The Best Chicken Salad Recipe Ideas

If you are looking for ways to make your chicken salad more exciting, we have rounded up all the best chicken salad ideas for you!

When it comes to a quick and easy lunch, it's hard to beat chicken salad. It's nutritious, packed with protein, and can be served in so many different ways. Make a chicken salad sandwich, serve it on a bed of greens, turn it into a wrap, or serve it with sliced vegetables and crackers as a dip. 

The other amazing thing about chicken salad is that it is a great way to utilize leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken. Although you can poach chicken just for salad, more often we find we use leftover chicken.

With that said, there are so many different ways to make chicken salad. It can be the creamy picnic salad we have all tried or something totally different. 

Looking for more easy lunch ideas? Don't miss the best salad recipes and make-ahead lunch ideas.

The Best Recipe Ideas for Chicken Salad

From classic takes on this deli favorite to creative concoctions using spices, vegetables, fruit, and more. we have also included the perfect base recipe so you can build your own chicken salad combinations. 

Healthy Chicken Salad

118 CAL 10 MIN

This is your classic chicken salad with a creamy dressing, lots of chicken, and crunch from celery. This is the chicken salad recipe to build from adding in all your favorite mix-ins. This version uses a combination of Greek yogurt and mayonnaise to lighten things up, but you could use all mayo for a more traditional approach.

Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps

166 CAL 10 MIN

If you aren't serving chicken salad in lettuce wraps, it's time to start! Not only is it light and healthy, but it's also a great way to turn the chicken salad into a tasty appetizer. This recipe has dried cranberries and celery, adding lots of crunch and sweetness.

Buffalo Chicken Salad

121 CAL 10 MIN

Buffalo wing fans will love this Buffalo Chicken Salad made with buffalo sauce, celery, and carrots. There is an option to also add ranch or blue cheese for even more wing flavor. This salad makes the best sandwiches and is also as a big green salad.

Avocado Chicken Salad

179 CAL 10 MIN

If mayonnaise isn't your thing, then Avocado Chicken Salad is the answer. This chicken salad is also naturally dairy-free, Paleo, and Whole30 friendly. Add lots of lime juice to the avocado to prevent it from browning and add cilantro, jalapeno, and onion for a Mexican spin.

Mediterranean Chicken Salad

149 CAL 15 MIN

If you want a creative chicken salad recipe, this is it! Packed with feta cheese, black olives, cucumbers, roasted red peppers, and fresh herbs for Greek and Mediterranean vibes. This is delicious served in warm pita bread.

Healthy Chicken Salad with Grapes

135 CAL 15 MIN

For those who like a sweet chicken salad, this recipe with red grapes, crunchy celery, lemon juice, and a touch of Dijon mustard is so good! If you are making it for meal prep, swap in raisins or dried cranberries.

Waldorf Chicken Salad

229 CAL 10 MIN

This spin on a Waldorf salad has red grapes, apples., celery, and walnuts. Its creamy, sweet, and has plenty of crunch. We love serving this fancy chicken salad in lettuce cups or open-faced on toast points for parties.

Curried Chicken Salad

173 CAL 10 MIN

If you love some spice and lots of flavor in your chicken salad, then this Curry Chicken Salad is for you! Made with a combination of curry powder and mango chutney, this chicken salad is anything but bland.

Cranberry Chicken Salad with Apples

166 CAL 15 MIN

There is a really delicious deli that serves this fruit-packed chicken salad. It's the perfect combination of savory and sweet and makes a really tasty sandwich on hearty wheat bread.

Blackened Chicken Salad

174 CAL 10 MIN

If you love things spicy and smoky, this Blackened Chicken Salad is a great alternative to the traditional version. All you need is some blackening spice to kick up the dressing and make this really tasty chicken salad.

Cranberry Almond Chicken Salad

210 CAL 10 MIN

For a long time, Costco sold a really popular chicken salad packed with cranberries and almonds. This is an easy-to-make, at-home version of that chicken salad with dried cranberries, almonds, and poppy seeds.

Ways to Serve Chicken Salad

Another way to get creative with chicken salad is to think about new ways to serve it. Here are some of the best ways to serve chicken salad. 

• Sandwiches and wraps
• With salad greens
• Lettuce wraps
• Served in hollowed out tomatoes, cucumbers, and zucchini
• In pita bread or whole grain tortillas
• With crackers or chips
• With raw veggies
• Served on roasted sweet potato slices
• In baked wonton shells
• Stuffed into hard-boiled eggs
• Wrapped up and cut into pinwheels
• Served in an avocado half

How to make bland chicken salad taste better?

The most common reason chicken salad tastes bland is from a lack of salt. Always start by adding some kosher salt and pepper to your chicken salad to see if that fixes the problem.

If it doesn't make the chicken more flavorful, then it is time to play with the spices and additions. Consider adding some lemon juice, an extra scoop of mayonnaise, some garlic or onion powder, or some crunchy celery to add more flavor. 

How to make chicken for chicken salad?

If you need to make chicken for chicken salad, the most common method is poaching the chicken in water or broth. You can also make grilled chicken, baked chicken, or slow cooked chicken. 

Here are the most common methods:

• Poaching chicken: Poaching is an easy option. Start by adding the chicken breast in a single layer in the bottom of a large pot. Season with salt and pepper. Cover the chicken with broth or water until there is about half an inch of liquid above the chicken. Bring to a boil and then immediately turn down to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Then turn off the heat and let the chicken continue to cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove the chicken and chop or shred once cooled.
• Grilled chicken: Brush the chicken breasts with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Then grill for 4-6 minutes per side. Let cool and chop into smaller pieces for the salad.
• Baked chicken: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Brush the chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray so that the chicken breasts touch each other but don't overlap. Cook for 18-20 minutes until they are cooked through to 165 degrees.
• Slow cooker chicken: Place the chicken breast in a single layer on the bottom of your crockpot. Season with salt, pepper, and anything else you like. Cook on low for 2.5-4 hours.
• Rotisserie chicken: If you don't want to cook the chicken, simply pick up a rotisserie chicken. Remove the skin and chop or shred the cooked chicken.
• Canned chicken: Another option if you don't want to cook is canned chicken. Make sure to fully drain the chicken before using it for salad and make sure not to oversalt, since canned chicken can be salty already.

What is the best way to store chicken salad?

Chicken salad should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.  Depending on what you have added to the chicken salad, it may only last for 1-2 days without getting wet or soggy. 

If you are making chicken salad with more watery ingredients like grapes, cucumbers, or pickles it is best to store them separately and add them before serving. The same suggestion goes for nuts and seeds that you want to stay crunchy.

Can chicken salad be frozen?

Due to the mayonnaise and yogurt, chicken salad does not freeze well. It is best to freeze the shredded chicken by itself and then make a fresh batch of chicken salad with the defrosted chicken.