If you are looking for some quick and simple Chicken Salad inspiration, then you have come to the right place. Here, we have a collection of some 35+ best-ever traditional chicken salad recipe ideas that are a great way to use leftover chicken.
Chicken salad is actually used in two ways. The first is by mixing it with a variety of fruits and veggies such as grapes, celery and the like – all held together with creamy mayonnaise. The second is grilled or shredded chicken, on a bed of lettuce with a delicious and attractive salad topping.
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Whatever sort of meal you wanna serve, these chicken salads are guaranteed to please everyone on your dining table. So, without a further a-do, let’s jump directly into the ideas.
1. Old-Fashioned Chicken Salad
Image and recipe by thekitchenmagpie
Prep time: 10 min
Servings: 6
No. of Ingredients: 9
This traditional chicken salad is the go-to sandwich salad for every occasion, from a family lunch to a larger gathering.
It can be customized to your own preferences! For instance, If you want a low-carb variation, try serving this old fashioned chicken salad with a bunch of salad leaves, avocado and tomatoes.
2. Southern Chicken Salad (Soulful)
Image and recipe by divascancook
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Servings: 6
No. of Ingredients: 15
This Southern Chicken Salad is absolutely delicious seasoned with lots of cream and chunks! Pair it with grapes and potato chips for a perfect meal on a warm, sunny day!
This chicken salad is full of tender chicken that is well-seasoned using garlic powder, celery salt, Old Bay and onion powder.
3. Vegan “Chicken” Salad
Image and recipe by foodwithfeeling
Total time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4
No. of Ingredients: 12
This Tofu Chicken Salad is put together out of simple ingredients and fits as a perfect alternative to traditional chicken salad!
The recipe for this vegan “chicken” salad is pretty simple. And here’s a quick overview of the recipe – First, press the tofu lightly, and then break it into large chunks and put it inside a large bowl. Finally, add all the remaining ingredients, garnish it and serve!
4. Buffalo Chicken Pasta Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Servings: 12
No. of Ingredients: 12
Buffalo chicken pasta levels up the traditional versions of the picnic side dish with the wonderful flavour of appetiser. It’s a perfect side dish for a picnic or barbecue or even a dinner or lunch.
Moreover, you can use green onions if you desire to have an extra mild onion flavour.
5. Creamy Chicken Pasta Salad
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Servings: 6
No. of Ingredients: 15
This Creamy Chicken Pasta Salad features the amazing flavours of juicy chicken, chopped veggies and corkscrew pasta. The sweet Italian dressing adds a wonderful taste to it.
If you are looking for a light meal or side dish for picnics, parties, or even everyday eating, this pasta salad is just for you!
6. Barbecue Ranch Chicken Salad Sliders
Image and recipe by aggieskitchen
Servings: 12
No. of Ingredients: 8
These Barbecue Ranch Chicken Salad Sliders are a perfect addition to any menu, first because they can be made quickly and are not overly filling. They are great for any get together or even lunch and dinner. Serve these sliders with celery and carrot sticks, this makes for a perfect complete meal!
7. Nectarine Ginger Sesame Chicken Salad
Image and recipe by heatherchristo
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Servings: 2-4
No. of Ingredients: 17
If you’re looking for a healthy salad that tastes good and looks amazing as well, then Nectarine Ginger Sesame Chicken Salad is the perfect fit for you.
There is just something so satisfying about how the amazing sweet seasonal fruit dressing adds the perfect sweet touch to the salad that too in a completely natural way.
8. Hawaiian Chicken Chop Salad
Image and recipe by heatherchristo
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Servings: 4
No. of Ingredients: 9
This Hawaiian Chicken Chop Salad with a contrast of sweet and salty flavours tastes phenomenal. The texture of the salad is so good. To prepare this gorgeously colourful and stunning salad, the crunchy lettuce, macadamia nuts, avocado, crispy bacon, juicy mango and the tender chicken are cooked in bacon grease.
9. Carrot, Grape and Chicken Salad
Image and recipe by heatherchristo
Prep time: 15 min
Servings: 4
No. of Ingredients: 10
This Carrot, Grape and Chicken Salad is refreshing, light and full of flavor, just perfect for the hot season!
The juicy sweet grapes and the toasted pistachios complement perfectly with the salad. And then the tangy Shallot Vinaigrette offers the perfect topping.
