Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Classic Chicken Salad
Creamy chicken salad with crisp celery makes a satisfying lunch to sit down with. The mustard gives the dressing a little tang, while green onion keeps the flavor fresh. Tuck it into a sandwich or spoon it over salad and enjoy the mix of tender chicken and crunch.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Original yield
- Serves 6
- Ingredients
- 8 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken
- Cuisine
- American
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
- Dish type
- Salads
A few quick notes
1. Start with cooked chicken
Use cooked chicken, chopped or shredded, before mixing it with the dressing ingredients and vegetables in the bowl.
2. Cut celery small
Dice celery before adding it so its crisp pieces spread through the creamy chicken rather than staying in large chunks.
3. Taste after combining
Mix everything well before tasting, then add more salt and pepper only if the finished chicken salad needs it.
Get to know the ingredients
Mayonnaise dressing
The mayonnaise mixes directly with chicken, Dijon and vegetables in the bowl. There is no separate cooked dressing stage.
Thin green onion
Slice the green onion thinly before mixing it through the salad so the onion is spread throughout the filling.
Optional dill
Use fresh chopped dill or the smaller listed amount of dried dill if you want it; the herb is optional.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 6. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 3 steps completeMake room for Classic Chicken Salad
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Choose your serving style
After the final seasoning check, serve the mixed chicken salad in a sandwich or spoon it over salad as directed.
A little more help as you go
A grape addition
You can use one cup of chopped red grapes stirred into the salad when you want a sweet addition alongside the chicken.
A little nut crunch
For extra crunch in the creamy filling, you can add two tablespoons of chopped pecans or almonds.
A few questions you might have
Can I replace green onion with chives?
Yes. You can use chives in place of green onion if you prefer their flavor in the finished chicken salad.
Is red onion an option?
You can use finely diced red onion instead of green onion in this chicken salad.
Can I add apple?
You can use one cup of chopped peeled apple as an optional addition to the chicken salad instead of the grape option.
Should I use plain salt or seasoned salt?
Seasoned salt is listed for the initial mixture. Taste after combining before deciding whether the salad needs more salt and pepper.
Does the chicken have to be chopped?
Cooked chopped chicken or shredded chicken are both listed. Either is mixed thoroughly with mayonnaise, vegetables and seasoning.
Any more cooking tips?
Replace the green onion with chives or finely diced red onion if desired. Optional additions include: 1 cup chopped red grapes or 1 cup chopped peeled apple 2 tablespoons chopped nuts (pecans or almonds)
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: spendwithpennies.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
