Chicken Salad Recipe

5 from 3 votes

This chicken salad recipe is creamy, flavorful, and full of texture from juicy grapes, crunchy walnuts, and fresh herbs. Made with rotisserie chicken for ease and extra flavor, it comes together quickly and tastes even better after chilling—perfect for sandwiches, wraps, or an easy make-ahead lunch.

Prep Time45

Total Time45

Course: Salad

Servings: -6

Calories: 341kcal

Author: Good Dinner Mom

Ingredients

2½ cups cooked chicken rotisserie works great
1 to 2 cups red seedless grapes cut in half
3 green onions chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
3 bread and butter pickle slices diced
¼ cup fresh dill minced
⅓ cup fresh parsley chopped
½ tsp whole mustard seeds
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
sea salt to taste
black pepper to taste

Instructions

Prepare the chicken: Cut the cooked chicken into bite-size pieces, using a combination of light and dark meat for the best flavor and texture.
2½ cups cooked chicken
Mix the salad: In a large bowl, combine the chicken, grapes, green onions, celery, bread-and-butter pickle slices, dill, parsley, mustard seeds, walnuts, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt (or sour cream), and lemon juice. Stir gently until everything is evenly coated.
1 to 2 cups red seedless grapes, 3 green onions, 2 stalks celery, 3 bread and butter pickle slices, ¼ cup fresh dill, ⅓ cup fresh parsley, ½ tsp whole mustard seeds, ½ cup chopped walnuts, ½ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream, 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Season and adjust: Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste. If you prefer a creamier chicken salad, stir in a little more mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, or a splash of half-and-half until it reaches your desired consistency.
sea salt, black pepper
Chill before serving: Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. For the best flavor, make the chicken salad a day ahead and let it chill overnight.

Notes

Rotisserie chicken is my favorite shortcut and gives this salad great flavor. Use a combination of light and dark meat for the best texture.
Chilling the salad for at least 30 minutes allows the flavors to blend and makes an even better chicken salad.
Cut the grapes in half (or quarters if they're especially large) so every bite has a little sweetness.
This chicken salad keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Give it a quick stir before serving.

Easy Variations

Chicken Waldorf Salad: Add chopped apple, raisins, and cheddar cheese. Omit the bread-and-butter pickles and fresh dill.

Chicken Cashew Salad: Replace the walnuts with chopped cashews, add fresh cilantro, and omit the dill and parsley.

Chicken Tarragon Salad: Replace the fresh dill with ½ to 1 teaspoon dried tarragon (or 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon), add a pinch of dried oregano, and substitute pecans for the walnuts.

Nutrition