This Chicken Salad recipe is vibrant and delicious! The combination of the fresh flavors from the juicy grapes, fresh dill and green onions pairs perfectly with the savory chicken and pecans. Tossed together in a homemade, creamy sauce, this Chicken Salad is a classic favorite for a reason! Serve up as a simple, no-bake dinner, a great lunch option, piled high onto a croissant or with crackers for quick bite.
What KJ Loves about this Recipe
I know, I know, you may be thinking to yourself, “What’s so great about a chicken salad?” Let me tell you: this Chicken Salad recipe is a GAME CHANGER. I absolutely love it! It’s so bright and flavorful with the perfect amount of salty and sweet all in one. Plus, it’s all wrapped up in a creamy buttermilk-infused dressing for the perfect tang. I couldn’t stop eating this! With hot, Summer days upon us, whip up a cool batch of this Chicken Salad to have on hand whenever you need it.
What Chicken to use for Chicken Salad
Start this recipe off by getting the chicken ready to go. There are several chicken options for this recipe that all work perfectly – it just all depends on how much work you want to put into it! Here are some chicken options for this chicken salad recipe:
- Rotisserie Chicken – make your life easy and grab a rotisserie chicken when you’re at the grocery store! My favorite rotisserie chicken is from Costco – there really is no comparison! Use the chicken breasts for this chicken salad and save the rest of the chicken for other uses.
- Baked Chicken – preheat your oven to 400 degrees and add a couple boneless, skinless chicken breasts to a pan. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, cover with foil and then bake for 20-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, 165 degrees internal temp. Allow the chicken to cool before dicing and using for the chicken salad.
- Grilled Chicken – add another layer of flavor to your chicken salad by grilling the chicken! Preheat your grill to high heat, about 450-500 degrees. Rub a couple of boneless, skinless chicken breasts with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and then grill for about 10-15 minutes on each side depending on low large your chicken breasts are, or until an internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached. Allow to cool before dicing and using for the chicken salad.
Chicken Salad Ingredients
Once the chicken is ready to go, it’s time to get started on the rest of the chicken salad ingredients!
- Grapes – red or green grapes can be used. Red grapes are typically sweeter and are my grape of choice. Cut them in half and toss them in.
- Pecans – buy them whole and give them a light chop, or buy halved or chopped pecans. They can also be toasted to add even more of a nutty flavor. Almond slices can also be substituted in for the pecans.
- Green Onions – I love the pop of color and mellow onion flavor that the green onions give the chicken salad. Chives could also be used instead.
- Fresh Dill – the fresh dill really does make this recipe! It adds such a wonderful, bright flavor that can’t be missed. If you are using dried dill, start out with 1 teaspoon and then add more to taste since dried herbs are more potent than fresh herbs.
- Mayo – this is the base of the dressing and gives the chicken salad the classic creaminess it is known for.
- Buttermilk – I love the addition of this to the dressing! It gives it a slight tang that is so delicious.
Other Chicken Salad Ingredient Add-In's
Other ingredients that can be added into your chicken salad depending on preference: celery, red onion, apples, dried cranberries or sliced almonds,
Serving Ideas
Looking for ways to serve up your Chicken Salad? I’ve got you covered!
- Lunch – chicken salad makes for the perfect lunch option! Keep it in the fridge and grab it whenever you need a bite to fuel your day.
- Sandwich – a chicken salad sandwich is just as classic as the chicken salad itself. Pile it high in between a couple slices of your favorite bread or a buttery croissant.
- Lettuce Wraps – butter lettuce works perfectly for this! Spoon the chicken salad into the butter lettuce leaf, roll it up and dig in!
- Meal-Prep – since this chicken salad recipe does really well in the refrigerator, it makes for a perfect meal-prep option!
- With Crackers – this option is perfect for a mid-day snack to keep you going during your day. Grab a handful of your favorite crackers and get to dipping!
Recipe Video:
Looking for other Chicken Recipes? Check these out!
Chicken Salad
(3 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5)
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- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
This Chicken Salad recipe is vibrant and delicious! The combination of the fresh flavors from the juicy grapes, fresh dill and green onions pairs perfectly with the savory chicken and pecans. Tossed together in a homemade, creamy sauce, this Chicken Salad is a classic favorite for a reason! Serve up as a simple, no-bake dinner, a great lunch option, piled high onto a croissant or with crackers for quick bite.
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken breasts, cooked & diced (about 2 cups diced)
- 1 1/4 cup mayo
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 1 cup grapes, halved
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the mayo and buttermilk into the bottom of a large bowl and whisk together to combine until smooth.
- Add in the diced chicken, grapes, pecans, green onion and fresh dill and gently fold together to combine until all of the chicken salad is coated with the dressing.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and enjoy!
Notes
- Rotisserie chicken, baked chicken or grilled chicken can be used for this recipe.
- Red or green grapes can be used.
- If using dried dill, start with 1 teaspoon and then add more to desired taste as dried herbs are more potent than fresh herbs.
- Serve immediately at room temperature, or refrigerate and serve cold.
- Serve as-is, as a sandwich, lettuce wrap, or with crackers.
- Nutritional information for this recipe is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 418
- Sugar: 6.4g
- Sodium: 422mg
- Fat: 29.1g
- Carbohydrates: 16.8g
- Fiber: 1.3g
- Protein: 23.8g
- Cholesterol: 80mg
Keywords: Chicken Salad
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Hi, I’m KJ!
Here you’ll find simple, delicious recipes for the home cook. I strive to make wholesome meals with easy-to-find ingredients that you feel comfortable making in your own kitchen—but I won’t shy away from a few indulgences! (I see you: butter, bacon, cookies!)
Love this to prep lunches for the work week. Have also added sliced almonds when I don’t have pecans and it’s just as great!