Fresh Chicken Salad

Here is my favorite chicken salad recipe, with tender shredded chicken, crunchy celery, sweet grapes, toasted pecans, fresh dill, and a creamy dressing made with mayo, Dijon mustard, and a touch of honey.

This chicken salad is my go-to recipe whenever I need something quick for lunch or a light dinner. I love making a big batch on Sunday so we have it ready for sandwiches and wraps throughout the week. It’s also perfect for picnics and potlucks since everyone seems to love it.

What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?

The beauty of chicken salad is that you can use just about any cooked chicken you have on hand. Rotisserie chicken from the grocery store is probably the easiest option and adds great flavor since it’s already seasoned. If you have leftover grilled, baked, or poached chicken breast, that works perfectly too. You can even use leftover dark meat from chicken thighs if you prefer a richer taste, or mix both white and dark meat together. Just make sure whatever chicken you use is fully cooled before mixing it into your salad, and shred it into bite-sized pieces so it combines well with the other ingredients.

Options for Substitutions

This chicken salad is easy to customize based on what you have in your kitchen:

• Cooked chicken: Use rotisserie chicken for convenience, or swap in leftover turkey, canned tuna, or even canned chicken if that’s what you have on hand.
• Mayonnaise: The recipe already suggests a mayo-yogurt combo, but you can go full Greek yogurt for a lighter version, or use sour cream mixed with a little mayo. Avocado mayo works great too if you prefer that flavor.
• Red onion or scallions: These add crunch and bite, but you can use white onion, shallots, or even a tablespoon of onion powder if you’re out of fresh options. Just reduce the amount if using regular onion as it’s stronger.
• Fresh dill: No dill? Try fresh parsley, tarragon, or basil instead. You can also use 1 teaspoon of dried dill, though fresh herbs give better flavor.
• Grapes: Chopped apples, dried cranberries, or diced pears all work nicely if you want that sweet element but don’t have grapes around.
• Dijon mustard: Regular yellow mustard or whole grain mustard can step in here – just use a bit less if using yellow mustard as it’s milder.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake people make with chicken salad is using warm or hot chicken, which can cause the mayonnaise to separate and create an oily, unappetizing texture – always let your chicken cool completely before mixing.

Overdressing is another common error that turns your salad into a soupy mess, so start with about half the mayo and add more gradually until you reach your desired creaminess.

To avoid watery chicken salad, make sure to drain any excess liquid from your cooked chicken and pat it dry with paper towels before shredding.

For the best flavor, let your finished chicken salad chill in the fridge for at least an hour before serving, which gives the seasonings time to blend together and makes the whole dish taste better.

What to Serve With Chicken Salad?

Chicken salad is perfect stuffed into a croissant or piled high on toasted sourdough bread for a classic sandwich. I love serving it on a bed of butter lettuce or mixed greens for a lighter lunch, or scooping it up with crackers like Ritz or Triscuits for an easy snack. If you’re feeding a crowd, try setting out the chicken salad with slider buns, pita pockets, and some cherry tomatoes and cucumber slices on the side so everyone can build their own plate. For a fun twist, you can even hollow out a ripe avocado and fill it with chicken salad for a low-carb option that looks impressive but takes zero effort.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your chicken salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It’s actually one of those dishes that tastes even better the next day once all the flavors have had time to mingle together.

Make Ahead: You can prep this chicken salad a day or two in advance, which makes it perfect for busy weeks or when you’re hosting. Just wait to add the grapes until you’re ready to serve if you want them to stay extra crisp and fresh.

Serve: Give the chicken salad a good stir before serving since the mayo can sometimes settle. It’s delicious straight from the fridge on a sandwich, in a wrap, or scooped onto a bed of greens for a quick lunch.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 950-1050
• Protein: 80-90 g
• Fat: 65-75 g
• Carbohydrates: 10-14 g

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 large celery stalks (finely diced for uniform crunch)
• 2/3 medium red onion (finely diced)
• 3/4 cup red grapes (sliced lengthwise into halves)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 5 sprigs fresh dill (coarsely chopped)
• 1 lb cooked chicken (shredded into bite-sized pieces)
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/4 cup toasted pecans (chopped)

Step 1: Prepare the Vegetables and Aromatics

• 1 1/2 large celery stalks
• 2/3 medium red onion
• 3/4 cup red grapes
• 5 sprigs fresh dill

Finely dice the celery stalks and red onion into uniform, bite-sized pieces—this ensures even distribution and consistent texture throughout the salad.

Slice the red grapes lengthwise into halves to expose their sweet juice and create visual appeal.

Coarsely chop the fresh dill and set all prepped vegetables aside in separate piles.

I find that doing all the chopping at once keeps the workflow smooth and prevents last-minute scrambling.

Step 2: Build the Dressing Base

• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, celery seeds, honey, and fresh lemon juice until fully combined and smooth.

This creates an emulsified base that will evenly coat all the other ingredients.

The honey adds subtle sweetness that balances the tanginess of the mustard and lemon, creating better flavor depth than mayonnaise alone.

Step 3: Combine All Components

• 1 lb cooked chicken
• diced celery and red onion from Step 1
• sliced grapes and chopped dill from Step 1
• dressing base from Step 2

Add the shredded chicken, diced celery, diced red onion, sliced grapes, and chopped dill to the dressing base from Step 2.

Fold everything together gently but thoroughly using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, ensuring the dressing coats all ingredients evenly.

I like to fold rather than stir aggressively to keep the chicken pieces intact and the grapes whole for better texture.

Step 4: Season and Finish

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup toasted pecans
• combined salad from Step 3

Taste the salad and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to your preference, starting with the recommended amounts and adjusting as needed.

Fold in the chopped toasted pecans last, just before serving or storing, to preserve their crunch and prevent them from becoming soggy.

Fresh Chicken Salad

Delicious Fresh Chicken Salad recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 17 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 1000

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 large celery stalks (finely diced for uniform crunch)
• 2/3 medium red onion (finely diced)
• 3/4 cup red grapes (sliced lengthwise into halves)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 5 sprigs fresh dill (coarsely chopped)
• 1 lb cooked chicken (shredded into bite-sized pieces)
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/4 cup toasted pecans (chopped)

Method

 

1. Finely dice the celery stalks and red onion into uniform, bite-sized pieces—this ensures even distribution and consistent texture throughout the salad. Slice the red grapes lengthwise into halves to expose their sweet juice and create visual appeal. Coarsely chop the fresh dill and set all prepped vegetables aside in separate piles. I find that doing all the chopping at once keeps the workflow smooth and prevents last-minute scrambling.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, celery seeds, honey, and fresh lemon juice until fully combined and smooth. This creates an emulsified base that will evenly coat all the other ingredients. The honey adds subtle sweetness that balances the tanginess of the mustard and lemon, creating better flavor depth than mayonnaise alone.
3. Add the shredded chicken, diced celery, diced red onion, sliced grapes, and chopped dill to the dressing base from Step 2. Fold everything together gently but thoroughly using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, ensuring the dressing coats all ingredients evenly. I like to fold rather than stir aggressively to keep the chicken pieces intact and the grapes whole for better texture.
4. Taste the salad and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to your preference, starting with the recommended amounts and adjusting as needed. Fold in the chopped toasted pecans last, just before serving or storing, to preserve their crunch and prevent them from becoming soggy.