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Avatar photoIsha Joe

Chicken Salad

This creamy chicken salad recipe has tender chicken, juicy grapes, crisp celery, red onion, toasted pecans, and a fresh lemon-dill dressing. It’s easy to make with cooked chicken breast, roast chicken, or rotisserie chicken. Serve it in sandwiches, wraps, lettuce cups, over greens, or with crackers. This makes 6 to 7 cups of chicken salad total.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 6 people
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 437
Ingredients Method Notes

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 chives, or parsley, finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

Method
 

  1. Toast pecans in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 3–5 minutes, tossing frequently, until golden and fragrant. Transfer to a cutting board, cool, then coarsely chop.
  2. Combine Salad Ingredients – In a large mixing bowl, combine diced chicken, halved grapes, sliced celery, chopped onion, and cooled pecans.
  3. Make the Dressing – In a small bowl, add all of the dressing ingredients and stir to combine. Add the dressing to taste and stir until evenly coated. Serve right away or cover and refrigerate for 1–2 hours for the best flavor.

Notes

*Use cooked and chilled chicken breast, rotisserie chicken, roast chicken, or baked chicken breast. Dice the chicken for the best texture.
Make-Ahead and Storage: 
  • Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days, depending on how fresh the cooked chicken was when you started. Keep chilled until serving and don’t leave it at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
  • Freezing: Freezing is not recommended since the creamy dressing can separate and the crunchy ingredients soften.
Variations: Swap pecans with walnuts, almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, or pepitas. Swap grapes with diced apples, pears, cranberries, or raisins. Use sweet onion, green onion, or chives for a milder onion flavor. Swap celery with green apple, bell pepper, or seeded diced cucumber.