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Home » Meal Ideas » Best Chicken Salad Ever

Best Chicken Salad Ever

Appetizers and Sides· Meal Ideas

9 Jan

Light and creamy chicken salad made with cooked or canned chicken, red onion, crisp celery, and just the right amount of seasoning!

I have been blessed to have had some really fantastic everyday recipes shared with me over the years and this is one of them. This recipe for the Best Chicken Salad Ever is in regular rotation in our house because it is so versatile!

Delicious as a sandwich, in a wrap, and even on it’s own right out of the bowl, this is less expensive than the deli version and super easy to make. If you haven’t tried it, you really should. It could become a new favorite in your house too.

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Weight Watchers Points = 3 per serving (Point Breakdown in Recipe Notes)


Chicken salad with light sour cream and mayo - a lighter way to make it lower in fat and calories.

A NOTE ABOUT A Lighter Take on this Classic Favorite

We have made this recipe literally hundreds of times with great results. When we started making healthier changes to our eating habits, we lightened up the recipe buy making just two small changes, substituting light sour cream and light mayonnaise.

These changes didn’t seem to change the taste at all but they substantially changed the amount of calories and fat in the recipe. When counting Weight Watchers points, these small changes brought the points down from 11 points per serving to only 3 points per serving and it is still delicious!


Finished bowl of the Best Chicken Salad Ever

How to Make The Best Chicken Salad Ever

One day I was making Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip and the recipe called for pre-made chicken salad from the deli. When I arrived at the grocery store to pick some up the price was a LOT higher than I was expecting to pay.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the convenience of pre-made, but since it is literally made up of leftover chicken and pantry staples I have a really hard time paying that much for it. So I didn’t.

This recipe for the Best Chicken Salad Ever came from a friend who answered the call when I put a plea out on Facebook for a good chicken salad recipe. She often used leftover rotisserie chicken when she made it but since I didn’t have any leftover chicken I thought I would try to make it with canned chicken from Costco. And it was amazing. Simple and so good. And a new favorite recipe was born.

Shredded chicken and red onion in a bowl for the Best Chicken Salad Ever.

To make the BEST chicken salad ever – start with shredding or chopping three cups of cooked chicken.

If you are using the Costco canned chicken (two 12.5 ounce cans), drain, put into a bowl and shred with a fork.

Add 1/4 cup of chopped red onion and stir.

Remaining ingredients added to the bowl for Best Chicken Salad Ever

Add celery, lemon juice, sour cream, mayonnaise, salt and pepper and stir to combine well.

Chill until ready to use. That’s all there is to it!

As mentioned previously you can use this to make Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip or you can just make some pretty fantastic little sandwiches. You can also serve it with crackers, on a salad, or just eat it with a fork. It is THAT good without the crazy price tag at the grocery store deli. Enjoy!

Finished up close photo of Best Chicken Salad Ever in a bowl.

Other Favorite Recipes You May Like

Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip – The recipe that started it all! This Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip uses Deli chicken salad to add a delicious twist to a potluck favorite!

Bite Sized Sausage Rolls – the BEST bite sized sausage rolls that I have ever tasted. Yum.

Party Pretzel Bites – these delicious little bites are addictive and always welcomed at any gathering.

Quick and Easy Bruschetta – restaurant quality Bruschetta is hiding in the ingredients in your refrigerator!

Easy Homemade Ranch Dip – just seven simple pantry ingredients to create a delicious and easy Homemade Ranch Dip!

Best Chicken Salad Ever

Light and creamy Best Chicken Salad Ever is made with chicken, red onion, crisp celery, and just the right amount of seasoning!
4.95 from 51 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
Servings: 3 cups
Calories: 639kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 cups cooked chicken (leftover shredded chicken, rotisserie chicken or 2 cans Costco canned chicken)
  • 1/4 cup red onion
  • 2 pieces of celery (including leafy tops) chopped, about one cup
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp sour cream
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • pepper to taste
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

  • Finely chop red onion and celery.
  • In a medium bowl, break up, finely chop or shred the chicken.
  • Add chopped onion and celery, lemon juice, sour cream, mayonnaise, salt and pepper and stir to combine.
  • Chill until ready to use. Enjoy!

