Easy Chicken Salad Recipe for Busy Moms

Source: eatwell101

But a chicken salad recipe is always one of the favorite meals at the picnic, a barbecue, or an office potluck! 

With only a few ingredients you can easily transform into a cold, creamy salad or filling for a homemade chicken salad sandwich or wrap. 

However, because many of my friends don’t know how to make a yummy chicken salad quickly at home. So without any further ado, Let’s jump into this chicken salad recipe!

Ingredients You Need for Chicken Salad Recipe 

Chicken: 

• You can use leftover chicken from last night’s dinner, rotisserie chicken, or grilled chicken.
• To make chicken for the chicken salad use either poached chicken or baked chicken breasts or thighs. 
• Ensure the chicken you are using is cooled and shred or chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Add-ins:

• As this is a classic chicken salad recipe, I have added additions to a minimum. You need celery for crunch and green onions for flavors. 
• You can make this recipe with a variety of nuts, veggies, and fruit for added flavor and texture.
• You can also make chicken salad with grapes, avocado, or dried cranberries. Pecans or almonds also pair well with this recipe.

Dressing:

• Mayonnaise is like the base of a chicken salad recipe and it's simply seasoned.
• You can be creative here and add some of the mayo for ranch dressing or your favorite salad dressing recipe. 
• Make an Avocado Chicken Salad by replacing some of the mayonnaise with mashed avocado.

How to make Chicken Salad? 

Step 1. The first step in the lemon basil chicken salad recipe is rinsing the chicken thoroughly and placing it in a large pot of boiling water.

Step 2. Now, reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked (about 45 minutes to an hour. When it is done, remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a plate. With a fork or your fingers, pull all of the meat off the bones, chop it into small bite-sized pieces, and set aside. 

Source: Create Kids Club

Step 3. It’s time to chop veggies and fruits that you want to add to the salad and place them in a bowl with the chicken.

Step 4. Take another bowl and mix mayonnaise, yogurt (or sour cream), lemon juice, brown sugar, salt and pepper to taste.

Source: Cooking Classy

Step 5. You can also add dill and if you're feeling a bit brazen throw in a dash of cayenne pepper!

Step 6. When you have mixed everything properly and the dressing tastes perfect, (you must taste test for appropriate saltiness especially), add it to the chicken bowl and mix everything gently until everything is thoroughly mixed.

Source: Pinterest

Step 7. Before you serve it let your salad chill for several hours or you can keep it even overnight. As a final step, now you can serve chicken salad on a bed of lettuce or in a sandwich, or heck, eat it straight out of the bowl with a serving spoon.

Source: Food Network

I’m sure you'll love it!

How To Store Homemade Chicken Salad

If you have made this delicious recipe to have leftovers for lunch, well you can safely store homemade chicken salad in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 to 7 days. Just stir the chicken salad before spooning it onto a plate, lettuce, or crackers.

Tips for Perfect Chicken Salad:

Here are some tips that you should consider when making a healthy and delicious chicken salad:

• Be sure to let chicken cool first before adding to the dressing otherwise, it will warm the dressing and it just won't be the same.
• Also, add a fruit you desire. It’s good with diced grapes or apples. Sweeten the chicken salad dressing with a hint of honey to pair with it.
• Add in nuts for more crunch and fresh herbs for added flavor. 
• For the yummy creamiest chicken salad use full-fat mayonnaise.
• If you are using a rotisserie chicken buy a large chicken or 2 small to have enough chicken breast meat.

The Botton Line 

I hope by the end of this blog, you know how to make a delicious chicken salad.

And, if you are wondering is chicken salad healthy? let me tell you that this is super healthy. 

It is full of lean proteins, vitamins, and minerals. It is low in sugar, carbs, and fiber while high in protein. Therefore, this low-fat chicken salad is good for your health.