The Best Chicken Salad Sandwich

You'll never want to eat it any other way again!

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/15/24
Tested by
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Tested by Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 4 sandwiches

Chicken salad sandwiches are always a hit, especially for a quick summer lunch or dinner. They're also an excellent addition to picnics, potlucks, and casual parties. This southern-style chicken salad is delicious, thanks to a few flavor-boosting ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. Plus it's incredibly quick and easy to whip up.

Creamy chicken salad with celery on slices of white bread

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How to Cook Chicken for Chicken Salad—You Have Options!

The recipe includes two ways to cook chicken: baked or poached. Either way, plan on two or three chicken breasts, depending on their size. It also works with leftover cooked chicken (both light and dark meat), so if you have roasted chicken or grilled chicken, feel free to use that. You can even use canned chicken or pick up a rotisserie chicken from your grocer.

What Can I Use Instead of Mayo in Chicken Salad?

If you want something lighter, try a combination of plain Greek yogurt and mayo. For something tangy, use Greek yogurt with some sour cream instead. Using a plant-based mayo or mashed, ripe avocado gives you an egg-free option.

How to Serve Chicken Salad

This chicken salad is wonderful in lettuce-lined buns. It's also delicious in sandwiches made with plain loaf bread, croissants, freshly baked biscuits, or wraps.

Serve chicken salad sandwiches with a side of sliced tomatoes, chips, or a cup of soup. To make them part of a family supper, go with french fries and coleslaw or a tossed salad.

Or skip the bread and serve your chicken salad on a bed of lettuce or mixed greens, atop a simple salad with sliced avocado or tomato wedges, or wrapped in lettuce leaves.

Tips for Making the Best Chicken Salad Recipe

These ingredients give the chicken salad a ton of flavor. A common complaint about chicken salad is that it's too bland. Fortunately, all you need to avoid ho-hum chicken salad is a few kitchen staples:

  • A secret ingredient, relish - One of the secrets to homestyle southern chicken salad is the chopped dill pickle relish, which adds lots of flavor and a tanginess that livens things up. If you don't have dill relish, use finely chopped dill pickles (hamburger slices work, too) and add a little of the pickle juice to the salad.
  • Chopped egg - Another secret of southern cooks is adding chopped hard-boiled eggs to chicken salad, which adds a wonderful richness and creaminess.
  • Add texture - Finely chopped onions and celery add a delicious crunch to chicken salad.
  • We love mayo! - Whether you prefer homemade mayonnaise or store bought, don't be shy about adding plenty of mayo for a moist, rich-tasting chicken salad.


What You'll Need To Make This Chicken Salad Sandwich Recipe
A Baking Pan
A Good Pot
An Accurate Meat Thermometer

"The recipe is simple to prepare and creates a classic chicken salad sandwich. It’s a great way to use leftover chicken breasts. A food chopper makes it even quicker and ensures the ingredients are uniformly sized. Clean-up was minimal, and ingredients were inexpensive, so it’s a versatile recipe to have around." —Colleen Graham

Classic Chicken Salad Sandwiches Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken or 2 or 3 raw boneless chicken breasts for baking or poaching

  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped red or yellow onion

  • 1/4 cup finely chopped celery

  • 1 large hard-boiled egg, chopped

  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise, as needed to moisten the salad

  • 1 tablespoon dill pickle relish

  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (or seasoned salt to taste)

  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 8 slices bread

  • Lettuce

Steps to Make It

Note: While there are multiple ways to cook chicken, we've outlined two of our favorite methods to cook it for this chicken salad recipe. You will need to cook 2 or 3 boneless chicken breasts depending on the size.

Option 1: Bake the Chicken

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking pan with foil.

    Baking sheet lined with aluminum foil

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  2. Arrange 2 to 3 raw, boneless chicken breasts on the pan and season with 1/4 teaspoon fine salt and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.

    Chicken breast sprinkled with salt on foil-lined baking sheet

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  3. Bake until the chicken registers 160 F on a food thermometer. Depending on the size and thickness of the boneless chicken breasts, it will take 22 to 30 minutes. Let cool and chop.

    Baked chicken with thermometer inserted, showing 165 degrees Fahrenheit

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Option 2: Poach the Chicken

  1. To poach, place 2 to 3 raw boneless chicken breasts in a single layer in a deep skillet or sauté pan with a lid.

    Chicken breast in a saucepan

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  2. If desired, add some herbs and chopped aromatic vegetables, such as onions, garlic, or carrots. Cover the chicken with water (about 1/2 to 1 inch above the chicken breasts) and bring to a boil over high heat.

    Carrots, onion, and water added to chicken breast in the saucepan

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  3. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan, and continue cooking for 8 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken pieces.

    Saucepan covered with lid

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  4. Check the chicken breasts with a food thermometer to ensure the thickest part of the chicken has reached at least 160 F. Let cool and chop.

    Chicken breast with thermometer inserted, showing 165 degrees Fahrenheit

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Make the Chicken Salad

  1. Once you've cooked and cooled the chicken, chop it into bite-size pieces and gather the rest of the ingredients.

    Ingredients for chicken salad sandwich recipe gathered

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  2. In a medium bowl, combine the 1 1/2 cups chicken (cooked and chopped), 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion, 1/4 cup finely chopped celery, and 1 large hard-boiled egg (chopped). Stir to combine.

    Chopped chicken, celery, and egg combined in a bowl

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  3. Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon dill pickle relish, 1/4 teaspoon fine salt, and 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper to the chicken. Stir to blend well.

    Mayonnaise and dill pickle relish added to chicken mixture

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  4. Add more mayonnaise to moisten, if desired.

    More mayonnaise added to chicken salad

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  5. Spread the chicken salad evenly on each 8 slices of bread with lettuce and enjoy.

    Sliced white bread topped with chicken salad and torn lettuce

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How To Store

  • Store any leftover chicken salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • While it's safe to freeze chicken salad, the texture will suffer so we do not recommend it.

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

  • Add herbs: Add 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped herbs, such as chives, thyme, dill, or parsley.
  • Spice it up: Give the salad a spicy kick with a 1/4 teaspoon or so of cayenne pepper or a squirt of sriracha, adjusted to taste.
  • Punch up the flavor: Try it with 1 teaspoon of either garlic or onion powder.
  • Make it with mustard: Add about 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon or whole grain mustard to the mayonnaise mixture.
  • Sweeten it up: Replace the dill pickle relish with sweet pickle relish or finely chopped sweet pickles, such as bread and butter pickles.
  • Add nuts: Add chopped toasted pecans to the salad for a satisfying crunch.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
493 Calories
31g Fat
33g Carbs
20g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 493
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31g 39%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 106mg 35%
Sodium 703mg 31%
Total Carbohydrate 33g 12%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 20g
Vitamin C 2mg 11%
Calcium 119mg 9%
Iron 4mg 20%
Potassium 295mg 6%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)