Notes

This is delicious on it’s own – pecans or walnuts can be added if not using for the Baked Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe. Also makes excellent sandwiches and cracker spread.
 

Nutrition *

Calories: 639kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 53g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 27g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 853mg | Potassium: 381mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 157IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg
* The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator.
Have you tried this recipe? Post a pic and mention @TheRecipeBandit or tag #therecipebandit!

  • Michelle Mundy

    As a busy working mom with kids on the go, I know how important it is to be able to make simple and delicious meals using everyday ingredients. The recipes shared here are family friendly with easy to understand step by step instructions. Tried and true, from our family to yours. Welcome to The Recipe Bandit! Click here to read more about me.

51 Comments

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Robert Holsing says

    April 12, 2025 at 7:19 pm

    5 stars
    it’s my go to recipe for chicken salad. I’m single and I just boil the chicken breast, dice celery and onion a dollop of sour cream and a bigger dollop of mayo salt and pepper I don’t do the lemon juice to me it’s perfect thank you for sharing

    Reply
    • Sally says

      April 14, 2025 at 10:14 am

      5 stars
      This is a good idea. I didn’t think about the chicken breast like that. Thank you.

      Reply
    • Michelle Mundy says

      April 14, 2025 at 8:37 pm

      5 stars
      Sounds like a great way to make it for one! 🙂

      Reply
  2. anneliese Fleming says

    March 16, 2025 at 10:51 am

    5 stars
    best chicken salad

    Reply
    • Michelle Mundy says

      March 19, 2025 at 10:07 am

      5 stars
      Thanks Anneliese! Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Katharine says

    March 6, 2025 at 9:20 am

    5 stars
    This was delicious, thank you for sharing 👍

    Reply
    • Michelle Mundy says

      March 16, 2025 at 8:50 am

      5 stars
      You are so very welcome! Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂

      Reply
  4. Susan says

    January 20, 2025 at 10:20 am

    5 stars
    I’ve never tried canned chicken but bought some during a trip to Sam’s Club. This seemed like a great base recipe, so I gave it a try. I had to omit the onion, as I can’t have it. I added dried cranberries and a sprinkling of slivered almonds. Delicious!

    Reply
    • Michelle Mundy says

      February 1, 2025 at 3:13 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for the great ideas Susan! Chicken and cranberries with slivered almonds sprinkled on top sounds delicious. We never thought that we would embrace the idea of canned chicken but for this recipe and so many others it is an awesome ingredient. 🙂

      Reply
  5. Doug says

    July 10, 2024 at 9:42 am

    5 stars
    The basic chicken salad was great
    I added half cup of cranberries and 1/3 cup of toasted walnuts
    1/2 cup mayo
    1/4 of sour cream
    1/4 cup Greek yogurt plain
    Turned out delicious

    Reply
    • Michelle Mundy says

      September 2, 2024 at 4:56 pm

      5 stars
      Wonderful to hear Doug! Thank you for the variation. I love to hear how people make it their own 🙂

      Reply
      • Judy Cocke says

        December 31, 2024 at 9:02 pm

        5 stars
        I put mine on a bed of lettuce and served with pear halves along with avocado. Parsley garnish. My friends were so impressed. Was a huge hit

        Reply
        • Michelle Mundy says

          January 1, 2025 at 8:02 pm

          5 stars
          That sounds amazing! Now I want to try it that way! Thank you for the great idea 🙂

          Reply
  6. Barbara says

    May 3, 2024 at 4:10 pm

    5 stars
    So good, the lemon juice gives the right amount of tanginess. Love it

    Reply
    • Michelle Mundy says

      May 7, 2024 at 8:25 pm

      5 stars
      I agree Barbara! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Jodi says

    December 26, 2023 at 9:51 pm

    5 stars
    This simple recipe is my favorite way to make chicken salad. It’s soooo good. I eat it with multigrain crackers.

