Chicken Salad

Start with leftover chicken and this Chicken Salad recipe takes just 5 minutes to toss together. Ideal for meal prep or a quick make-ahead lunch idea, this Chicken Salad can be dressed up with your favorite mix-ins and herbs.

Course Main Course, Salad

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Total Time 5

Servings servings (3/4 cups each)

Calories 260kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise or to taste (see note 1)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice from half a lemon (see note 2)
1 tablespoon celery seed (see note 3)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 cups cooked chicken shredded (see note 4)
3 ribs celery finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced freshly parsley

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, celery seed, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. (I like 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 pepper.)
Add chicken, celery, and parsley. Toss to combine. Serve immediately or cover and chill until serving.

Notes

Mayonnaise: I love Hellman's, Duke's, and Best Foods, but any brand will work. (Just skip Miracle Whip or other mayo-style dressings.) Not a fan of mayo? Simply use an equal amount of plain Greek yogurt.
Lemon juice: This citrusy, acidic element makes the flavors really pop. You could also opt for any kind of vinegar, like white vinegar, champagne vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
Celery seed: I really like celery seed in chicken salad. But if you don't have it and you don't want to buy it, feel free to omit it entirely.
Chicken: Leftover rotisserie chicken works great in this recipe. (Starting from scratch with a package of chicken breasts? See below; I'll walk you through how to cook the protein for this Chicken Salad.) Come Thanksgiving, try this same concept with leftover turkey instead of chicken.
Yield: This recipe makes about 7 1/2 cups of Chicken Salad, enough for 10 sandwiches, wraps, or salads with 3/4 cup Chicken Salad per person.
Storage: Transfer extra Chicken Salad to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Mix things up: Try folding in halved grapes, cubes of apple, or chopped toasted walnuts or toasted pecans. I also love swapping the celery and celery seed for either red onion and lemon pepper seasoning OR toasted walnuts and dried cranberries.

Nutrition