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This is the BEST chicken salad recipe that you will ever try. It's SO easy to make and a crowd favorite. Perfect for any occasion!
The BEST Chicken Salad Recipe – Fruity and Delicious!
Cheree' here! Chicken salad screams summertime and it is hot, hot, hot this week in Alabama! So, I'm whipping up our favorite chicken salad recipe today so I don't have to heat up the kitchen. 🙂
My family really likes the flavor of Costco chicken salad, but it tends to lack the texture they enjoy. I played around developing this recipe and focused on adding some crunch.
 🍴 MENU PLAN NOTE: This Chicken Salad Recipe can also be found in our Summer Menu Plans!
I figured out that Costco dressing uses mayonnaise and sour cream to get their flavor. After that, I added in some yummy fruits (apples and red grapes) and nuts for texture and this recipe was born!
Ingredients in Chicken Salad
This recipe is fantastic because I usually have everything on hand to make it. It's super convenient to make spur of the moment, and is great for a crowd of people, too.
For this chicken salad recipe, you'll need cooked chicken, grapes, onion, celery, apples, pecans, mayonnaise, and sour cream. We love using Duke's Mayonnaise. Just simple, easy ingredients!
- chicken, cooked
- grapes
- onion
- celery
- apples
- pecans
- mayonnaise
- sour cream
Possible Add-Ins
There are SO many ways you can jazz up your chicken salad. If you've eaten at Chicken Salad Chick before, you know how many variations you can add!
For this recipe these would be some great add ins:
- fuji, granny smith, gala, honey crisp or pink lady apples
- seedless grapes (all colors)
- diced pineapple
- raisins or Craisins (dried cranberries)
- pecans, walnuts, sliced almonds or cashews
- sweet, red or green onions
Soooo many possibilities!
How to Make the BEST Chicken Salad:
Shred or chop cooled, cooked chicken and place in a large bowl with grapes, onion, celery, apple and pecans.
Mix dressing ingredients together and toss with chicken.
Serve on rolls, bread, crackers or over a bed of lettuce.
So, I'm skipping any serious cooking today, and will be enjoying this cooled off recipe this week. 🙂
How do you cook your chicken for chicken salad?
If you don't want to buy a rotisserie chicken, you could make this Slow Cooker Chicken. This might heat up the chicken a wee bit, but it's about the best baked chicken I've ever tasted!
If you're looking for chicken delivered right to your door, keep an eye on these Perdue Chicken deals!Â
What goes well with with chicken salad?
I love to serve chicken salad on top of a bed of lettuce or a salad. A nice toasted baguette is a wonderful option as well. It just feels kind of fancy like you'd get at a restaurant.
A heaping scoop of this best chicken salad recipe served along with crackers is ALWAYS soooo good too!
How long does chicken salad last?
Chicken salad will last about a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I suggest stirring every few days (ours never lasts that long but it seems like a good idea). Ha!
Can chicken salad be frozen?
Even this best Chicken salad recipe doesn't freeze well so I wouldn't want to chance it. However, you CAN freeze cooked chicken. This will make prep a breeze when you get the hankering for some yummy chicken salad. 🙂
Best Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 small gala or pink lady apple, diced
- 2 oz pkg pecan pieces
- 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup light sour cream
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, stir together chicken, grapes, onion, celery, apple and pecan pieces.
- In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise and sour cream together; stir into chicken mixture (adding additional mayonnaise and sour cream if needed). Salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve on rolls, bread or over a bed of lettuce.
Notes
Nutrition
Save this recipe for later!
If you like chicken salad, I promise you'll love this Best Chicken Salad recipe. Let us know if you give it a try! ❤️
You can find this best chicken salad recipe plus 59 other recipes (plus 12 desserts) in our summer menu plan! It includes membership to our amazing private facebook group too. 🙂
Additional recipes you may love:Â
This is my 3rd time making it. Made a batch and a half cause it doesn’t last long!!!! Love it!!!! Thanks for sharing this recipe!!!
I am so happy to hear you are enjoying it ~ Thank you for your feedback!
The best chicken salad I’ve ever had has Mayo, honey, white ground pepper, celery, onions and lavender flowers. Put on a croissant or Brioche bun then top with thawed cherries from the freezer section or fresh strawberries.
That sounds so delicious Heidi ~ Thanks for sharing with us!
I first had this chicken salad at The Depot Restaurant in Hickory NC 40 years ago…. It was served in a half cantaloupe…. It was so good that I’ve forgotten it…. I think this recipe is right on the money
I meant to say it was so good that I’ve NEVER forgotten it
Thank you. We love Costco’s chicken salad as well. I have tried to figure out the ingredients, knowing that there was either sage or organo in the mix. You are probably correct with using poultry seasoning! Thank you!
I live near a meat processing plant and can get pounds of 2nds on roasted turkey and chicken lunch meat very inexpensively. Do you think I could just chop it instead of using the thd shredded chicken?
Hmm, I think you probably could DeAnna! 🙂
You may put it in a food processor, and nobody would ever know?!
I will definitely try this!! I love to switch mine up. Is also really good using the fruity flavored dressings you find in the refrigerated area of the produce dept!! One of my favorite ways to eat is with mandarin oranges, chow mein noodles , water chestnuts, and dried cranberries served over spinach or lettuce.
Great ideas Tina! Yum!
I make chicken salad by first cooking the chicken in the crockpot with old bay seasoning. After it cooks I shred it so the mayo mix coats it better. I add diced celery, onion, sweet mini peppers, dill pickle relish and craisens. mix with may and salt/pepper to taste.
All good but in my little tiny part of the south, oddly enough we don’t use mayo in chicken salad, potato salad, pasta salad, etc. We like to use salad dressing – aka Miracle Whip.
I’m a miracle whip person also but please just try it dukes it is so good .
I hate to say anything but any good Southern Chicken Salad should be made with Duke’s mayonnaise.
Yes, I agree I used Dukes when we lived in NC. Never salad dressing.
My air conditioner is out for the 4th day. Sitting around with no lights on to keep from generating extra heat so definitely not using the stove or oven. Had PB&Js for supper. This sounds really good. If I had the ingredients I would have made it! AC coming tomorrow. It is funny how having my house in the 80s is so bothersome when there are people all over the world with no AC at all. Can’t wait until tomorrow! AC is getting fixed hopefully!
Oh my heavens Mary… I can’t even imagine not having air conditioning here right now ~ bless your heart! I’ll say a prayer that the AC person gets there EARLY tomorrow morning and takes care of you!!!
Thanks Laurie! He got here at 645 this morning. It is really unbelievable he got the parts to fix it as fast as he did! Maybe we’ll have some cool air to sleep tonight.
Yayyyy Mary! So glad for you 🙂