Classic Chicken Salad
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Whip up my classic chicken salad recipe, a tried-and-true favorite for picnics, gatherings, or simply turning last night’s leftovers into today’s tasty lunch. It’s everything you love about deli-style chicken salad, only better!
Everyone should have a trusty chicken salad recipe in their back pocket—whether it’s for a sunny picnic, hosting friends for a mid-day meal, or simply transforming last night’s leftovers into today’s delicious lunch. Over the years, I’ve shared several of my favorite versions with you, from curried chicken salad to chicken salad with grapes and almonds. Yet, this is the classic recipe that I turn to time and again. It’s simple, creamy, and packed with flavor—similar to the chicken salad you’d find at many delis, but even better in my opinion, and without any “weird stuff” in it, as my kids would say.
The key is using tender, juicy chicken. I typically use tender poached chicken, but a store-bought rotisserie chicken works great too. Whether served on a bed of greens, tucked into a wrap, or piled into a hearty sandwich, this chicken salad is a hit every time.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Classic Chicken Salad
- Mayonnaise: Serves as the creamy base that binds all the ingredients together. Use a good brand such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s.
- Sour cream: Adds a tangy flavor and creaminess, enhancing the texture and depth of the salad.
- Fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon): Provides a bright, acidic note that balances the richness of the mayonnaise and sour cream.
- Cooked shredded chicken: You’ll need 4-1/2 cups. Poached chicken, leftover grilled chicken, or roasted/rotisserie chicken all work well.
- Scallions: Add a mild, slightly sharp flavor and a bit of crunch.
- Celery: Contributes a crisp texture and a fresh, slightly bitter taste that complements the creamy elements.
- Fresh dill and parsley: These herbs provide a burst of freshness and color.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Make the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, mustard, salt, sugar, and pepper.
To the dressing, add the chicken, scallions, celery, dill, and parsley.
Toss until evenly combined. (If using a rotisserie chicken, be careful when mixing so that it doesn’t fall apart too much.) Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Chicken salad can be made and stored in the refrigerator up to 2 days before serving.
Homemade chicken salad made with fresh-cooked chicken typically lasts for 3 to 4 days when stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator. However, if you’re using leftover chicken that’s already been in the fridge for a couple of days, the shelf life of your chicken salad might be reduced. Always take into account the freshness of your starting ingredients.
I don’t recommend freezing chicken salad because of the mayonnaise and dairy-based dressing, as it can separate and become watery when thawed. If you need to prepare chicken salad in advance, it’s better to freeze the cooked chicken alone and then mix it with fresh dressing and other ingredients once you’re ready to serve.
Video Tutorial
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Classic Chicken Salad
Whip up my classic chicken salad recipe, a tried-and-true favorite for picnics, gatherings, or simply turning last night’s leftovers into today’s tasty lunch. It’s everything you love about deli-style chicken salad, only better!
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's or Duke's
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
- 1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4½ cups cooked shredded chicken (see note)
- 3 scallions, light and dark green parts, thinly sliced
- 2 ribs celery, finely diced
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped Italian parsley
Instructions
- Make the dressing: In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, mustard, salt, sugar, and pepper.
- To the dressing, add the chicken, scallions, celery, dill, and parsley. Toss until evenly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Note: Poached chicken, leftover grilled chicken, or roasted/rotisserie chicken all work well for this recipe. If you'd like to roast bone-in chicken, you'll need 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange the chicken breasts skin-side up on the prepared baking sheet. Coat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, or until done. Let cool before shredding.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: This salad can be made and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 431
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Sodium: 393 mg
- Cholesterol: 94 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Excellent classic chicken salad, Ms. Segal. I added 1 teaspoon of my low temperature home-dried and ground tarragon (along with 1 teaspoon of my home-dried and ground dill in lieu of the fresh dill), substituted home sweet-pickled shallots for the scallions, and will omit the sugar from the dressing next time (personal health preference). A slow cooked poached chicken was also key for me–so moist, so tender, and importantly, with a little vinegar in the brew, so much less of the health killing AGEs (Advanced Glycation End Products) compared to the several other ways of cooking the chicken.
It’s simply magnificent – whether eaten in finger sandwiches with the crusts cut off, in a crunchy lettuce cup or on its own. The flavour and crunch! I used a shop bought rotisserie chicken and gave it a good chop so the pieces were more diced. Winner!
I liked this recipe but the dill was a little overpowering. I will try it again with half the dill. Thanks for the recipe.
Made this recipe 😋 Absolutely devine!! Of course, Everything being from scratch plus all the prep; last minute on Saturday evening…ahh so worth it!!😋 including skinning, deboning chicken and chopping…well
I USED PLAIN GREEK YOGURT INSTEAD AND added 2 tlbs of olive oil…YUMMM!
Made this last week (still eating it). I thought it was very good. The recipe for poaching the chicken went great with the finished product. As always, the recipes on this site are very easy to follow and usually turn out great!
There’s chicken salad and then there’s THIS chicken salad! I have made this 2x this week. My husband commented I should toss out my other chicken salad recipe because this is the one. I followed the recipe exactly; even poached the chicken. For something seemingly so simple, its divine! A perfect balance of flavors and textures. I enjoy it open-faced on grilled sourdough or as sliders on Hawaiian rolls. My husband enjoys it straight out of the bowl. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!!
This chicken salad is delicious. Thank you for the recipe. I think it will be my go-to chicen salad from now on! Served it over a bed of romaine and green leaf lettuce layered with cukes, grated carrots, two “cuties” peeled and sectioned, scattered blueberries. Will be so good on hot summer days!
Just made this today….and of course it was delicious as I expected it would be. This recipe will be replacing my other older chicken salad recipe which I had found on another site online. this recipe is so mild with no overpowering flavors. I used dry dill….but it would be excellent with fresh dill. I never have to wonder if a recipe will turn out on your website…..they are all excellent!
I agree! A wonderful chef with easy instructions! Can’t wait to try this one!