One best thing about this dish is, it can be customized to fit your choice. Although it is a chicken salad, if you wish you can easily make it vegan by omitting the chicken.
10. Honey Mustard Chicken Cobb Salad
Image and recipe by littlespicejar
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Servings: 4
No. of Ingredients: 11
Perfect for summer, Honey Mustard Chicken Cobb Salad is put together out of buttery avocado, crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and soft boiled eggs. It’s filling and packed with a lot of proteins!
If you’re not aware of what exactly a cobb salad is, it is a staple in American lunch cuisine. It’s basically made with greens along with tomatoes, avocados, cheese, grilled or roasted chicken, crispy bacon and hard-boiled eggs.
11. Charbroiled Shoyu Chicken + Curried Mac Salad Lunch Plate
Image and recipe by thepigandquill
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Servings: 2
No. of Ingredients: 7
To prepare this Charbroiled Shoyu Chicken + Curried Mac Salad, put together pasta, mayo and tangy pickles and the result will be a fine meal full of craggy, crispy little odd bits.
Additionally, if you’re feeling fancy, use a smattering of carrot confetti for crunch and colour. In short, almost every aspect of this mac salad is so amazing that it’s sure to make you fall in love with it.
12. Classic Chicken Salad with Homemade Paleo Mayo (Holy Yum)
Image and recipe by paleogrubs
Servings: 5
No. of Ingredients: 15
Classic Chicken Salad are great lunch options for an all rounder healthy and flavourful meal.
The addition of Homemade Paleo Mayo in this Classic Chicken Salad makes it a perfect lunchtime staple.
The mayo is made with apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard and thus it’s considered very healthy.
It goes perfectly with the juicy chicken pieces and fresh veggies.
13. Traditional Chicken Salad
Image and recipe by thestayathomechef
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Servings: 4
No. of Ingredients: 11
This Traditional Chicken Salad recipe is a perfect crowd pleaser. It goes great with a variety of foods such as salads, soups, many types of fruits,..etc
In general, chicken salad is typically made using leftover chicken, shredded chicken or canned chicken. And for this recipe, feel free to use either dark meat, white meat, or even a combination of both.
14. Greek Chicken Salad
Image and recipe by downshiftology
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Servings: 4
No. of Ingredients: 16
This delicious Greek chicken salad garnished with diced avocado is a perfect meal loaded with a lot of health benefits. It’s very nutritious and absolutely fulfilling.
Greek salad is often served as a side dish, but with this recipe you can elevate it to a complete meal simply by topping it with a baked chicken breast, beautiful Mediterranean herbs and diced avocado.
15. Barbecue Chicken Salad with Spicy Ranch Dressing
Image and recipe by cookingandbeer
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Servings: 2
No. of Ingredients: 17
Celebrate summer with this tasty recipe for Barbecue Chicken Salad with Spicy Ranch Dressing!
The spicy ranch dressing adds an extra spicy flavour to the cuisine.
Juicy fresh tomatoes, beans, creamy avocado and sweet corn top the bright greens over the barbecue chicken making it perfect to light up the hot season!
16. Summer Chicken Taco Salad with Jalapeno Ranch
Image and recipe by cookingandbeer
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Servings: 4
No. of Ingredients: 17
Summer Chicken Taco Salad with Jalapeno Ranch is a refreshing and healthy salad that’s great in terms of taste as well!It is packed with fresh greens, protein-packed black beans, cheese, summer corn and fresh cilantro.
The delicious jalapeno ranch dressing for this Chicken Taco Salad is made from a traditional base of ranch dressing infused with spicy minced jalapeno.
17. Harvest Chicken Salad with Apple and Pecans
Image and recipe by cookingandbeer
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Servings: 6
No. of Ingredients: 15
Here is another new way to make an amazing Chicken Salad. This glorious harvest chicken salad loaded with pecans, apples, pears, and cranberries will make you a perfect meal.
With just a touch of apple cider vinegar, make this harvest chicken salad your next go-to recipe.
18. Sensational Cajun Chicken Salad
Image and recipe by frugalhausfrau
Total time: 20 min
Servings: 4
No. of Ingredients: 10
Though, the main ingredient of this Sensational Cajun Chicken Salad is the Grilled Blackened Cajun Chicken Breasts, it’s filled with other ingredients too that add a lot of flavour to it. A good Sensational Dressing is used to top this salad with crisp green leaf lettuce, fresh tomatoes, cucumber, crunchy cauliflower, and avocado.
