I have several fun chicken salad recipes on Our Best Bites, like this Teriyaki Chicken Salad, or this Mayo-free Sweet Citrus Chicken Salad– but it dawned on me the recipe I make the most, just regular ol’ classic and delicious chicken salad was absent! So I needed to give it a place here. This easy classic chicken salad is a household staple. I make it almost weekly because my kids love having it in the fridge for a snack or quick meal. It’s great on crackers or wrapped up in a tortilla or stuffed in a croissant. It’s also open to any add-ins you may like, such as grapes or toasted nuts. Any way you like it, it’s a classic recipe everyone should have in their back pocket!
Ingredients Needed
- Chicken – I usually grab a rotisserie chicken at Costco. It usually has the perfect amount of breast meat for this recipe and is always perfectly done! However any chicken will do.
- Mayonnaise – The brand of mayonnaise you use will impact the overall flavor, see below for some thoughts.
- Sour Cream – I like a bit of sour cream to lighten the flavor and texture of the mayo, see subs below.
- Celery
- Green onion
- Onion powder
- Salt and Pepper
How to make Classic Chicken Salad
- Combine all the dressing ingredients and whisk until smooth. Combining these first helps to avoid over mixing when the chicken is added and tossed.
- Add the chicken, celery, and green onions and toss to combine.
- Chicken salad tastes best after chilling so pop it in the fridge for at least an hour or two at minimum. I prefer more like 4-6 hours for the best flavor, or even overnight.
- If you’re using any add-ins like toasted nuts or grapes, gently toss these in before serving.
Optional Add-ins
To grape, or not to grape. That is the question. I love fresh grapes in a chicken salad, but some of my kids hate it when I add them! Sometimes I take a portion out so we can do half and half. I love the balance of sweet and savory it adds. I tend to include more add-ins when I’m eating my chicken salad plain, simply with crackers or something. If it’s going in a sandwich, I tend to be more of a purest!
- Grapes– fresh whole, or cut in half. If you can find champagne grapes, they’re small and tiny and kind of perfect for chicken salad!
- Dried fruit – craisins or even dried blueberries or strawberries can be a chewy sweet addition.
- Fresh herbs– if you have fresh herbs, they add a great fresh flavor. I love fresh chives or taragon, but basil, thyme, or parsley are also great addition.
- Nuts– I prefer toasted nuts. Sliced almonds are a classic, but walnuts or pecans are also delicious.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can sub greek yogurt or cottage cheese for the sour cream portion of the recipe with slight impact on the finished flavor. If you want to sub out more than that, you can certainly play around with it to taste. When subbing greek yogurt, I prefer one with 2-5% fat, but it tastes great.
The brand of mayo will definitely impact the flavor of this chicken salad. I created it with Best Foods (Hellmanns) so that’s my preference. Different Mayo brands have different amounts of vinegar and sugar in them so depending on which one you use, and what flavor you like, you can adjust the flavor of your finished chicken salad with very small additions of sugar and/or vinegar.
Absolutely. I actually think it tastes better the next day, and it will stay in the fridge for a few days after. It’s great for meal prep, or for making a day ahead for an event. I just add any add-ins, such as grapes or nuts, before serving.
Classic Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked, shredded or chopped chicken breasts 16oz, rotisserie chicken is my go-to!
- ½ cup finely chopped celery about 2oz or 2 stalks
- ¼ cup finely chopped green onions
- ¾ cup mayonnaise I use Best Foods/Hellmann's
- ¼ cup sour cream I prefer full fat
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 3-4 cracks black pepper
- ½ cup grapes, optional cut in half, more to taste if desired
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl large enough for all your chicken salad, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, onion, parsley, pepper. Whisk until smooth.
- Add chicken, celery, and onion, and gently toss to combine. Cover and chill for at least one hour (longer if time allows) for best results.
- Add grapes before serving, and nuts if using. and toss to combine.
- Serve plain, or with crackers, or on bread, rolls, etc.
Questions & Reviews
This was the perfect way to change up rotisserie chicken! So easy to make, and I love the crunch of the celery. I added grapes and pecans to mine also.
I will definitely be making this recipe again. Thanks for sharing!
Perfect chicken salad, and easy! Thank you
The addition of sour cream really is perfect, it cuts the fatty ness of the mayo.I did add raisins and almonds& celery.Wonderful!