Hot Chicken Salad Recipe {Easy and Freezer Friendly}

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This Hot Chicken Salad Recipe is prepared like a casserole.  It's easy to make fresh or make ahead as a freezer meal – so good! 

Hot Chicken Salad Recipe

Cheree' here!

So, I'm not gonna lie! I've seen similar hot chicken salad recipes in the past and just kept scrolling because I like my chicken salad cold.  Having a salad hot just sounded weird and kind of disgusting to me.

However, I kept reading reviews about Hot Chicken Salad and they were SO good that I finally caved and gave it a shot.

Holy Guacamole, I've been missing out all these years on this melt-in-your-mouth-oh-so-good-yumminess! Seriously, so so good.

Don't be like me and miss out! Print out this recipe today ~ grab those ingredients and see what you think. I dare ya! 😜

🍴Menu Note: This recipe is from week 6 of our freezer menu planning made easy set! 

What is in Hot Chicken Salad?

• chicken
• cream of chicken soup (or make your own homemade cream soup)
• mayonnaise
• onion
• lemon juice
• salt
• celery
• almonds
• cheddar cheese
• potato chips

How do you make hot chicken salad?

Start with about 4 cups of diced cooked chicken.

You can make a batch of chicken ahead in your slow cooker, grill some or use a rotisserie chicken if that's more up your alley! The ingredients in this recipe are most likely already in your pantry (which is one reason I love this recipe).

While your chicken is cooking, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, then mix together your soup, mayonnaise, diced onion, lemon juice, and salt until well combined in a large bowl.

Stir in your celery and almonds and then add in your chicken as well.

Spoon the mixture into a 13×9 baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray and bake for 30 minutes.

Uncover and add shredded cheese and crushed potato chips to the top.

Bake for an additional 15 minutes and enjoy!

Can you freeze hot chicken salad?

Absolutely! In fact, this recipe is part of our freezer menu collection. I wouldn't suggest freezing traditional chicken salad because mayonnaise and fresh veggies can get soggy and have a strange texture.

But, since the hot chicken salad will be baked, it really works out great.

Here's how to turn this recipe into a freezer meal.

After you have the chicken salad stirred together, spoon mixture into a disposable 13×9-inch foil pan. Instead of baking, you'll cover the dish with plastic wrap and then with aluminum foil.

Freeze shredded cheese in a separate bag and tape to casserole. Also, hide the potato chips to save for cooking day. 🙂

Ahhh, look at those baby cards that are included with the freezer menu purchase. Tape those to your casserole before sticking it in the freezer. They include the cooking instructions on the back to make life a wee bit easier. 🙂

When ready to cook, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

Can I substitute anything to make a healthy version of hot chicken salad?

Cream of chicken soup gets a bad rap and we get it!

It really enhances the flavor in “casserole” type recipes but doesn't contain the best ingredients. Consider using the 98% fat-free version or opt for this homemade cream soup for this recipe instead!

Using a 0% fat free plain Greek yogurt in place of mayonnaise is a healthy alternative if you're watching your calories. This will also boost up that protein.

You could also use reduced-fat cheddar cheese and skip topping with potato chips as well. 🙂

I would love to hear if you've been like me and have a new appreciation for Hot Chicken Salad after trying this recipe! ❤️

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Hot Chicken Salad

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Servings: 6

Calories: 688kcal

Ingredients

• 4 cups diced, cooked chicken
• 10.5 oz can cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup diced onion
• 1 ½ Tbsps lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups chopped celery
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 cups crushed potato chips

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, combine soup, mayonnaise, onion, lemon juice and salt. Stir in chicken, celery and almonds.
• Spoon mixture into a 13x9-inch baking dish.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover, add cheese and crushed potato chips on top. Bake, uncovered 15 additional minutes.

Instructions to turn Hot Chicken Salad into a freezer meal.

• Spoon mixture into a 13x9-inch disposable foil pan. Cover with plastic wrap and  aluminum foil. Label and freeze. Freeze shredded cheese in a separate bag and tape to casserole.
• When ready to cook, thaw in refrigerator overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove foil and plastic wrap and recover with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Uncover, add cheese and crushed potato chips on top. Bake, uncovered 15 additional minutes.

Notes

Label and store potato chips for serving day.

Nutrition

Calories: 688kcal

Looking for more delicious freezer meals?

This recipe is from week six of our freezer menu plans. You'll receive this meal plus 59 other AMAZING recipes (and 12 desserts too)! You'll also get lifetime membership in our private Facebook group.

These are the BEST MENU PLANS on the planet. They're the only menu plan that ship all the grocery lists, menu plans and recipe cards right out to you ~ no downloading or hunting down recipes on your phone at dinnertime ever again!

Find more awesome recipes your family will love.