19. Chicken Fajita Salad
Image and recipe by andiemitchell
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Servings: 4
No. of Ingredients: 15
Hot recipe ingredients are combined with fresh greens, cheese, avocado, sour cream, and pico de gallo to make this super healthy Chicken Fajita Salad.
Now, since avocado is used in it’s making, use cheese in a very less amount so that it helps in keeping the calories low. Also, another way of making it lighter is by replacing nonfat greek yogurt for traditional sour cream.
20. Parmesan Crusted Chicken Caprese Salad
Image and recipe by andiemitchell
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 6 min
Servings: 4
No. of Ingredients: 14
Parmesan Crusted Chicken Caprese Salad is made with arugula, mozzarella, radicchio, tomatoes, and crispy chicken cutlets breaded with almond meal and Parmesan!
The tomatoes in the Parmesan Crusted Chicken Caprese Salad play the real game. They have a naturally sweet flavor and thus offer a great taste to the salad.
21. Mayo-Free Chicken Salad Sandwiches With Lemon And Herbs
Image and recipe by healthy-delicious
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 3 min
Servings: 4
No. of Ingredients: 11
This Mayo-Free Chicken Salad Sandwich Recipe With Lemon And Herbs is absolutely delicious and takes only 10 minutes to put together.
If you want to find something to accompany this salad, then go for croissants which you can easily find at any local grocery store. Their buttery flavor provides an amazing contrast against the tart lemon dressing.
22. Southwest Barbecue Chicken Salad With Cilantro Lime Dressing
Image and recipe by healthy-delicious
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Servings: 4
No. of Ingredients: 15
Southwest Barbecue Chicken Salad is piled high with tons of toppings and dressed with a sweet-tart Cilantro Lime Dressing that renders an amazing flavour!
Healthy flavorful topping of crispy greens, sweet corn kernels, avocado and bright tomatoes makes it look awesome. Also, the corn chips add a perfect crunch to the salad.
23. Thai Chicken Salad With Spicy Peanut Dressing
Image and recipe by healthy-delicious
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 12 min
Servings: 4
No. of Ingredients: 16
Thai chicken salad with spicy peanut dressing is packed with great flavor in every bite! You’ll love preparing it in your kitchen since it’s made up of such ingredients that don’t break down easily and so there’s very little mess in the kitchen.
Additionally, the best thing about this Thai salad is, it goes well even without the dressing. So, in case you don’t have much time to prepare the dressing, you can serve it without that.
24. Grilled Chicken Cobb Salad
Image and recipe by damndelicious
Prep time: 2 hours 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Servings: 4-6
No. of Ingredients: 17
Made with the juiciest rosemary garlic chicken thighs and the wonderfully flavoured honey dressing, this Chicken Cobb Salad is great in terms of looks as well as flavour.
This recipe calls for juicy and tender grilled chicken thighs marinated in a garlic-rosemary marinade. Just leave them all for two hours for the flavors to completely soak in.
25. Spicy Chicken Avocado Salad
Image and recipe by girlinthelittleredkitchen
No. of Ingredients: 16
Spicy Chicken Avocado Salad is packed with a great flavour. This spicy chicken salad with juicy avocado is a great way to make up a complete meal.
Put the chicken breasts in the refrigerator and they can go on top of all your salads for the week. This dish is perfect to satisfy your taste buds while keeping you healthy.
26. Classic Chicken Salad
Image and recipe by dinnerthendessert
Prep time: 15 min
Servings: 6
No. of Ingredients: 7
Classic Chicken Salad is the traditional combo of seasoned chicken,crunchy celery, lemon juice, creamy mayonnaise and almonds.
Made with lean chicken in lemon juice and Mayo, it’s absolutely perfect for a picnic or get-together. It can also be served for lunch, as a salad or with lettuce.
27. Classic Chicken Salad
Image and recipe by onceuponachef
Prep time: 30 min
Servings: 6
No. of Ingredients: 12
This creamy, and flavorful Classic Chicken Salad is a simple 15-minute poached chicken recipe.
The key to making this amazing chicken salad is starting with tender chicken. Use simple oven-roasted chicken breasts or a rotisserie chicken for the purpose. Serve the salad over a bright green dressing or in a wrap or sandwich.
