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Chicken Salad is the creamy, crunchy, just-sweet-enough lunch that disappears the second I set it out. I make a big bowl *every Sunday* so Maddie has an easy grab-and-go lunch all week, and the grapes are always her favorite part. If you love a cool, no-cook meal, our egg salad sandwich is another lunchtime staple here.
With rotisserie chicken and a quick homemade dressing, you can have this on the table in about fifteen minutes flat.
Chicken Salad Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: No cook
- ⏳ Total Time: 15 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 6 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 371kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Creamy and savory with sweet pops of juicy grape
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a no-cook lunch like our 10 minute olive tapenade
Quick Answer
Combine diced cooked chicken with halved grapes, celery, scallions, and parsley. Whisk together a creamy dressing of mayonnaise, lemon, dijon, garlic, Worcestershire, and seasonings, then fold it into the chicken until everything is evenly coated. Chill briefly and serve on bread, lettuce, or crackers.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Rotisserie chicken keeps it easy. Starting with cooked chicken means this comes together in 15 minutes with zero cooking required.
- Grapes add a sweet pop. Halved green grapes bring juicy sweetness that balances the savory, creamy dressing in every bite.
- The dressing is more than mayo. Lemon, dijon, garlic, and Worcestershire give the dressing real depth instead of just tasting like mayonnaise.
- Celery and scallions add crunch. A little fresh crunch keeps every forkful from feeling heavy or one-note.
- It only gets better as it sits. A rest in the fridge lets the flavors meld, so leftovers taste even better the next day.
- It is endlessly adaptable. This base recipe welcomes nuts, dried fruit, fresh herbs, or a swap to Greek yogurt, so you can tailor it to whatever you have on hand and never get bored.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is creamy, savory, and just a little sweet, the kind of lunch everyone asks you to make again.
- There is no cooking involved, just chop, mix, and serve in about fifteen minutes.
- It works as a sandwich, a lettuce wrap, or a scoop on crackers, just like our egg salad sandwich.
Key Ingredients
A handful of fresh ingredients and a flavor-packed dressing are all you need. Here is what makes this chicken salad shine:
- Cooked chicken: Rotisserie chicken breast is my shortcut, but any cooked chicken works. Dice or shred it.
- Green grapes: Halved grapes add the juicy, sweet pops that make this chicken salad special.
- Mayonnaise: The creamy base of the dressing. Use a good-quality mayo for the best flavor.
- Celery and scallions: They bring fresh crunch and a mild, oniony bite.
- Lemon, dijon, and Worcestershire: The secret to a dressing with real depth, the same flavor-building trick we love in our pimento cheese egg salad sandwiches.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Here are a few easy ways to make this chicken salad your own:
- Add nuts: Toasted pecans or sliced almonds add a lovely crunch.
- Make it fruity: Swap or add dried cranberries, diced apple, or red grapes.
- Lighten it up: Use half Greek yogurt and half mayonnaise in the dressing.
- Serve it up: Pile it onto a flaky croissant or alongside our ham and Swiss sliders for a lunch spread.
How to Make Chicken Salad
- In a large bowl, combine the diced cooked chicken, halved grapes, celery, scallions, and parsley.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, garlic, dijon, sugar, Worcestershire, salt, paprika, and pepper.
- Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture.
- Stir until everything is evenly coated and creamy.
- Serve right away on bread, over lettuce, or straight from the bowl.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Dice the chicken evenly so every bite has the same creamy texture.
- Chill before serving for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- Do not overdress, start with less mayo and add more to taste.
- Halve the grapes so they distribute evenly and are easy to bite.
- Keep the chicken cold so the salad stays food-safe and refreshing.
- Round out the plate with a crunchy side like our fried green tomatoes.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Chicken salad with grapes is endlessly versatile. Pile it high on toasted bread or a flaky croissant, scoop it over a bed of crisp lettuce, or serve it with crackers for an easy appetizer. It is a picnic, potluck, and lunchbox hero that never lasts long.
For a full spread, serve it alongside other cool, creamy favorites. It is right at home next to our egg salad sandwich or a platter of cheddar bacon ranch stuffed celery sticks for a no-cook lunch that feeds a crowd.
Hosting a shower or luncheon? Set out small croissants and let guests build their own chicken salad sliders, then add a few pimento cheese egg salad sandwiches and a fresh fruit tray. It is an easy, make-ahead menu that always disappears.
Chicken Salad FAQs
Combine diced cooked chicken with halved grapes, celery, scallions, and parsley. Whisk together a creamy dressing of mayonnaise, lemon, dijon, garlic, Worcestershire, and seasonings, then fold it into the chicken until everything is evenly coated. Chill briefly and serve on bread, lettuce, or crackers.
Rotisserie chicken is the easiest and most flavorful option, but any cooked chicken works, including poached, baked, or leftover roasted chicken. Chicken breast keeps it lean, while a mix of breast and thigh adds extra richness and moisture.
Stored in an airtight container, chicken salad keeps for three to four days in the refrigerator. Because it contains mayonnaise, keep it well chilled and do not leave it at room temperature for more than two hours.
Freezing is not recommended because the mayonnaise dressing can separate and turn watery when thawed, and the celery and grapes lose their crunch. If you want to prep ahead, store the cooked chicken and the whisked dressing separately, then combine them the day you plan to serve for the freshest texture.
Chicken salad is delicious on croissants, sandwich bread, or lettuce wraps. Serve it with crackers, fresh fruit, chips, a cup of soup, or a simple green salad for a complete and satisfying lunch. It also makes a wonderful filling for hollowed-out tomatoes or avocado halves when you want something lighter and lower carb.
Yes, chicken salad is a great make-ahead dish. In fact, it tastes even better after a few hours in the fridge as the flavors meld. Make it up to a day in advance and give it a quick stir before serving.
Looking for more no-cook lunches? Our egg salad sandwich is the next easy recipe to add to your rotation.
The secret to the creamiest salads and sandwiches? Our fresh homemade mayonnaise, free of preservatives.
Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 4 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken I used rotisserie chicken breasts
- 1 cup halved green grapes
- ½ cup small diced celery
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- For the dressing:
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- Zest of ½ a lemon
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic or 1 small clove
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add the chicken, grapes, celery, scallions, and parsley. Set aside.4 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon zest, garlic, dijon mustard, lemon juice, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, paprika, and pepper until fully combined.4 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken
- Add the dressing to the bowl with the salad ingredients.4 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken
- Stir to combine until everything is coated in the dressing. Serve immediately on bread, lettuce, or eat it as is!4 cups diced or shredded cooked chicken
Notes
- Nutritional value is for salad only.
- Use any chicken that you have on hand, rotisserie, chicken breasts, bagged salad chicken, etc.
- You can serve this on bread, croissants, lettuce, as a dip and more.
- Easily double this recipe when serving for larger crowds or parties.
- You can use any color of grapes that you like, we usually stick with green.
- If you want some more crunch you can add some slivered almonds to the mix.
- If you want a more saucy salad add an additional 1/4 cup mayo.
- This is a base recipe to build off of, you can add or omit any ingredients that you like.
Nutrition
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