The BEST Chicken Salad Recipe (2024)

This is the BEST chicken salad recipe EVER! There is no way to describe how good this chicken salad is – you will have to make it and see. Believe me when I say this chicken salad is simply delicious.

This is probably the best dish Hubby has ever made, and that is really saying something! My husband is an excellent cook with some really creative ideas!

Chicken Salad Recipe

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Hubby has made this recipe hundreds of times. It is one of my favorite recipes, and I hope it will become a new favorite of yours!

I list the weight for this one as he finds it easier to do the dressing for this creamy chicken salad recipe by weight on a kitchen scale. Because people had asked, he converted to the traditional cup measurement for me. I list both below.

This is going to become one of your favorite chicken salad recipes. Don’t believe me? Read the comment section.

This is not a simple recipe, but it is easy to make. By that I mean there are wonderful flavors that come together between the dressing and the chicken salad ingredients making it like no other chicken salad recipe you have ever eaten – it really is next level and not a classic chicken salad recipe.

This is one of my favorite cold salads; a delicious recipe at any time of the year.

Tips and variations for making this delicious chicken salad recipe:

● Hubby recently bought a sous vide cooker (because we needed another kitchen gadget in our house *insert eye roll*) and made the chicken for this recipe with the sous vide cooker instead of making poached chicken. The chicken turned out very soft, very tender, and the chicken salad was still excellent. I prefer the poached chicken breasts but if you have a sous vide cooker and make your cooked chicken that way, it works too! You can make the chicken ahead of time.

● We use dried dill weed. Use three times as much fresh dill weed if you prefer fresh.

● I have never used miracle whip in this recipe and do not recommend it.

● I have never used honey mustard instead of Dijon mustard in this recipe and do not recommend it.

● I have not used rotisserie chicken, leftover chicken, a whole chicken, or chicken thighs on this chicken, and do not recommend any of them. If you prefer dark meat to white meat, you may want to try poaching boneless chicken thighs. I have not done so myself, however.

● There are no red grapes, green grapes, or dried cranberries in this recipe. I have never added any but from comments on this recipe on Pinterest, I’ve had people say that they have added grapes and liked it. Remember that they will make this recipe sweeter.

● We have used plain sunflower seeds and honey sunflower seeds in this recipe many times. The honey flavored gives a touch more “sweet”, both are excellent choices.

● People have used this inside a buttery croissant, on a bed of lettuce (lettuce cups), or a bed of greens, or homemade chicken salad sandwiches.

● All the basic ingredients for this chicken salad recipe should be easily found at your local grocery store.

● Refrigerate all leftover chicken salad in an airtight container.

If you are looking for more chicken recipes, try these:

● Chicken Spaghetti Casserole Recipe
● Chipotle Barbecue Chicken Kabobs Recipe
● Easy Bruschetta Chicken Recipe

Chicken Salad Recipe Dressing Ingredients:

● 1 cup Mayonnaise (6oz by scale weight)
● ½ cup Sour Cream (4oz by scale weight)
● 2 TBSP Dijon Mustard (1oz by scale weight)
● 1 TBSP Dill Weed
● 2 tsp Sugar
● ½ tsp White Pepper
● 5 tsp Lemon Juice

Salad Ingredients:

● 3 cups chopped Poached Chicken
● 1 cup finely chopped Celery
● 4 TBSP finely chopped Green Onions
● ½ cup shelled Sunflower Seeds

Chicken Salad Mise en Place:

● Two Bowls (one small, one large)
● Cutting Board
● Knife
● Measuring Cup
● Measuring Spoons
● Spatula or Spoon

Chicken Salad Recipe Salad Directions:

● Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, dill weed, sugar, white pepper, and lemon juice in a bowl. Mix all dressing ingredients together.

● Cut your cool, poached chicken into bite-sized, small pieces.

● Add all salad ingredients (poached chicken, celery, green onions, and sunflower seeds) to the mixed dressing.
● Mix together well.

● Chill for at least two hours before serving.

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