Traditional Chicken Salad

I love chicken salad, and I love making it for parties and get-togethers. It’s sweet, savory, and satisfying. Red grapes add a pop of sweetness, and almonds add a little crunch. And the best part? It’s super easy to throw together. Just add the ingredients and mix.

For more tasty chicken salads, try our Curry Chicken Salad.

What’s great about chicken salad is how easy it is to customize. You can choose which mix-ins you like and what kind of flavor you want. You can make it tangier with dill and pickles, or keep the simple, garden flavors of celery and grapes. You can make it for a luncheon, a shower, a barbecue, or for a lighter dinner.

Ingredient Notes

• Chicken: Cooked and chopped. Rotisserie chicken or canned chicken are good time-savers.
• Celery: Adds a nice crunch. If not available, try using cucumber or apple for a different texture.
• Sweet Onion: For a milder flavor, shallots or green onions can be used.
• Red Grapes: Add a sweet touch. Dried cranberries, dried figs, mandarin oranges, pineapple chunks, or chopped apples are great alternatives.
• Almonds: Walnuts or pecans can be used instead.
• Mayonnaise: Substitute with Greek yogurt, low-fat mayo, or Miracle Whip.
• Lemon Juice: Fresh is best, but bottled works in a pinch.
• Mustard: Any type of mustard can be used, depending on your taste preference.

Chicken Options

This recipe calls for shredded cooked chicken and that comes with all sorts of options.

Rotisserie Chicken – many American grocery stores sell cooked rotisserie chickens that you can buy and shred. It’s often a “loss leader,” which means they sell it for less than it actually costs to mak,e so it can be a great deal. Many stores are also now offering the rotisserie chicken pre-shredded and packaged, too!

Frozen Cooked Chicken – check out the freezer section of your grocery store for pre-cooked chicken strips and chunks.

Boiled Chicken – Simply boil 2 chicken breasts (about 1 pound) in either water or chicken broth (for more flavor) for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain and shred chicken with a fork.

Bake Your Own Chicken – lay chicken breasts out into a lightly greased 9×13 pan. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until cooked through. Then shred or roughly chop.

Make-Ahead Instructions

This is the perfect make-ahead meal. In fact, this cold salad is even tastier if it’s been left in the fridge for a couple of hours or even an entire day before you eat it! This is great news if you want to prepare for a picnic or simply make a cold lunch ahead of time. Simply follow the instructions and cover your salad tightly with plastic wrap before storing it in the fridge.

Serving Suggestions

There’s no wrong way to serve curry chicken salad, and there really are so many options. It’s kind of nice because it makes it perfect for so many different occasions.

On a Croissant: Nothing beats a flaky croissant stuffed with curry chicken salad. It feels a little fancy. You could also use various other buns and rolls, but croissant is the classic.

In a Lettuce Wrap: If you want something lighter, scoop it into a big piece of butter lettuce or romaine leaves.

Wrapped in a Tortilla: Roll it up with some spinach or greens in a tortilla and you’ve got an easy wrap that travels well.

Stuffed in an Avocado: Slice an avocado in half and load it up. It’s fresh, filling, and just feels a little extra (in the best way).

Over a Salad: Go more old school and scoop it on top of your favorite greens for a super quick salad.

With Crackers: Scoop it up with your favorite crackers or pita chips for an easy snack board situation or appetizer.