    Reply
    • Michelle Mundy says

      May 7, 2024 at 8:26 pm

      5 stars
      There are days when I just eat it with a fork! Thanks for taking the time to comment Jodi!! 🙂

      Reply
  8. Darren says

    May 10, 2023 at 2:12 pm

    5 stars
    This is such a great recipe both as a standalone recipe and as a base for more ambitious/experimental chicken salad recipes I’ve tried.

    Reply
    • The Bandit says

      May 15, 2023 at 6:41 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for the comment Darren! Awesome 🙂

      Reply
  9. Sheila says

    January 4, 2023 at 2:06 pm

    5 stars
    This is the best! I finally found the recipe I have been searching for, just simple chicken salad without all the bells and whistles, and very tasty. We love it on croissants. Thank you so much for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Michelle Mundy says

      May 7, 2024 at 8:27 pm

      5 stars
      So very welcome! So happy you enjoy it as much as we do 🙂

      Reply
  10. Keith Langdon says

    December 10, 2022 at 5:51 pm

    5 stars
    Super easy and delicious!

    Reply
    • The Bandit says

      December 12, 2022 at 11:29 am

      5 stars
      Glad to hear Keith! Enjoy! 🙂

      Reply
      • Carol says

        June 10, 2023 at 5:17 pm

        5 stars
        grilled chicken salad, Swiss cheese and avocado sandwiches…yummmm

        Reply
        • The Bandit says

          June 12, 2023 at 12:02 pm

          5 stars
          THAT SOUNDS AMAZING! <3

          Reply
  11. M. King says

    October 3, 2022 at 5:34 pm

    5 stars
    I made this chicken salad for tonight’s dinner, which was terrific. My fiance commented on how good the chicken salad was.

    Reply
  12. Jane says

    January 26, 2022 at 4:30 am

    5 stars
    Truly best chicken salad ever!!!!

    Reply
  13. Robin says

    September 25, 2021 at 1:57 pm

    5 stars
    Great recipe! Really good on it’s own sometimes I add halved grapes, or pecans! This one is a hit!!

    Reply
  14. Marcia May says

    January 16, 2021 at 8:19 am

    3 stars
    I’m assuming you mean 2 “ribs” of celery instead of stalks. One stalk contains at least 10-12 ribs. 2 stalks will be excessive!

    Reply
    • The Bandit says

      January 16, 2021 at 11:18 am

      5 stars
      Yes two individual pieces of celery. This was an interesting thing for me, that a stalk is actually the whole thing! I did a little research and found this: According to the USDA, a “stalk” means the whole bunch or head and a single piece or stick is called a “rib.” This does not reflect common usage, however, so use caution in interpreting recipes! “Celery stalk,” in American English, is commonly used to mean one piece/rib/stick of celery. Consider the proportion of ingredients when deciding if the author of the recipe meant a rib or the whole bunch. Thanks for pointing it out! I have always used the common usage. Learn something new every day! 🙂

      Reply
      • Jojo says

        December 21, 2021 at 3:57 pm

        5 stars
        Made this with chicken breasts, just poached them in chicken broth first AND I did use 2 stalks of celery….TOTALLY knew what you meant because I am from the Midwest and that is what we’ve always called them, not ribs. lol Really good recipe, thank you!

        Reply
        • The Bandit says

          December 26, 2021 at 1:48 pm

          5 stars
          So happy to hear that I’m not crazy afterall about the celery! LOL And so happy to hear that you liked this recipe! 🙂

          Reply
      • Tish says

        March 13, 2022 at 9:01 pm

        5 stars
        Many years ago I made this error with garlic because I didn’t know any better and used an entire bulb of garlic. It was a disaster! Young people/kitchen virgins need these technicalities clearly spelled out especially they may be trying to impress their friend or significant other 😉 Can’t assume that someone in a different region than you shares a common understanding of a rib vs. a stalk✌️

        Reply
        • The Bandit says

          March 14, 2022 at 8:10 am

          5 stars
          Hi Tish! You are completely right! I have made some notable recipe mistakes due to language in recipes over my lifetime (my hubby could tell some stories) so I went in and changed the recipe to read “2 pieces of celery (including leafy tops) chopped, about one cup”. Pretty sure that this is much clearer for everyone. Thank you for the reminder that when you are learning, everything is quite literal! 🙂

          Reply
  15. Pat Waldenmeyer says

    September 1, 2020 at 9:55 am

    5 stars
    Great recipe! We like to add halved green and/or red seedless grapes and put it over a bed of mixed spring baby greens, fresh tomato wedges and sprinkle walnuts over the top. Yummm!

