Classic Chicken Salad

Tender bites of chicken are tossed in a simply seasoned, creamy dressing with bits of crunchy celery in this Classic Chicken Salad recipe.

A close up image of a chicken salad sandwich cut in half and stacked on a cutting board.

I crave Chicken Salad Sandwiches on a regular basis. Its such a familiar, nostalgic flavor for me that its my go-to when I need a little soothing during a busy week. Im talking old-school, Classic Chicken Salad with no fancy add-ins.

Its a happy day when I have a batch of it in my fridge at lunch time and its spot-on perfect when Ive got a ton going on and need a simple choice for dinner.

Last night after a long, mind-numbing day of working on taxes (ugh!) I mixed up a batch of this easy Chicken Salad for sandwiches and a pot of my Broccoli Cheese Soup and I had satisfying, delicious meal on the table in under 45 minutes. If you skip the soup you can whip this recipe up in a mere 10 minutes!

A chicken salad sandwich on a cutting board with pickles and tomatoes.

Sometimes Im in the mood for a less traditional variety like my Crunchy Sweet Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Cranberry Almond Poppy Seed Chicken Salad, or Pesto Chicken Salad. But, most often this Classic Chicken Salad is the one I make to hit that spot!

Its perfect in its simplicity.

The ingredients - chopped cooked chicken, mayonnaise, celery, onion powder, lemon, parsley, salt and pepper.

The Ingredient List

  • Cooked, chopped chicken (I use rotisserie chicken)
  • Mayonnaise
  • Celery
  • Onion powder
  • Fresh lemon juice
  • Fresh parsley
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

This is one more recipe to add to your rotisserie chicken recipe collection. Instead of shredding the meat, I like to pull it off the bone in chunks and then chop it for a slightly different consistency to this Chicken Salad then you would get with shredded meat. Its a small difference but thats how I like it.

You can use your own fully-cooked chicken but the mighty Costco rotisserie chicken makes this recipe so effortless and very economical.

Two in process images showing the Classic Chicken Salad ingredients being mixed together in a glass mixing bowl.

Theres no need to mix the dressing ingredients separately, just throw everything into a big mixing bowl and mix it up.

The dressing is simple but surprisingly flavorful. A touch of onion powder, salt, and pepper are all you need to add with the mayonnaise. A little fresh lemon juice and fresh parsley to brighten it up. If you want to lighten this recipe up quite a bit you can substitute light mayonnaise but I have to say, its really tasty with the real stuff.

An open face Chicken Salad Sandwich on a cutting board.

How to Serve Classic Chicken Salad

When making sandwiches I suggest choosing a sturdy sliced bread like sourdough or a whole grain sandwich bread. Load up your sandwiches with the toppings you love lettuce, tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion and my life is not complete without a couple of bread and butter pickles.

Or skip the bread altogether and mound this Chicken Salad on leafy greens with lots of fresh veggies for a wholesome meal.

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A Classic Chicken Salad Sandwich sliced in half and stacked on a cutting board with overlay text.

Classic Chicken Salad

Tender bites of chicken are tossed in a simply seasoned, creamy dressing with bits of crunchy celery in this Classic Chicken Salad recipe.

  • 3 cups finely chopped cooked chicken ((I use rotisserie chicken Costco baby!))
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup diced celery
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley leaves
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine ground sea salt, (or to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, (or to taste)
  • 12 slices sturdy sliced bread, (like sourdough or whole-grain bread)

Optional Toppings

  • leafy greens
  • sliced tomatoes
  • thinly sliced red onion
  • pickles
  1. Add chicken, mayonnaise, celery, parsley, lemon juice, onion powder, sea salt, and pepper to a medium mixing bowl and stir to combine well. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
  2. Assemble sandwiches on bread, adding any toppings of choice.
  3. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It is best if consumed within a day or two.

The post Classic Chicken Salad appeared first on Valerie's Kitchen.


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