For a chicken salad recipe that’s guaranteed to be a total winner, look no further! This homemade chicken salad is wonderfully creamy without being overly wet, it isn’t too sweet or too tangy, and incorporates the PERFECT balance of flavors! But don’t take my word for it or the hundreds of rave reviews below, give it a try and experience it for yourself!
I’m a sentimental romantic. Â 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. Â Would it be too dramatic to say that growing up, those movies helped shape who I am? Â Yes, that’s pretty dramatic. Â 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. Â (That’s what happens when you have the entire dialogue of the movie memorized.) Â 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. Â The sour cream adds a touch of freshness to offset the heaviness of the mayonnaise. Â Bite into and we’re confident you’ll be very happy indeed.
Use this chicken salad recipe for sandwiches, croissants or in wraps. Â Or, for a low-carb option, serve it on top of a bed of salad leaves with some sliced tomatoes and avocado.
BEST Chicken Salad Recipe
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.
Serve as a salad on a bed of lettuce or as a sandwich filling. We love it on croissants.
Enjoy!
A few other recipes we think you’ll love!
- Creamy Coleslaw
- Macaroni Salad
- Crunchy Broccoli Salad
- Potato Salad
- Freezer Slaw
- Waldorf Salad
- Pepperoni Pizza Pasta Salad
- Broccoli Pasta Salad
- Thai Quinoa Salad
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.
Nutrition
Originally published on the The Daring Gourmet on Jul 13, 2017
Liz says
This is delicious! However, it took me 25 minutes, not 10, because I had to pick the rotisserie chicken off the bone. Using boneless, skinless chicken breast would be easier, but don’t we all make chicken salad to use up leftover chicken? Great recipe otherwise. (Doesn’t need quite as much mayo as called for.)
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thanks, Liz, I’m glad you enjoyed it! Personally, I’ve only ever used leftover chicken once to make this, I usually poach chicken breasts and dice them.
Diana says
My name really is Diana. I’m not the person in the story. Spanish pronunciation.
This is the second time I’ve made this. I looked through comments to see if I already commented, and I had not. I love this recipe.
You are one of the handful of food bloggers I subscribe to (I had to delete a lot when I was getting too much email) and you’re always like right on.
You’re just like amazing. No matter the cuisine, you always nail it. Thank you.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
What an incredibly kind and generous compliment, Diana. Thank you so much for that and for your support, you’ve made my day! :)
Sara L Santilli says
Delicious. I love the combination of mayo/sour cream, sweet/salty, spices and crunch. This chicken salad was a hit. I served it with rosemary crackers and a side of cucumbers/red onions/light vinegarette.
Kimberly Killebrew says
I’m so glad it was a hit, Sara, thank you very much!
Mary says
Hi! I need to be sugar and dairy free as possible. Would you replace the sour cream with more mayo or something else? I am just going to omit the sugar but the recipe sounds great!
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Mary, I don’t recommend using all mayonnaise. You can find dairy-free sour creams in the store, I would go with one of those.
Lynnette Seilkop says
This is the BEST recipe for chicken salad EVER!!! I make it with gluten free mayo and you can’t even tell. Thank you for posting it. Plus I also toast my gluten free bread to eat it on.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Fantastic, Lynette, thank you so much!
Sabrina says
This was truly the best chicken salad I have ever had, so delicious!! It was perfectly crunchy, creamy, subtly sweet and savory. Loved it
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thank you so much, Sabrina! :)
Amy says
Just made this for the first time and brought it to a pool party. Everyone LOVED it! It is definitely the BEST!
Kimberly Killebrew says
Wonderful, Amy, thank you so much!
Linda Shukri says
I made your chicken salad recipe several years ago! I LOVE IT! I need to make it again. And yes, I remember that conversation Anne and Diana had about chicken salad! :-) I was living on PEI back when you first posted this chicken salad recipe. I am now back in the States living in SC. I don’t make your recipes very often, but I know they are good and I know where to go when I need to make something good to eat! :-)
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thank you so much, Linda! :) We’ve since moved to the East Coast (VA) and I’m really looking forward to taking a trip up to Nova Scotia and PEI. By the way, we were just in SC two weeks ago to do some sightseeing. It was actually our trip to SC last year that started the wheels turning and made us decide to move 2000 miles to the opposite side of the country :)
April says
This recipe is my go to for chicken salad and is always a hit. I made one adjustment though, instead of using grapes, I used cranberries instead. It’s “slap yo’ mama good!”
Kimberly Killebrew says
Fantastic, April, thanks so much and the cranberries sound delish!
Stephen Riner says
This is the best recipe for chicken salad I have found. I switched Dijon mustard for the yellow and added some toasted chopped pecans. It was superb!
Kimberly Killebrew says
Fantastic, Stephen, thanks so much!
Brent Upchurch says
Like ALL of the Daring Gourmet recipes, this is a great recipe! I made it for a small family gathering and everyone wanted the recipe. I skipped the grapes and used half the dill, but otherwise followed it exactly. I made a lot. To the leftovers, I added curry powder and everyone liked the curried chicken salad even better than the original.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thank you so much for the compliment and feedback, Brent, and I’m happy this was a hit!
Myra Tatum says
I am making this for bridal shower with 60 guests. Including 10 children. How much would you increase the recipe and would it make much difference if the mustard and dill were left out. Will fully appreciate your answer. Thanks. Myra in Georgia
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Myra, this recipe makes enough filling for about 8 full-sized sandwiches or croissants. So it just depends on how large you plan on making the servings, whether they’re full sized sandwiches or if they’re cut into smaller portions. I would definitely leave in the mustard. I prefer it with dill but it is also delicious without, you can omit it if you prefer.
Chris David says
Great recipe and really a nice one.