    Reply
    • The Bandit says

      December 4, 2020 at 11:45 am

      5 stars
      That sounds delicious. We make this probably more often than we should – I love the bed of greens idea. We have done them in lettuce wraps before but it would be delicious on a salad!

      Reply
  16. Joan says

    January 6, 2020 at 10:05 am

    5 stars
    Loved this recipe. Husband loved it too. Simple, easy to prepare and the lemon really makes it taste great! I use low-fat mayo and sour cream.

    Reply
    • The Bandit says

      January 13, 2020 at 8:17 am

      5 stars
      Hi Joan! We could eat this pretty much every day! We use it in the buffalo chicken dip recipe mostly but it makes great sandwiches and is great on crackers as well. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and for being a regular visitor. I hope you’ll find more you love!

      Reply
  17. Barbara says

    October 27, 2019 at 8:00 pm

    5 stars
    I make this all the time now. Hubby loves it! I sometimes add dill pickles and grainy mustard. Thanks for this wonderful recipe and my husband thanks you too😂

    Reply
  18. Hazel says

    October 21, 2019 at 12:43 pm

    5 stars
    I’ve now made this twice in the last 2 months. It’s a very good chicken salad as is. 😋 Today I used lime juice (I didn’t have any lemons); it seemed a lil more tart, but I like that. And as you see by some reviews……you can vary the recipe to your own preferences. Thank you “Recipe Bandit”. 👍

    Reply
  19. Justine Botha says

    March 19, 2019 at 12:44 pm

    5 stars
    Dear Bandit,
    Thank you for the ‘Best Ever Chicken Salad’-recipe!
    My family truly enjoys it and I have been asked to make this dish time and time again!
    Thank you again! Happy cooking 🙂

    Reply
    • The Bandit says

      March 24, 2019 at 8:59 pm

      5 stars
      ❤️

      Reply
  20. Denise Trick says

    March 17, 2019 at 2:54 pm

    5 stars
    Looks delicious

    Reply
    • The Bandit says

      March 24, 2019 at 9:00 pm

      5 stars
      ❤️

      Reply
  21. Susan says

    March 15, 2019 at 2:47 pm

    5 stars
    Add Craisens, dried cranberries, for a yummy touch of sweetness!! Sooo good!

    Reply
    • The Bandit says

      March 24, 2019 at 9:01 pm

      5 stars
      Great suggestion Susan! So many things can be added and it just keeps getting better! ❤️

      Reply
    • Hazel says

      October 21, 2019 at 12:46 pm

      4 stars
      I think I’ll try your idea next time……I also enjoy that lil sweet added to some dishes. 😋

      Reply
  22. gladys bulaya says

    March 14, 2019 at 5:05 am

    5 stars
    Am glad to be part of those to benefit from your updates

    Reply
    • The Bandit says

      March 24, 2019 at 9:09 pm

      5 stars
      So happy to have you here Gladys! ❤️

      Reply
  23. Carolyn says

    March 13, 2019 at 2:37 pm

    5 stars
    I added sweet pickles with juice as I like mine sweet!

    Reply
    • The Bandit says

      March 13, 2019 at 6:38 pm

      5 stars
      That would be delicious! I usually do that with Tuna. I’ll have to try it with chicken salad! <3

      Reply

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About Me

  • Michelle Mundy

    As a busy working mom with kids on the go, I know how important it is to be able to make simple and delicious meals using everyday ingredients. The recipes shared here are family friendly with easy to understand step by step instructions. Tried and true, from our family to yours. Welcome to The Recipe Bandit! Click here to read more about me.

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