This easy chicken salad recipe is delicious. As the chicken sits in the creamy herb dressing, it just keeps getting better and better, making it a fantastic meal ahead of time. We like to serve it on top of salads, stuffed into salad cups for a low carb option, or in sandwiches. Switch to the Creamy Chicken Salad recipe
How to make the best chicken salad
Chicken salad is one of our favorite dishes. We often make it with leftover chicken from the night before. This chicken salad recipe features tender chicken, a creamy herb dressing and the perfect amount of celery crunch.
Ingredients for chicken salad
The full recipe is below, but I’ll quickly walk you through our tips here.
Chicken — This salad is perfect when made with leftover chicken. I always make chicken salad after making this easy chicken broth (it calls for a whole chicken, which leaves me with lots of tender cooked chicken). I also love how easy it is to poach chicken. It only takes about 20 minutes. I use both white and dark meat for this salad.
celery and spring onions — I like my salad to be mostly chicken, but I love adding a bit of crunch to the party. Celery and chopped green onions are perfect. We also use celery for this popular chicken salad.
Creamy herb salad dressing — I love this dressing. Easy to make, it’s made with mayo (try homemade mayo), dry mustard powder, paprika, and the perfect blend of fresh herbs. If you’ve been following us for a while, you know how much we love fresh herbs. They liven things up, and this recipe is no different. We stir in fresh dill, tarragon, parsley and chives. The combination is excellent, reminiscent of a chicken salad served during afternoon tea at a fine dining restaurant.
Can I make chicken salad without mayonnaise? While we both love this salad when it’s made with mayonnaise, feel free to substitute plain Greek yogurt or sour cream for the mayo.
Prepare the salad
to make chicken salad, You need a bowl, a spoon and about 10 minutes. Make your dressing first. Simply stir the spices and herbs into the mayonnaise until well combined. Then toss in diced cooked chicken. I love using leftover chicken from this homemade chicken broth, but use what you have on hand. If you stir the chicken into the dressing, some will break apart.
You can enjoy the salad right away or, if you have time, refrigerate for a few hours. When you sit it gets better and better.
Serve this chicken salad a variety of ways. Try it on top of your favorite salad for a lighter meal, or use salad cups for a low-carb option. And if you fancy something heartier, why not make a chicken salad sandwich or wrap it in flour tortillas?
Related: Our favorite tuna salad
Make-ahead and storage tips
Chicken salad is perfect for making ahead and will keep in the fridge for up to four days. I like to use jars or food-safe containers, and like to press a piece of parchment paper onto the lettuce to keep it from drying out. This recipe makes about 3 ½ cups of salad, or four generous 3/4 cup servings.
Can you freeze chicken salad? Unfortunately, since we’re calling for mayonnaise in this recipe, we don’t recommend freezing the salad. Mayonnaise doesn’t freeze well and often separates when thawed. However, you can freeze the cooked chicken without the dressing for up to a month.
This chicken salad recipe is part of our cooking series where we share recipes from our friend and renowned chef Richard Hattaway. Trust us, once you try his recipe, it will quickly become one of your favorite lunch options.
For easier salad recipes, try our Creamy Potato Salad, Herbed Potato Salad (No Mayo), and Easy Chickpea Salad.
Easy Chicken Salad with Herbs
This easy chicken salad recipe is delicious. As the chicken sits in the creamy herb dressing, it just keeps getting better and better, making it a fantastic meal ahead of time. We like to serve it on top of salads, stuffed into salad cups for a low carb option, or in sandwiches.
Makes three and a half cups (about 4 servings)
you will need
3 ½ cups diced cooked chicken
2 spring onions, white and light green part only
1 stalk celery, finely chopped, about 1/2 cup
7 tablespoons mayonnaise, try homemade mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon Coleman’s dry mustard powder
1/8 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
directions
In a medium bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard powder, paprika, dill, tarragon, parsley, chives, salt and pepper.
Next, fold in the chicken, celery, and spring onion; The chicken will break down a bit as it mixes into the dressing.
Place the lettuce in a resealable container. Press a piece of parchment paper on top to keep it from drying out, then cover with the lid of the container. Refrigerate for up to four days. The salad will taste better over time, so if you can wait, let the salad sit for at least 4 hours before serving.
Advice from Adam and Joanne
- For a lighter chicken salad, swap out the mayonnaise for light mayo, or use plain or Greek yogurt.
- Replace the mustard powder with 1 teaspoon prepared Dijon mustard.
- Nutritional Information: The nutritional information below is an estimate. We used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
If you make this recipe, take a picture and tag #inspiredtaste – we love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste
Nutrition per serving: serving size 1/4 serving, about 3/4 cup / calories 375 / total fat 26.3g / Saturated Fatty Acids 5.1g / cholesterol 102mg / sodium 404.8mg / carbohydrate 1.2g / fiber 0.5g / total sugar 0.5g / protein 31.2g