (see serving ideas below), store those separately from the salad so they don’t get soggy.
- To Refrigerate – Store the leftover chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, depending on how fresh the cooked chicken is. The USDA recommends storing cooked chicken for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
- Freezing – I do not recommend freezing chicken salad since the dressing can separate.
How to Serve Chicken Salad
Just like with a classic Tuna Salad, this chicken salad can be served as a side salad or as a main course:
- Over Mixed Greens – place your favorite greens such as arugula or mixed salad greens into a large bowl, top with the chicken salad, and serve.
- Lettuce Wraps – serving in lettuce cups is a great low-carb option for lunch.
- Croissant Sandwiches – Cut the croissants in half without cutting all the way through then fill it with the salad. It tastes like a bakery-quality sandwich.
- Crackers – pair with crunchy crackers for a quick snack. My favorites are Sourdough Crackers, or storebought Ritz or Wheat Thins.
- Pita Bread – we love to stuff a pita with chicken salad, it’s so simple and good.
I hope this creamy Chicken Salad gives you some great lunchtime inspiration. I’m convinced this will become your new favorite creamy chicken salad dressing – it’s easy and excellent.
Have you tried this easy chicken salad? I’d love to hear about any special twists or add-ins that you use.
Best Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Chicken Salad Ingredients:
- 1 lb cooked chicken breast meat, 4 cups diced*
- 2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
- 1 cup celery, (from 2-3 sticks celery), cut in half lengthwise then sliced
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped (1/2 medium red onion)
- 1 cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
Chicken Salad Dressing:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup sour cream, or plain Greek yogurt
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp dill, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Toast pecans on a dry skillet over medium/low heat and toast for 3-5 minutes, tossing frequently until golden and fragrant then transfer to a cutting board and coarsely chop and set aside to cool.
- Combine Salad Ingredients – In a large mixing bowl, combine diced chicken, halved grapes, sliced celery, chopped onion, and cooled pecans.
- Make the Dressing – In a small bowl, add all of the dressing ingredients and stir to combine.
- Add the dressing to the salad to taste and stir until the salad is evenly coated with dressing. Enjoy right away or cover and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days.
Notes
*Chicken Salad Variations
- Nuts – leave them out or try walnuts, almonds, or cashews.
- Fruit – instead of grapes, try diced apples, pears or dried fruit like cranberries or raisins.
- Onion – try sweet Vidalia onion, or chives for milder onion flavor.
- Celery – swap with green apple, bell pepper or seeded diced cucumber.
- Canned Chicken – it will work but you’ll have the best texture when using fresh, cooked chicken.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Easy Lunch Ideas
- Taco Salad
- Egg Salad
- Cheeseburger Sliders
- Reuben Sandwich
- Philly Cheesesteak
- Chickpea Salad
- Avocado Chicken Salad
- Sloppy Joes
Perfect recipe! I changed grape to apple and celery to fennel. It’s good anyway, thank You!
I made this today as I do not really do salad this is a great compromise and have to say instead of onion I used chives instead super lovely
I may just say this one of our appetizers using mini croissants and cut it in half. I thought it was a good recipe but I like chicken salad a bit sweeter and so I added cranberries as well as the grapes and a little bit of sugar. It was beautiful to look at and everybody enjoyed it.
Hi, Natasha Kitchen, I had chicken salad for dinner, I put croutons, grapes, and pickles on top, in the chicken salad, we put chicken breast, celery, salt, pepper, lemon juice, sour cream, mayo, salt, pepper, and dried dill.
Hi Ian! Thanks for sharing, it sounds very good!
Seriously good! As suggested, I sub the dill for my fresh-out-of-the-garden parsley. If sweltering summer heat is in the forecast, I cook up a couple of chicken breasts rubbed with olive oil and salt and pepper. I make the chicken salad a day ahead of time and when the temperature heats up we do not have to fire up the stove and we enjoy a nice cool and WONDERFULLY DELICIOUS summertime meal.
OMG, so delicious! I loved it and need to make more asap!
I made this today. I didn’t have grapes, so I used apples, as suggested. It was really good!
I only had two cups of chicken available so I made half the recipe and we inhaled it! Very good! I will definitely make sure I have more chicken next time! Thank you for this recipe!
So glad you loved the recipe, Chris! Thank you for sharing.
Quick question Natasha, I will be making this for a baby shower brunch and several can’t have the nuts or seeds. Do you think it would work without them? I know every recipe of yours I’ve made has always ROCKED, so I don’t want to do something to make it flop. 😁
Hi Jean, I have a few questions about this in the comments section, I recommend looking through them also, but you can omit if you would like or substitute. Or you can make half with them and half without.
This chicken salad was simply excellent. Instead of lemon juice and dill in dressing, I used pickle juice. Subtle, but tasty.
Great recipe! Will make for my girls luncheon this week. What do you suggest as a side to go with it?
Hi Anne, this salad goes wonderful on bread or croissants as a sandwich. It can be served as a side dish as well, it’s very versatile but when it’s the main dish, I like to serve it with another green salad, macaroni salad, soup, chips, veggie tray, etc.
My husband and I love this chicken salad on croissants on balmy summer evenings here in Northern Kentucky. It is a large recipe but keeps well in the refrigerator so we can enjoy stress free suppers for a few nights in a row. I get the large croissants and one stuffed with the chicken salad makes a meal for us 80+ year olds.
This is my favorite salad! I don’t know how many times I’ve made it!!! Very versatile too – I’ve substituted bell pepper for celery, sunflower seeds for pecans, and even apples for grapes depending on what I had in my fridge (1 substitute at a time, not all of them 😊). I don’t mess with a dressing because it’s absolutely delicious!
This salad tastes great with bread, on the bed of baby spinach, or – my favorite – just eating it with a spoon straight out of the mixing bowl 😁😁😁 Thank you, Natasha, for such an awesome recipe ❤️❤️❤️
Made the chicken salad and put it in a pita bread. Delicious!! I made it w/o the grapes. Thought I had some but they must have got ate up b/4 I got home. It was still good. Added red Chile power and parm cheese. Will be making this again. Love the texture the toasted pecans gave it.
My family loves your fancy chicken salad, we have it at least twice a month. Thank you!
That’s awesome, Tracy! Thank you for sharing.
Have you ever made this using crockpot chicken? If so, any suggestions on what to use in the crockpot? Thanks!
Hi there, yes you can use the crockpot. For great results, you can use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Add the chicken to the crockpot, pour in about ½ cup of low-sodium chicken broth to keep the chicken moist and add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low for 3–4 hours or until the chicken is fully cooked and easily shreds with a fork.
What a great salad and thanks for all the different combinations
Fantastic recipe! Love this chicken salad and will continue to make it for our family. Thank you for a great recipe.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Lisa!