Favorite Chicken Salad Recipe

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 12/25/21
Favorite Chicken Salad

The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 15 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings

Chicken salad is an ultimate favorite, and there are many variations out there for this salad. This chicken salad with red onion recipe has a little twist to it, as we use sweet bell pepper relish and Cajun or Creole seasoning blend to add a little zing. While this recipe makes six to eight sandwiches, it can easily be scaled to make less or more, if needed. 

This is a great way to use up any leftover or rotisserie chicken, and you can also add your own touch to the chicken salad. Toss in some sunflower seeds, or diced up apples for additional crunch and flavor. Sprinkle on some Sriracha or Tabasco sauce for even more of a zing.

The perfect sandwich for a warm summer day, this chicken salad works well to take on backyard gatherings or picnics in the park with family and friends. Let the kids join in and help you by putting the chicken salad on the bread to make the sandwiches.

Great to eat on its own, with crackers, on a bed of romaine lettuce, on sandwich rolls, or your favorite type of bread, this chicken salad with onion is sure to become a favorite. Serve it with some chips or fresh fruit for lunch or a light dinner. 

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Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 to 3 cups cooked diced chicken

  • 1/2 cup diced celery

  • 3 to 4 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise, or to taste

  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 2 to 3 teaspoons sweet pepper relish, or to taste

  • Cajun or Creole seasoning blend, optional

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • 12 to 16 slices of bread, or 6 to 8 sandwich rolls

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Favorite Chicken Salad ingredients

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  2. Combine chicken with celery, onion, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, lemon juice, pepper, relish, Cajun or Creole seasoning, and salt.

    Combine chicken, celery, onion, mayonnaise, lemon juice, pepper, relish, seasoning, and salt in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  3. Add more mayonnaise as needed.

    Mayo added to the chicken salad in the bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

  4. Fill sliced bread or sandwich rolls with mixture.

    Favorite Chicken Salad on toast

    The Spruce Eats / Ali Redmond

Tips

  • Chicken salad is also great to eat on a bed of lettuce with some sliced tomatoes, with some crackers, or all by itself.
  • Chicken salad is a great way to use up any leftover or rotisserie chicken.

Recipe Variation

  • While we use sweet bell pepper relish, feel free to use sweet pickle relish or a dill pickle relish. Either one will give the salad a nice flavor.
  • Use plain Greek yogurt in place of half of the mayonnaise.
  • Use cooked red or sweet onion instead of raw.
  • Add in some diced apples for more of a crunchy sweet taste.
  • Toss in some sunflower seeds.
  • For even more spice, sprinkle on or mix in some Sriracha or Tabasco sauce.



How to Store

Homemade chicken salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to five days. 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
344 Calories
19g Fat
26g Carbs
17g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 344
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g 24%
Saturated Fat 4g 19%
Cholesterol 53mg 18%
Sodium 429mg 19%
Total Carbohydrate 26g 10%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 17g
Vitamin C 3mg 13%
Calcium 86mg 7%
Iron 3mg 15%
Potassium 206mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)