For a chicken salad that’s guaranteed to be a total winner, look no further! This chicken salad is wonderfully creamy without being overly wet, it isn’t too sweet or too tangy, and it incorporates the perfect balance of flavors.
I’m a sentimental romantic. So you’ll have to indulge me for a moment.
One of my favorite movies of all time is the Megan Follows version of Anne of Green Gables and its sequel. Would it be too dramatic to say that growing up, those movies helped shape who I am? Yes, that’s pretty dramatic. But in some small but meaningful ways I believe they did.
As I was making this chicken salad a line from the movie came to mind. (That’s what happens when you have the entire dialogue of the movie memorized.) Diana and Anne are standing on the cliffside of scenic Prince Edward Island overlooking the ocean, the wind blowing in their hair, staring off into the sunset.
Diana says to Anne, “I wish I were rich and I could spend the whole summer at a hotel, eating ice cream and chicken salad.”
Anne responds thoughtfully, “You know something, Diana? We are rich. We have sixteen years to our credit, and we both have wonderful imaginations. We should be as happy as queens.”
Nodding at the setting sun over the ocean, Anne observes, “Look at that. You couldn’t enjoy its loveliness more if you had ropes of diamonds….I am happy Diana, and nothing is going to hold me back.”
Without a doubt, one of life’s simple but greatest pleasures is good food – food that’s thoughtfully prepared and shared with those you love.
So in celebration of Diana’s desire for good food, and in appreciation of Anne’s understanding that happiness is how you interpret it, here’s a delicious chicken salad you can enjoy with your family and friends!
This salad is wonderfully creamy without being overly wet, it isn’t too sweet or too tangy, and it incorporates the perfect balance of flavors. The sour cream adds a touch of freshness to offset the heaviness of the mayonnaise. Bite into and we’re confident you’ll be very happy indeed.
Use this chicken salad for sandwiches, croissants or in wraps. Or, for a low-carb option, serve it on top of a bed of salad leaves with some sliced tomatoes and avocado.
Let’s get started!
Place the diced chicken, celery, green onions and grapes in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine all remaining ingredients to make the sauce and stir to combine.
Scoop the mayo sauce over the chicken salad and stir to combine, making sure the chicken salad is thoroughly coated with the sauce.
Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving.
Enjoy!
BEST Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless ,skinless chicken breasts cooked in lightly salted water then chilled in the fridge and diced, about 4 cups (for the best texture, avoid canned chicken)
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 1/2 cups halved seedless red grapes
- 3 green onions ,chopped
- 1 cup mayonnaise (for a healthier choice use Avocado Oil Mayonnaise)
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place the diced chicken, celery, green onions and grapes in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the remaining ingredients to make the sauce and stir to combine. Pour the mayo sauce over the chicken salad and stir to combine and thoroughly coat the salad.
- Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving.
- Serve on sandwiches, croissants or in wraps with some lettuce. For a low-carb option, serve on a bed of lettuce with sliced tomato and avocado.
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Lora @savoringitaly says
I absolutely love that story! And it is so true that one of life’s simple but greatest pleasures is good food and sharing it with those you love…that’s what it should be all about:) This chicken salad looks delightful! I love that it’s not too sweet or too tangy. Perfect for a summer lunch or a chill summer dinner!!
christine says
I love those Anne of Green Gables movies too! I’m going to be watching them w/ my daughter soon; I’m hoping she will be interested in this “old” movie. Looks delicious and I love a sandwich on a croissant!
Kelly @ Nosh and Nourish says
I love sharing good food with friends and family too — and these chicken salad croissants would be perfect for a picnic!!!
The Food Hunter says
I love the grapes in this…I’ve never tried it that way
Sarah @ The Chef Next Door says
I love classic chicken salad too, especially on a croissant! Your pictures are beautiful and have me craving this now. I think it will be on my menu for lunch this weekend!
Krista says
What a great lunch option! This is calling my name for sure!
