This creamy chicken salad recipe is healthy, tangy and has a touch of sweetness from red grapes. Make a big batch of this customizable salad and you’ll have lunch ready for the rest of the week.
Table of Contents
A Classic Chicken Salad Recipe
I’ve only been back to Army life for a week and it’s already time for a potluck. It won’t be long before there are birthdays, showers, SFRG meetings, farewells…you fellow Army families know the drill.
Chicken salad is one of my all-time staples. This classic recipe is not only easy but inexpensive, and when served on buttery croissants, it looks classy. It’s a great make-ahead dish for events and the perfect way to use up leftover chicken. I love to make this on Sunday afternoons. I whip up a batch, spread it between wheat bread or roll it up in tortillas, and I have a week’s worth of lunch that just gets better and better.
Sometimes, all you need is a great chicken salad sandwich, a cold lemonade and a side of potato chips. That’s what I call an easy meal.
Below is my go-to chicken salad recipe, but feel free to mix it up and let me know what you think!
The Ultimate Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup celery, diced (or 1 tsp. celery salt)
- 1/2 cup seedless red grapes, quartered
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. fresh ground pepper
- 1 tsp. Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
Instructions
- BOIL: Place chicken in a pot and cover with water. Add a pinch of salt and bring water to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat until the chicken is cooked all the way through. (If you are in a rush, cut the chicken in pieces before placing it in the pot. It will cook faster.)
- SHRED: Remove the cooked chicken from the pot and let cool. In a large bowl, shred the chicken with two forks or your hands.
- COMBINE: Mix celery (or celery salt), grapes, mayonnaise and spices into the shredded chicken. You can add more seasonings or mayo to your liking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients for healthy chicken salad
- Chicken breasts. This recipe calls for cooking and shredding your chicken breast, but you can use leftover chicken too.
- Celery. Finely diced celery can be replaced with celery salt, but I like the crunch.
- Seedless grapes. I prefer red grapes as they’re a little sweeter and have more antioxidants, but if you prefer green grapes, go for it.
- Mayonnaise. Miracle Whip, sour cream or plain Greek yogurt could also be used as the base of the creamy dressing depending on your preference.
- Salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning
- Onion powder
See the full recipe card for servings and a full list of ingredients.
How to make the best chicken salad sandwich
- Boil: Place chicken in a pot and cover with water. Add a pinch of salt and bring water to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat until the chicken is cooked all the way through. (If you are in a rush, cut the chicken into pieces before placing it in the pot. It will cook faster.)
- Shred: Remove the cooked chicken from the pot and let cool. In a large bowl, shred the chicken with two forks or your hands.
- Combine: Mix celery (or celery salt), grapes, mayonnaise and spices into the shredded chicken. You can add more seasonings or mayo to your liking.
✔️ PRO TIP
For a punch of flavor, add fresh herbs like dill, thyme or green onions.
How to serve grape chicken salad
I love how versatile cold salads can be. You can eat them straight out of a bowl, as lettuce wraps, on a croissant or on your favorite sandwich bread. While amazing on its own, you can add red onion, a thin layer of dijon mustard and a squeeze of lemon juice to your sandwich for something truly magical.
For a large group, you can make a Make Your Own spread! Place chicken salad on a platter with serving spoons alongside a bowl of lettuce leaves and classic salad ingredients like tomatoes, cucumber and red onion. For those who prefer their chicken salad handheld, have croissants, fresh sandwich bread or lettuce cups along with extra mayo and mustard.
Storage
Chicken salad keeps extraordinarily well in the fridge! Store in an airtight container for up to four days and enjoy whenever the craving hits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. The best part of chicken salad is that it’s one of those recipes that uses what you have in the fridge. You can even buy a store-bought rotisserie chicken if you want to save yourself even more time.
This delicious chicken salad can definitely be used as a base for curried chicken salad. Just add curry powder during the second step and voila! Curried chicken salad.
Sounds like a yummy recipe and great use of the original seasoning!
Yes Melissa. This is the same recipe. Enjoy. Miss you, too.
This is what we had at my shower right? I think about it almost every day because it tasted so amazing! This will definitely be lunch all next week! Thanks!! We miss you!