This chicken salad is an everyday favorite: quick to make, full of flavor, and versatile. I love the addition of giardiniera for a spicy, tangy bite, but you can swap it for peppadew peppers or another favorite add-in. The salad is creamy, crunchy, and packed with protein—perfect for meal prep and easy lunches.
Make a big batch when you meal prep for the week. Start with roasted chicken breasts or use a store-bought rotisserie chicken to save time. Prep on Sunday and enjoy throughout the week as sandwiches, lettuce wraps, on a salad, or scooped on avocado and parmesan crisps for a high-protein snack.
When using homemade Sizzling Everyday Roast Chicken Breasts, let the meat cool slightly, then carefully remove skin and pull the meat from the bones. Discard any gristly or discolored bits. For the best texture, separate the chicken into two piles: the juiciest pieces you’ll roughly chop by hand, and the drier pieces you’ll pulse briefly in a food processor. Combining both creates a salad that’s both substantial and creamy.
The base is simple: chicken, mayonnaise, celery, onion, and chives. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, and fold in giardiniera for brightness and heat, or leave it out for a milder salad. Mix everything well and refrigerate—while you can eat it right away, an hour or two in the fridge helps the flavors meld.
This chicken salad is excellent on its own and adapts well to many dishes: serve it over mixed greens with marinated onions and tomatoes for an easy lunch, use it in place of tuna in a melt, or tuck it into lettuce wraps with a bit of cheddar for a lighter option. It also stores beautifully in jars for grab-and-go meals.
Ingredients
- 2 large Sizzling Everyday Roast Chicken Breasts, or 3 cups chopped chicken
- 3/4 cup finely diced onion
- 3/4 cup sliced celery
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup minced chives
- Pinch kosher salt
- Pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 1/3 cup chopped giardiniera (optional, recommended)
Instructions
- After roasting and cooling chicken breasts, remove the skin and pull the meat from the bones, discarding tendons, cartilage, and any discolored pieces. Measure 3 cups of chicken for this recipe and reserve extra chicken for other uses.
- Separate the chicken into two groups: the best, moist pieces and the drier scraps. Coarsely chop the moist pieces and place them in a large bowl. Pulse the drier pieces in a food processor for a few seconds, then add them to the bowl.
- Add the onion, celery, mayonnaise, chives, salt, pepper, and giardiniera if using. Stir thoroughly until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning. Store in a jar or airtight container in the refrigerator. The salad can be served immediately, but chilling for a short time improves the flavor.
Notes
If you have more than 3 cups of chicken, either save the extra for another recipe or fold it into the salad and add an additional tablespoon or two of mayonnaise as needed to reach your desired creaminess.