Anna @ Crunchy Creamy Sweet says
My family loves chicken salad and I am loving the idea of serving it in a flaky croissant! So yummy!
Kim Beaulieu says
Megan Follows is a total icon. I love Anne of Green Gables so much. It was such an amazing show.
I love this recipe. I don’t make chicken salad enough. I need to change that immediately.
carrie @ frugal foodie mama says
You just cannot go wrong with a good classic chicken salad recipe. :) This looks delicious!
Nutmeg Nanny says
Love chicken salad! Will definitely have to try this!
Cathy @ Lemon Tree Dwelling says
Chicken salad is always a favorite and this one looks INSANELY delicious!
Anonymous says
I just love eating chicken salad one of my all time favorite dishes to eat next to pimento chees sandwiches. I’m always up to trying new recipes.I add to this it’s perfect meal or quick snack n healthy on hot days like these. Enjoy everyone.yum.
Joanie @ One Dish Kitchen says
I love chicken salad, especially on a croissant as you served it here. I also love the sweetness the grapes bring, totally delicious!
Candace Nielson says
We LOVE this chicken salad! I made it over the weekend for our family and some guests and everyone loved it and wanted seconds! Thanks for such a great recipe!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so happy to hear that, Candace, thank you!
Barbara says
My family and I loved watching the Ann of Green Gables movies & in fact we just rewatched the one of Ann’s first meeting of her new family.
I made your Chicken Salad for visiting family last week and everyone raved about it and took the recipe with them when they left.
I serve so many of your recipes and have never had a failure. Thank you ever so much.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Barbara, I can’t tell you how thrilled to hear that, thank you so much! :)
olivia says
Love anne of green gables. Do you think green grapes is ok to use?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Olivia, absolutely. The red is recommended mostly based on color but you can use any variety you like.
Deborah Black says
Can you substitute black cherries for the grapes?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Deborah! Texture-wise, they’re softer and squishy – not firm and crispy like grapes – and they’ll probably dye the chicken salad red once you stir them in and they start bleeding out. Flavor-wise I think they’d make a nice substitute.
pavitra says
Wow, Its looking delicious. i love this recipe. I would try it by this weekend. Your recipes are superb. Thanks for sharing.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Pavitra!
Kayla says
I added 2 Tbsp Sweet Relish.. Delicious!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Kayla!
Nalo says
I absolutely love those movies. I remember watching it allday on PBS one Thanksgiving weekend and I fell in love. That following January my husband bought me the tapes for my birthday and the rest for Valentine’s. Later years I purchased them on DVD.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
They’re the best, Nalo! I practically have the entire dialogues to the movies memorized :)
Liz says
Try adding pecans to the salad.
Candy Ellis says
I make my chicken salad very similar, only instead of mayonnaise I use plain Greek yogurt and add more good fruit like Granny Smith Apples, pecans and dried cranberries.
The yogurt isn’t loaded with fat like mayonnaise and I like it better.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks for the input, Candy! I like to add pecans and cranberries as well during this time of year for a more holiday touch.
Kit says
Thank you for the recipe. We had leftover rotisserie chicken and I did not feel like eating reheated chicken. I followed most of the recipe, but had to use what was on hand, so the substitutions were as follows: Hampton Creek Just Mayo (Ingredients: Non-Gmo Expeller Pressed Canola Oil, Filtered Water, Lemon Juice, White Vinegar, 2% Or Less Of The Following: Organic Sugar, Salt, Pea Protein, Spices…). Skipped the sour cream due to dairy allergy. I did not have any lemons so I added 2 tablespoons pickle relish and 1 tablespoon of Mr. Wickles Red sandwich spread (this last one at husband’s request). Served it on home-made herb bread with spinach, sliced tomatoes and an onion ring. It was delicious!!! My husband is a 50 year old American male, and he said IT WAS THE BEST CHICKEN SALAD sandwich he ever had!!! Again, thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Kit, thanks so much for the feedback!
