Classic Chicken Salad
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
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
You May Also Like
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
Powered by 
- 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.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Would the recipe still be good if I omitted the sour cream or yogurt substitute? My guest cannot have milk products.
Hi Beverly, I’m not sure I fully understand your question, but if you’re asking if you can substitute a non-dairy yogurt for the sour cream, I think it should work. If it doesn’t have the same thickness as sour cream, I’d put it in a sieve and let the extra liquid drain off. Please LMK how it turns out!
This recipe is a winner. I have tried to find a chicken salad recipe for a while, and just never found one I liked. I now make this almost weekly as a double batch, and it flies out of the refrigerator. You will not to be disappointed.
as a side note….I like to make salads fast,
I do all the vegetables in a Cuisinart, trying to not over chop, then put the Cuisinart stem in with larger vegetable slicing attachment and feed the cooked chicken through it. Its a little finer and not as elegant as the hand chopped, but excluding chicken cooking time, I can do a double batch in 10mins (15?)
I made this for the first time this Summer and it was fantastic. I used a flavored rotisserie chicken and served it on tomato slices with romaine and garlic bread and everyone loved it. So simple, delicious and easy to make!
Tastes amazing! I loved how easy it was to come together. Perfect for the beach.
I love chicken salad and this is the best ever! When we grill chicken breasts for dinner I make chicken salad from the extra breasts for the next night. I can’t stop eating this. If you are a chicken salad lover this is THE ONE!!!!
Thank you, Jenn!!! 🙂
I am embarrassed that I have not reviewed any of the incredible recipes from Jenn. When a friend introduced me to this site, it opened up a whole new world of easy, delicious, no-fail recipes that I rely on for entertaining. I have made this chicken salad several times for friends (perfect for boating), and everyone thinks I bought it from a high-end deli. It is simple but full of flavor. I especially appreciate the generous amount of fresh dill.
Jenn, do you have a few suggestions for what to serve the salad on? Breads, rolls, etc. Love your recipes and detailed instructions! Thank you, Kathleen
Hi Kathleen, the options that come to mind are a hearty toasted whole grain sandwich bread, as a wrap, on a croissant, or for a low carb option, over greens. Hope that helps!
Delish!!
Delicious chicken salad recipe! I used the recipe for the poached chicken and loved it. Very simple and easy and leaves you with tender and moist chicken. I used dried herbs because that’s what I had on hand. Next time, I will try the fresh herbs – I’m sure they are better.
Delicious recipe!! And tastes even better on the second day after the flavors meld together. Made the recipe exactly as written but used poached chicken breasts (cut into smaller pieces when poaching then shredded) since that was what we had, and cut the dill by 1/3 since my husband doesn’t like too much dill flavor. Just had one sandwich for lunch and I’m ready for a second…