Name: Classic Chicken Salad – Quick and Easy Recipes for Any Day
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 4 cups cooked chicken breast, finely chopped or shredded; 1/2 cup finely chopped celery; 1/3 cup sweet pickle relish (or chopped dill pickles); 3/4 cup mayonnaise (or more if you're on Team Mayo); 1/4 tsp ground black pepper; 1/4 tsp garlic powder (optional); Salt to taste

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Let me tell you, chicken salad can either be a blah blend of mayo and regret—or it can be this creamy, flavorful, crunchy goodness that makes you think, “Why don’t I make this more often?” This classic chicken salad is one of those quick and easy recipes I fall back on when the fridge feels like a wasteland. All you really need is some cooked chicken, a few pantry staples, and a moment of honesty with yourself about how much mayo you’re about to use. I whip this up for lunch, picnics, or random 3 p.m. cravings. You can spoon it into lettuce wraps, slap it on a croissant, or just go full gremlin and eat it straight from the bowl (no shame). Best part? It’s endlessly customizable. Add grapes if you’re feeling sweet. Toss in some celery if you want crunch. It’s yours now. If you’ve got leftover rotisserie chicken (or even canned, I won’t judge), you’re 10 minutes away from a seriously satisfying bite. Trust me—your future self will thank you.

1) Key Takeaways
2) Easy Classic Chicken Salad Recipe
3) Ingredients for Classic Chicken Salad
4) How to Make Classic Chicken Salad
5) Tips for Making Classic Chicken Salad
6) Making Classic Chicken Salad Ahead of Time
7) Storing Leftover Classic Chicken Salad
8) Try these lunch recipes next!
9) Classic Chicken Salad Recipe
10) Nutrition

1) Key Takeaways

This recipe uses simple ingredients and takes only 10 minutes to prepare
Perfect for meal prep, lunchboxes, or quick snack cravings
Easy to customize with sweet or crunchy additions
Makes use of rotisserie chicken or any leftover chicken

2) Easy Classic Chicken Salad Recipe

Let’s be real. Life gets wild, and cooking can feel like one more thing hanging over your head. But this chicken salad? It slides into the quick and easy recipes category like it was born for it. Whether you’re powering through a busy workweek or staring into the fridge trying to figure out lunch, this recipe has you covered. Twice in one week? Nobody’s judging.

I grew up thinking chicken salad was just something Aunt Linda brought to picnics. But once I tried making my own? Game changer. I never looked back. It’s creamy, savory, and has just enough crunch to keep things interesting. Bonus points if you tuck it into a croissant or scoop it up with crackers straight from the container. (Yes, I said container. No shame.)

What’s lovely about this recipe is how it leans on familiar ingredients in new ways. Plus, you get to feel like you’re winning at life when lunch is ready in under 15 minutes. We call that a weekday victory. And it absolutely earns its place on your list of quick and easy recipes.

3) Ingredients for Classic Chicken Salad

Cooked Chicken Whether you have leftover chicken from last night’s roast or a store-bought rotisserie bird, both work like magic. Chop it small or shred it fine. It’s the meaty backbone of this dish.

Celery Adds the crunch we all secretly love. Don’t skip it unless you enjoy soggy sadness in your salad. Chop it small to spread the crunch evenly.

Sweet Pickle Relish Sweet, tangy, and just bold enough to cut through the mayo. You can swap for chopped dill pickles if you’re on the savory side of life.

Mayonnaise Creamy glue that holds this lovely mix together. Use a good one—whatever brand you swear by. It’s doing the heavy lifting here.

Ground Black Pepper Just a little kick to wake things up. Not too much, though—we’re making lunch, not setting off fireworks.

Garlic Powder Optional, but it adds depth. You won’t regret it. A quarter teaspoon goes a long way.

Salt Taste your salad first. Then decide how much you need. Relish and mayo already bring salt, so you may not need much at all.

4) How to Make Classic Chicken Salad

Step 1 In a medium mixing bowl, toss in your chopped chicken, celery, and pickle relish. Stir gently. You’re building the base, and it should feel familiar and cozy.

Step 2 Spoon in your mayonnaise, add the pepper and garlic powder. Now stir like you mean it. Get everything well-coated and smooth but don’t overdo it. We’re not creaming butter here.

Step 3 Taste. And then adjust. This is where you bring in a pinch of salt if needed or maybe an extra spoon of mayo if things feel dry. A dash of pickle juice is fun if you’re into a brighter zing.

Step 4 Cover the bowl and let it chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This lets the flavors get friendly. If you’re starving, grab a bite. But cold chicken salad hits different.

Step 5 When ready, scoop onto a sandwich, a bed of lettuce, or eat it standing over the sink. I won’t tell.

5) Tips for Making Classic Chicken Salad

Use chopped chicken that’s cold or at least cool. Warm chicken makes everything a bit too runny and breaks the mayo’s creamy magic. I like using rotisserie because it’s easy, flavorful, and I don’t have to turn on the stove.

Chop ingredients small. That way, every bite holds a bit of everything. No one wants a spoonful of plain mayo or a whole celery chunk stealing the show.

Let the salad rest. Even 20 minutes in the fridge gives the flavors time to meld. If you skip this step, it’ll still be good—but waiting makes it better. Quick and easy recipes work best when they’re not rushed emotionally, right?

6) Making Classic Chicken Salad Ahead of Time

Chicken salad is the superhero of make-ahead lunches. It actually tastes better the next day, once it’s had time to settle in and make friends with itself in the fridge. Just make sure to store it in a good airtight container so it doesn’t pick up fridge smells.

If you’re prepping it for a few days of lunches, portion it out. That way, you don’t end up with a sad, scooped-through container by Thursday. You’ll thank yourself.

And yes, it holds up great in meal prep containers with crackers, sliced veggies, or those fancy pretzel rolls. If you want it as fresh as possible later, just hold off on stirring in extra mayo until you’re ready to serve.

7) Storing Leftover Classic Chicken Salad

Tuck your leftovers into an airtight container. It’ll keep well in the fridge for about 3 days. If you added anything perishable like fruit or avocado, aim for 1 to 2 days.

Give it a good stir before eating again. Sometimes it needs a touch more mayo or a sprinkle of salt to bring it back to life. You’ll know once you give it a taste.

And please don’t freeze it. Mayo and freezing are not best friends. You’ll end up with a watery, broken mess that doesn’t love you back.

8) Try these lunch recipes next!

9) Classic Chicken Salad Recipe