Mona Gibbs says
Best chicken salad recipe ever! Stumbled across it one day while looking for a good chicken salad recipe. And then when I read your sweet affection for Anne of Green Gables, that just made it even better. We LOVE Anne of Green Gables. Thank you for the recipe and the sweet thoughts concerning Anne and Diana!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Mona, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! :)
Melissa says
Yum! This salad hit the spot! My husband happened to have a rare weekday off today. I was busy with the normal day to day stuff when he asked what’s for lunch? I usually eat a salad or lean cuisine, and he wasn’t having that. Came across this recipe, so decided to make it with some changes. I had to use canned chicken (I know I know!) and chopping a granny smith apple as I didnt have any grapes. I also added a handful of sliced almonds. Didn’t have time to let it merry the full 4 hrs (about 30 mins bc “I’m starving” was bugging me LOL), but nontheless it was delicious. Served it in lettuce wraps. The flavors were amazing!! I can’t wait to make this again using poached chickn.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Melissa, thanks so much for sharing!
Rita says
Thanks for sharing this. One question…what type of parsley did you use, Italian or Flat?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Rita, either can be used. Flat parsley generally has a more robust flavor than curly, so it largely comes down to personal preference.
Natalie Loftus says
Hands down the best chicken salad I’ve had! I followed the recipe exactly and the ratio of ingredients is perfect. This is my go-to from now on!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so happy to hear that, Natalie, thank you!
Nalo Frazier says
This is sooooooo good my taste buds are dancing. I added a little sweet relish and used bone in breast but took the skin off after cooking and removed the bone of course. So happy I tried this recipe.😙😙😙
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Nalo, I’m so glad to hear that, thank you!
Elisha H. says
Absolutely LOVE Anne of Green Gables!!! I have not made this recipe yet but I will do so – minus the grapes – and watch Anne in your honor. 🙂🙂
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome! :) I hope you enjoy the salad, Elisha, and have fun watching the show! :)
Anonymous says
Anne of Green Gables is our families favorite,I’ve already shared the movie with my young daughters, they know every line. :-)
Cami Weyland says
THE BEST CHICKEN SALAD EVER!! I’ve made this at least half a dozen times and it’s a bit hit every time, everyone always asks for the recipe. I just wanted to say thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so happy to hear that, Cami, thanks so much and Happy 4th of July!
Robbi Marion says
Can hardly wait to try these scrumptious looking chicken salad sandwiches! YUM
Klaus Lange says
Diana and Anne are standing on the cliffside of scenic Prince Edward Island overlooking the ocean, the wind blowing in their hair, staring off into the sunset. Diana says to Anne, “I wish I were rich and I could spend the whole summer at a hotel, eating ice cream and chicken salad.”
I absolutely loved this lead-in to the chicken salad recipe. I also love a cook-off challenge. I, too, cook best with a visualization of space, time, location and the people in it. I am a chef and have been around chefs and maitre d’s my entire career. My background is in world class hotels, restaurants, cafés and cruise liners. I no longer own any restaurants, and I am retired now. I live my days as an artist on a house boat on San Francisco Bay, and I travel and revisit the world of food without ever casting off a line. My most recent “ports of call” were Cuba, Barcelona and Mombasa. Their foods and cooking methods are written about, and easily researched online if not outright remembered. We have some really great Farmers Markets nearby to get my “provisions”, and I make “landfall” on YouTube, while playing the required background sound on radio stations I find on Pandora. The view of yachts in the sunset would be pretty much the same, no matter where I tied up. And so, I also save a fortune on airfare.
Chicken Salad on Toast Points is a prerequisite menu item on afternoon menus of fine European establishments. Allow me to narrate the recipe. I use equal measures of cold roast chicken breast, poached button head mushrooms (Champignons), cold poached white asparagus and pineapple (preferring canned over fresh), and I cut these ingredients evenly to roughly thumbnail size. For each serving’s garnish I save two asparagus tips, two small pieces of chicken a small piece of pineapple and a sliver of mushrooms (it always helps to show off the ingredients), the rest goes into a mixing bowl and set aside to be chilled. In a smaller bowl I put mayonnaise and add a small glass of Sherry (or Madeira) to make a thick liquid. I mix all ingredients shortly before service, as I don’t think prolonged marination is going to help. It’s a matter of taste, and I want all flavors “as is” and the coating of sauce to bind these flavors without necessarily penetrating them.
