I love chicken salad, and I love making it for parties and get-togethers. It’s sweet, savory, and satisfying. Red grapes add a pop of sweetness, and almonds add a little crunch. And the best part? It’s super easy to throw together. Just add the ingredients and mix.
For more tasty chicken salads, try our Curry Chicken Salad.
Why Our Recipe
- Whip up this chicken salad in only 10 minutes!
- Sweet and crunchy mix-ins, including grapes, onions, and almonds.
- Perfect for sandwiches, wraps, or even stuffed avocados.
What’s great about chicken salad is how easy it is to customize. You can choose which mix-ins you like and what kind of flavor you want. You can make it tangier with dill and pickles, or keep the simple, garden flavors of celery and grapes. You can make it for a luncheon, a shower, a barbecue, or for a lighter dinner.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken: Cooked and chopped. Rotisserie chicken or canned chicken are good time-savers.
- Celery: Adds a nice crunch. If not available, try using cucumber or apple for a different texture.
- Sweet Onion: For a milder flavor, shallots or green onions can be used.
- Red Grapes: Add a sweet touch. Dried cranberries, dried figs, mandarin oranges, pineapple chunks, or chopped apples are great alternatives.
- Almonds: Walnuts or pecans can be used instead.
- Mayonnaise: Substitute with Greek yogurt, low-fat mayo, or Miracle Whip.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh is best, but bottled works in a pinch.
- Mustard: Any type of mustard can be used, depending on your taste preference.
Chicken Options
This recipe calls for shredded cooked chicken and that comes with all sorts of options.
Rotisserie Chicken – many American grocery stores sell cooked rotisserie chickens that you can buy and shred. It’s often a “loss leader,” which means they sell it for less than it actually costs to mak,e so it can be a great deal. Many stores are also now offering the rotisserie chicken pre-shredded and packaged, too!
Frozen Cooked Chicken – check out the freezer section of your grocery store for pre-cooked chicken strips and chunks.
Boiled Chicken – Simply boil 2 chicken breasts (about 1 pound) in either water or chicken broth (for more flavor) for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Drain and shred chicken with a fork.
Bake Your Own Chicken – lay chicken breasts out into a lightly greased 9×13 pan. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes until cooked through. Then shred or roughly chop.
Make-Ahead Instructions
This is the perfect make-ahead meal. In fact, this cold salad is even tastier if it’s been left in the fridge for a couple of hours or even an entire day before you eat it! This is great news if you want to prepare for a picnic or simply make a cold lunch ahead of time. Simply follow the instructions and cover your salad tightly with plastic wrap before storing it in the fridge.
Variations
Fruit: I prefer grapes, but this is definitely your salad, so pick something you like best. I recommend apples, mandarin oranges, pineapple, dried cranberries, and dried figs.
Veggies: If you’re more of a savory person, feel free to omit the grapes and add some veggies instead. Cucumbers, pickles, or peppers are all great options.
Nuts: Chopped walnuts and pecans are perfect additions if you want a little crunch to your chicken salad.
Serving Suggestions
There’s no wrong way to serve curry chicken salad, and there really are so many options. It’s kind of nice because it makes it perfect for so many different occasions.
On a Croissant: Nothing beats a flaky croissant stuffed with curry chicken salad. It feels a little fancy. You could also use various other buns and rolls, but croissant is the classic.
In a Lettuce Wrap: If you want something lighter, scoop it into a big piece of butter lettuce or romaine leaves.
Wrapped in a Tortilla: Roll it up with some spinach or greens in a tortilla and you’ve got an easy wrap that travels well.
Stuffed in an Avocado: Slice an avocado in half and load it up. It’s fresh, filling, and just feels a little extra (in the best way).
Over a Salad: Go more old school and scoop it on top of your favorite greens for a super quick salad.
With Crackers: Scoop it up with your favorite crackers or pita chips for an easy snack board situation or appetizer.
Storage Instructions
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for 3-4 days. To enjoy it again, you can serve it cold, straight from the fridge or let it come to room temperature.
*Freezing is not recommended.
More tasty salads…
Thank you so much for this delish chicken salad recipe! Even my picky eaters love it! I used it for a special family service and there were compliments all round. I told everyone exactly where I got it and sent them your way!
– Sheena
So delicious! Love the recommendations for variations. I made it with Greek yogurt and yellow mustard, since I had that on hand, and so good! Will make again!
Greek yogurt is such a great substitute. I’ve done it too. Delicious!
Everything these girls make, is awesome 👍
Awww, thanks Paul!
Your recipe looks delicious. I usually add apples to mine.
Delicious salad, thank you
I have followed you for a very long time. The first thing I made using your recipe was the chocolate chip shortbread cookies, the one you place in a plastic bag and flatten out and refrigerate. I need to tell you that has been a super big hit at the holidays, birthday parties or just having family over to a cook out. Thank you so much for you many wonderful recipes. You truly inspire me to cook better. I wish you both well in your endeavors and I pray your feeling better. 🙏🏻🩷🙏🏻
Great dish loved it
One of my favorites. Serve with Ciabatta or Pretzel rolls or romaine lettuce boats. Excellent light summer dinner
Love your recipes. Just finished making this for the weekend. Keep up the great work. Hope you’re feeling ok & thanks!