Chicken Salad Recipe

This Chicken Salad recipe is absolute perfection with it’s tender roasted chicken, sweet cranberries and crunchy pecans! This amazing chicken salad is perfect for chicken salad sandwiches or a delightful, stand-alone dish. A flavorful creamy dressing, fresh herbs and a hint of curry make this the best chicken salad! The perfect addition to your next brunch, lunch or tea party!

If you’re looking for more chicken recipes, try our Buffalo Chicken Pastry Bites or these delicious Salsa Cream Cheese Chicken Wraps. 

Best Chicken Salad Recipe

As a lover of tea parties, I’ve enjoyed quite a few delicious tea sandwiches over the years, and made quite a few myself. This chicken salad recipe is a combination of a few recipes I’ve loved, with a couple of my own touches as well.  I’ve made this Chicken Salad so many times, and it’s always enjoyed by all.

This dish brings together tender roasted chicken (or feel free to swap in rotisserie chicken), sweet cranberries and crunchy toasted pecans for a mouthwatering experience. This easy chicken salad recipe is enhanced with a medley of fresh herbs and a touch of curry, making this creamy, flavorful salad perfect for gourmet tea sandwiches or a delightful, stand-alone dish.

Whether you’re hosting a tea party, preparing a picnic, or simply looking for a delicious and wholesome dish, this chicken salad is the perfect choice.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Versatile. This chicken salad is perfect for sandwiches, wraps and is delicious enjoyed on its own. Ingredients can easily be customized to suit your individual preferences which makes each chicken salad sandwich unique and intersting.
• Make it ahead of time. You know how I said it was easy to make? This trick makes it even easier. This chicken salad is better the day after you make it! You can whip it up the day before and then make sandwiches out of them right before you serving. 
• The flavors and textures! I love when I see people try this recipe because they’re always so delighted by the flavor. Tarragon really adds something special to it! This recipe also has chewy cranberries and crunchy celery to balance out the creaminess of the sauce. 

Chicken Salad Recipe Ingredients

This chicken salad recipe is a bit different than many chicken salad recipes out there but I think that’s a good thing! First, we’re roasting the chicken fresh for the most herbaceous flavor. You can absolutely use a rotisserie chicken instead.

As always, the full, printable recipe card can be found at the end of this post.

• Chicken Breast: The main protein, roasted to tender perfection.
• Fresh Herbs: Italian parsley, rosemary and tarragon add fresh, aromatic notes.
• Onion: Adds a subtle sweetness and depth of flavor when roasted with the chicken breasts.
• Lemon Juice: Brightens the flavors and tenderizes the chicken.
• Celery: Provides a refreshing crunch.
• Shallot: Adds a delicate onion flavor to the chicken salad without overpowering the dish.
• Cranberries: Adds a hint of sweetness to the dish.
• Toasted Pecans: Add a delightful crunch and nutty flavor. Can be substituted with almonds or walnuts.
• Sour Cream and Mayonnaise: Create a creamy, tangy dressing. Swap in Greek yogurt for the sour cream if you prefer.
• Curry Powder: Adds a warm, spicy undertone to the chicken salad but isn’t overpowering by any means. Can be left out if needed.
• Salt and Pepper: Enhance all the flavors in this chicken salad recipe.

How to Make Chicken Salad

When you want something easy to make for your next get-together, roast some chicken breasts and mix together this flavorful chicken salad! You can make it into sandwiches for everyone to enjoy at a party or a quick and easy addition to your brunch or lunch menu. The complete recipe is in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Step 1: Roast the Chicken

1. Spray a roasting dish with cooking spray.
2. Layer the dish with thickly sliced onions and fresh herbs.
3. Add the chicken breast on top and squeeze lemon juice over everything.
4. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Roast uncovered for 35 minutes at 375°F.
6. Cool chicken and chop for salad.

Step 2: Prepare the Chicken Salad

1. Chop the chicken into small, bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl.
2. Stir in sour cream and mayonnaise and add celery, shallot and tarragon.
3. Mix in remaining ingredients.
4. Taste to season, and then chill it, covered, for several hours or overnight. 

Storage

• Storage: The chicken salad itself can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 
• Make Ahead: You can meal prep the chicken salad and enjoy it throughout the week, but don’t try to make any sandwiches ahead of time. They’ll get too soggy.
• Freezing: Not recommended as the texture will change upon thawing.

Variations To Try

Chicken salad is one of those recipes that you can play with! If you don’t like cranberries, add chopped grapes. If you absolutely love dill – add it to your recipe. Here are a few more ways you can tweak this recipe!

• If you’re short on time, use leftover chicken from your mal the night before, or buy a rotisserie chicken.
• This chicken salad sandwich recipe can easily be turned into a turkey salad recipe just by using leftover turkey! 
• Add sliced almonds or walnuts instead of pecans. 
• Use this Cranberry Fluff Recipe to add a very thin layer to a sandwich. It’ll give it a boost of fruity flavor. 
• Add chopped pickles to the mixture, especially if you wind up using dill!
• If you want the chicken salad to be less chunky, put all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse a couple of times to mix. Make sure you just pulse and keep an eye on it, you don’t want a chicken salad puree!

Chicken Salad Sandwich

One way you can use this chicken salad is by making chicken salad sandwiches or tea sandwiches. Who doesn’t love a dainty, delicious finger food?!

Serve this chicken salad on a croissant (as shown), sourdough, or other soft bread. It’s also delicious as a lettuce wrap. For tea sandwiches:

• Don’t make your tea sandwiches more than an hour before serving.
• If you’re worried about the chicken salad sandwiches getting soggy while sitting out over the course of a party, add a thin layer of mayonnaise or softened butter to the inside of the bread. It’ll provide a layer of fat between the creamy chicken salad and dry bread.
• Layer a thinly sliced cucumber between the chicken salad and the top piece of sandwich bread. It’s an elegant touch.

Can I use leftover chicken ?

Yes, leftover rotisserie chicken works perfectly in this chicken salad recipe. Leftover grilled chicken can also work well as long as it’s not overly seasoned.

Is there a substitute for sour cream?

If you’re not a fan of sour cream, plain Greek yogurt is a great alternative.

Why can’t you prepare chicken salad sandwiches in advance?

Unfortunately, the bread will get soggy! The good news is that you can prepare the chicken salad in advance, just hold off on adding it to bread until you’re ready to enjoy or serve. 

Trish’s Tips

• Chill overnight! You can make the chicken salad and let it chill for a few hours before serving, or you can let it chill overnight so all the flavors truly blend!
• Put the sandwich together at the last possible minute! You don’t want the bread to get soggy by adding the chicken salad too soon. You can have the chicken salad made and the bread ready to go ahead of time, but you should put it together no more than an hour before serving. 
• Get two recipes out of one! Make an extra couple of chicken breasts while you’re roasting the chicken and add some of your favorite chopped veggies to the dish so absorb the flavors. Then you’ll have the chicken for your sandwiches, and a chicken and veggie sheet pan meal all in one!
• Leftover Thanksgiving turkey? Swap for the chicken for the best turkey sandwiches of your life!
• Ensure all ingredients are chopped to a similar size for the best chicken salad experience.
• Use fresh herbs for the best flavor; dried herbs can be used in a pinch, but reduce the amount by half.
• Always taste and adjust the seasoning before serving!

More Tea Party and Brunch Recipes To Try

1. Spring Tea Party Cookies
2. Lemon Tea Coookies
3. Lemon Blueberry Bread
4. Strawberry Cream Puffs
5. Blueberry Coffee Cake

Originally published May 4, 2011.