28. Classic Dill Chicken Salad
Image and recipe by eatingwell
Total time: 20 min
Servings: 6
No. of Ingredients: 11
The main ingredients of this
Classic Dill Chicken Salad are dill, grapes, celery and walnuts. Combine yogurt, dill, mayonnaise, lemon juice, shallot, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in chicken, celery and grapes. Top with nuts and serve!! It’s sure to please everyone who’ll ever try this.
Moreover, the best part about the recipe is, it can be customized to fit your likes/dislikes; feel free to try your favorite fruits, vegetables and herbs.
29. Healthy Chicken Salad Recipe (No Mayo)
Image and recipe by themediterraneandish
Prep time: 10 min
Servings: 6
No. of Ingredients: 15
This no-mayo chunky chicken salad recipe is loaded with a lot of health benefits. Dressed lightly in brilliant colors, it looks great!
You’ll love the Mediterranean twist on salad, offering the right crunch and flavor to it. The fresh veggies, parsley, walnuts, the tangy sundried tomatoes and artichoke hearts play the real game here.
30. Curry Chicken Salad
Image and recipe by budgetbytes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Servings: 4
No. of Ingredients: 13
Curry chicken salad being simple and delicious is the perfect alternative to your traditional chicken salad with sweet raisins, exotic curry spices, and crunchy almonds.
Both mayonnaise and yogurt are used in the dressing of this Curry Chicken Salad. They each have their own unique flavor qualities. Yogurt being light and tangy pairs great with curry spices, while mayonnaise makes the texture creamy. But obviously, it’s totally up to you whether you use yogurt or mayonnaise or even both.
31. Cranberry Pistachio Chicken Salad
Image and recipe by letsdishrecipes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Servings: 6-8
No. of Ingredients: 15
This Cranberry Pistachio Chicken Salad is a must-try if you want a traditional, vibrant twist on your chicken salad. It’s sure to please everyone!
Pistachios and dried cranberries add red and green tones making it perfect for a Thanksgiving or Christmas buffet.
32. Vietnamese Chicken Salad Recipe (Goi Ga)
Image and recipe by aspicyperspective
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Servings: 8
No. of Ingredients: 12
Made out of chicken and cabbage, this Crunchy Vietnamese Chicken Salad is light, gluten-free and paleo-friendly thus offering a lot of health benefits.
Additionally, you can experiment with the dressing and taste entirely new versions of this classic Vietnamese salad. Try it with avocado ranch, ranch, greek dressing, lemon aioli sauce or balsamic vinaigrette and enjoy the different flavours each offer.
33. Best Chicken Salad with Tarragon
Image and recipe by thefreshcooky
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 6 min
Servings:
No. of Ingredients: 11
This Chicken Salad with Tarragon loaded with a delicious crunch of crisp sweet-tart apples, shallots, celery and buttery pecans is sure to become your favorite go-to chicken salad recipes.
The light and bright lemon, tarragon mayonnaise dressing renders an awesome flavour to the salad.
34. Coronation Chicken Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Servings: 6
No. of Ingredients: 14
If you are a fan of delicious and visually pleasing salads that are also wholesome and filling, then take a look at this Coronation Chicken (salad) recipe.
Coronation Chicken Salad is a British classical salad! It’s a scrumptious combination of cooked chicken, almonds, dried apricots and onions in a creamy curry dressing.
35. Arby’s Grilled Chicken and Pecan Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Servings: 4
No. of Ingredients: 8
Arby’s Grilled Chicken and Pecan Salad is a delicious grilled chicken salad packed with a lot of nuts and fruits.
While the actual recipe does not involve the toasting of pecans, you can take this salad to next level by toasting the pecans just until they become fragrant. But before using them, let them cool completely.
36. Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad
Image and recipe by wellplated
Prep time: 20 min
Servings: 6
No. of Ingredients: 12
Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad is nutritious, creamy, ultra filling, and a perfect salad for sandwiches.
The tangy taste of the thick, creamy Greek yogurt makes the salad absolutely mouth-watering. However in place of yoghurt you can also use Mayo (but it lacks the rich, tangy flavor that’s found in Greek yogurt).
The best thing about these chicken salads is that they are tasty, healthy, satisfying meals on their own and are perfect accompaniments to main dishes as well.
Moreover, there are so many different flavors to choose from and all of them taste awesome in their very own way! So, don’t forget to give them a try!