Service (meant as the entree for an afternoon meal): Of two slices of toast I cut one diagonally and place one triangle at each side of the center slice to give it a “boat look”. I wet the center slice with a little of the sherry mayonnaise, spreading it with the back of the spoon. I place a cup shaped leaf of butter lettuce on the toast and a scoop of the chicken salad mix on that. I garnish the saved pieces of chicken, asparagus, pineapple and mushroom in a tight grouping at the top and finish it with a small sprig of parsley. Voila! Enjoy it at a table setting of silver, crystal and crisp linen, with a glass of not too dry Riesling, then close your eyes and think of Vienna, or Paris, or Berlin (and wipe that far away smile off your face).
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Beautiful, Klaus. Thanks for sharing and also for the recipe. International cuisine is my passion, I love experiencing other cultures via all the senses, including taste. You mentioned Barcelona, we were just there last year. What’s amusing is I was just perusing Ali-Bab’s “Encyclopedia of Practical Gastronomy” wherein he reduces Spanish cuisine to the following: “Spain is a very lovely country but, as for its cuisine, the less said the better.” He then moves on to Portugal: “Portuguese cuisine is no better than the Spanish.” I had to laugh out loud! The flavorful Moorish as well as Roman influences were already long present by 1910 when his remarks were published, surely the food landscape wasn’t that different at the time. A case of French bias perhaps? ;) (Of course his comments about German and American cuisine were no better, ha!) Thanks again and have a lovely Summer. Kind regards, Kimberly
Beverly Yates says
Kimberly, there are 31 grams of protein in 1/2 cup of cooked cubed chicken. The recipe is dee-lish!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Beverly, thank you! I’m not sure I understand what you mean by the protein comment, did I include some wrong info somewhere?
JLW says
Has anyone ever mixed pasta with this chicken salad? I’d like to make a pasta salad to go with burgers, so I am wondering if I can use this recipe. Thanks for any help!
Mary Knock says
I made this Chicken Salad today and it is aptly named. It is the best chicken salad I have ever eaten. Thank you.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I am absolutely thrilled to hear that Mary, thanks so much!
Beverly Yates says
Kimberly, Sorry, yes the nutritional info for chicken salad is incorrect. It says 7 grams protein in one serving. The chicken alone has 31 grams protein in 1/2 cup.
Jen says
My husband and I have been married for almost 23 years. I have tried many chicken salad recipes out on him over the years, and none have gotten the response that this recipe has gotten. He LOVES it and so do I! I tweaked only a few things. I didn’t have any green onions on hand, so I just left those out. I used dried parsley instead of fresh, and I didn’t add the dill weed (I was out). I also added a handful of dried cranberries. YUMMMMMMM! This stuff if amazing. I can’t wait to try it with all of your listed ingredients. I do believe I will stop looking for that perfect recipe – I’ve found it! Thanks for sharing!!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Jen, I’m so thrilled to hear that, thank you!
Jeanene says
This really is the best chicken salad we have ever had. I used green grapes because, well, that’s what I had. I added a small amount of sunflower seeds and since I didn’t have celery, I just used celery salt. I think I could eat this every day. Ten minutes prep time is a bit of a stretch though. It takes at least 15-20 minutes to boil the chicken, then shredding/chopping the chicken takes 5 minutes. I would say from start to finish it takes at least 30-35 minutes. Not complaining since that isn’t even that long.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks for the feedback, Jeanene, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Yes, the prep time assumes that the chicken was already made and chilled in advance and all you have to do is dice it, but you’re right, there is the cooking time of the chicken to take into account as well.