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• Why This Is My Best Chicken Salad Recipe
• Ingredients & Substitutions
• How To Make Chicken Salad
• My Recipe Tips
• Serving Ideas
• Easy Chicken Salad Recipe card
• My Other Chicken Salad Recipes
• Recipe Reviews

Easy chicken salad recipes are a staple at my house every which way — I’ve made so many versions, and have loved them all. But sometimes I just want a classic chicken salad, without the frills and unique twists I often add. And this is the best chicken salad recipe for that! It’s the perfect balance of flavors and textures, and that must be the reason it’s the one I come back to most often. If you’re craving the classic, this is it. Make it with me!

Why This Is My Best Chicken Salad Recipe

• It’s the classic – While my other chicken salad recipes have different flavor options, this one has the taste and texture you probably imagine when you picture this dish. It’s got the tender chicken, sweetness, and crunch that everyone loves, all enveloped in an irresistibly creamy, tangy dressing.
• Simple ingredients – Nothing fancy here! This is my everyday version, made with staples I usually have at home. And you’ll find them at any grocery store if you don’t.
• Quick and easy to make – If you’ve got cooked chicken on hand, you can whip up my easy chicken salad in just 10 minutes! It’s one of my favorite breezy lunches when I don’t have time for much else (um, often).
• Versatile – This salad is also perfect to bring to a picnic or potluck! Just keep it cold, since it has perishable ingredients.

Ingredients & Substitutions

This section explains what goes in my classic chicken salad recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card .

• Cooked Chicken – I use Instant Pot shredded chicken most often for this recipe. If you don’t have time to make it, take a shortcut by using ready-made rotisserie chicken from the store, or shred any leftover baked chicken breasts you have on hand.
• Grapes – Making chicken salad with grapes add nice sweetness to contrast the savory flavors. I recommend cutting them in half, or even quarters if they’re large. I usually make this with red grapes, but green or black work, too. You can even substitute cubed apples (see my chicken salad with apples for the best pairings!), dried cranberries (I make sugar-free dried cranberries ), or raisins.
• Celery – The crunchy texture complements the creaminess of the salad perfectly. Chop it finely. If you’re not a fan, diced pickles or pickled asparagus would work well for crunch.
• Fresh Dill – Feel free to throw in other fresh herbs, or omit them if you prefer your chicken salad without them.
• Green Onions – I like the color and flavor of green onions here. You can use white or red onions for a stronger flavor, or yellow or sweet onions for sweetness.
• Pecans – For more crunch, but they’re optional. You can also try other nuts, like walnuts, almonds, or cashews, or use sunflower seeds for a nut-free option.
• Mayonnaise – The base of my easy chicken salad dressing! Use your favorite store bought mayo, or make my 5-minute homemade mayonnaise . I think mayo makes the best recipe for chicken salad, but if you like a more tangy dressing, plain Greek yogurt makes an easy substitute, or you can replace half of the mayo with sour cream.
• Dijon Mustard – I prefer Dijon here because it’s more mild than other types. If you use yellow mustard, I recommend using less.
• Lemon Juice – Fresh is always best, but bottled lemon juice works just fine.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper

How To Make Chicken Salad

1. Combine the chicken salad ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, grapes, celery, dill, green onions, and pecans.
2. Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
3. Mix together. Fold or stir until combined. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste. I like to garnish with extra dill!

My Recipe Tips

• The ideal amount of salt and lemon juice can vary, largely depending on the mayonnaise you use. Some brands are more salty or tangy than others. Of course it also depends on your preference. I recommend starting with a teaspoon of salt and 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and adjust to your taste at the end.
• If your chicken salad is saltier than you like, add more lemon juice. The acidity cuts the saltiness.
• If it turns out too tangy, some sweetness can balance it out. Try a teaspoon or two of honey (I use my natural zero sugar honey when I make this adjustment).
• To shred chicken more easily, use a mixer. I use this hand mixer with beaters in a large bowl, but a stand mixer with paddle attachment also works well. Start at low speed to avoid chicken flying everywhere!
• I don’t recommend cubed chicken for chicken salad. You can use it if you like, but I find the dressing doesn’t penetrate well, so you end up with a lot at the bottom of the bowl.
• The flavors develop more in the fridge. I usually pop the salad in the fridge for 30-60 minutes for even better flavor! Just give it a good stir before serving.

Serving Ideas

Don’t tell anyone, but I like to enjoy this creamy salad right out of the bowl! If you want a more complete meal, though, try these ideas:

• Chicken Salad Sandwich – Slather it between two slices of your favorite bread. I love it on 90 second bread for a fast lunch!
• Crackers – This easy chicken salad makes a really nice snack on my almond flour crackers or flax seed crackers . This presentation makes a good appetizer, too!
• Stuffed Veggies – Scoop the salad inside avocado halves, hollowed out cucumber boats (similar to my cucumber subs ), mini bell peppers , or even larger bell peppers (like my bell pepper sandwich recipe ).
• Lettuce Wraps – My favorite way to serve this chicken salad, pictured above! I used romaine lettuce this time, but bibb lettuce also works well.

Recipe Video

Ingredients

Tap underlined ingredients to see the ones I use.

• 1 1/2 lb Shredded chicken ▢
• 1 1/2 cups Red grapes (cut in half) ▢
• 1/2 cup Celery (diced) ▢
• 1/2 cup Pecans (optional; finely chopped) ▢
• 2 tbsp Fresh dill (finely chopped) ▢
• 1 tbsp Green onions (sliced thinly) ▢
• 1 cup Mayonnaise ▢
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard ▢
• 1 1/2 tbsp Lemon juice (or 2 tbsp if you like it extra tangy) ▢
• 1/2 tsp Sea salt (plus more to taste) ▢
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.

1. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, grapes, celery, pecans, dill, and green onions.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad. Mix well until uniform. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste if needed.
4. Serve right away, or refrigerate to let the flavors develop.

LAST STEP: Leave a rating to help other readers, or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram. I’d love to hear from you!

Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1/2 cup

• Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the right balance of saltiness and acidity, shred the chicken more easily, and why I don’t recommend cubed chicken.
• Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last for up to 3-5 days, depending on the freshness of your chicken and mayo. I don’t recommend freezing chicken salad recipes with mayo in them, because the dressing will separate after thawing and the texture of the grapes will be different.
• Note on nutrition info: The optional pecans are not included. If you want to update the nutrition calculation to add them, you can do that by customizing the recipe and marking them as not optional in the Wholesome Yum App .

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy .

Add Your NotesYour Notes

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.

The Best Chicken Salad Recipe

My Other Chicken Salad Recipes

If you love the convenience of this easy chicken salad recipe but want more variety in flavor, try one of my other versions:

Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List

• Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
• The Basic Keto Meal Formula
• Understanding Macros
• Keto Food Swaps
• Keto Food List
• Electrolyte Basics
• Keto Diet Types
• Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?
• Recipe Reviews

Even though I have a great guide to starting a keto diet , people often ask me for a quick keto cheat sheet they can use. That’s why I created this simple keto diet cheat sheet , so that you can have all the info you need handy. We’ll cover the basic keto formula for building meals, foods to eat and to avoid, delicious keto swaps for high-carb foods, electrolyte basics, and 4 ways to follow the keto lifestyle.

You can keep reading to view this info, or download my keto cheat sheet printable pdf to print out or save ad-free on any device (plus the pdf has more details!).

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?

Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:

1. Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
2. Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
3. Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
4. Keto food swaps (60+ foods) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
5. Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
6. Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
7. Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
8. Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
9. FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.

Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System + EBooks (Only $37)

The Basic Keto Meal Formula

Eating keto doesn’t have to be complicated! While there are plenty of delicious easy keto recipes to choose from, you don’t even have to cook from a recipe to get started.

Simply follow the keto cheat sheet formula of protein + veggie + fat for your meals.

Be sure to choose a moderate amount of protein, only low carb vegetables (mostly ones that grow above ground), and generous fat to attain an optimal macro ratio. That’s approximately 60-75% of calories from fat, 20-25% protein, and 5-10% from carbohydrates. The table below will give you ideas for what to choose.

Understanding Macros

Macros are macronutrients for short. They include fat, protein, and carbohydrates.

You can calculate your own macros using the macro calculator , but the macro keto cheat sheet below will explain how to look at macros when following a keto lifestyle.

Carbs Are A Limit.

Keeping carbs low is what gets you into ketosis and keeps you there. Ketosis means that you’re using fat as your primary energy source instead of sugar, and requires keeping carbs very low.

A good starting point is 20-25 grams net carbs per day, but you can experiment after a few weeks to see if your body stays in ketosis at higher levels. People who are very active may be able to do more and stay in ketosis, up to around 50 grams per day.

“Carbs are a limit” means that you set a limit for how many carbs to eat per day and don’t exceed it. You don’t have to hit that limit, so if you’re under that’s okay, just don’t go over. Ideally most of your carbs would come from low carb vegetables, and if you’re eating enough veggies, you’ll usually get close to the limit naturally.

A common misconception is that reaching ketosis requires a certain macro ratio, but it’s really only restricting your carb intake that gets you there [ * ]. In the absence of sufficient carbs to use as energy, the body will switch to using fat as fuel. This is called the metabolic state of ketosis.

Protein Is A Goal.

Protein is made up of amino acids, the building blocks of all our cells. It’s a crucial for keeping our muscles strong and for many cellular functions [ * ].

“Protein is a goal” means that you always want to eat enough protein to reach the goal each day, but not exceed it too much. You want enough for your needs, but excess protein can trigger gluconeogenesis, which is protein being converted to sugar [ * ] and can kick you out of ketosis.

Fat Is A Lever.

Fat is the primary macronutrient in a keto lifestyle, because being in ketosis means that fat is your primary fuel source. Fat as a fuel source will come from your food, and if you are losing weight, from your body.

A big advantage of a keto lifestyle is the high fat intake. It keeps you full and satisfied, making it easier to stick to, and using it as the primary fuel source makes it easier on your body to burn body fat, with a lower chance of breaking down your muscle (provided you get enough protein).

Aside from reaching your protein goal and limiting your carbs, the remainder of your calories on a keto diet comes from fat.

Don’t fear fat – it’s your main energy source on keto, and getting enough of it trains your body to use fat for fuel instead of sugar. That means that as long as you are not overdoing your overall calorie intake, you’ll efficiently burn your body fat for fuel as well.

“Fat is a lever” means that you can increase or decrease your fat intake depending on your goals and hunger levels. Increase it (along with exercise) to gain muscle, or decrease it to lose weight.

Keto Food Swaps

One of my favorite challenges is creating recipes, or just discovering, keto food swaps. These are delicious keto replacements for traditionally high-carb or high-sugar foods.

So, I created this keto diet cheat sheet with all the swaps in one place! I also have more keto food swaps in my Easy Keto Cookbook .

Keto Swaps For Breakfast

Keto Swaps For Bread

Keto Swaps For Meals & Side Dishes

Keto Swaps For Snacks & Sauces

Keto Swaps For Cooking & Baking

Keto Swaps For Drinks

If you’re looking specifically for keto alcohol options, browse the full keto alcohol guide .

Keto Food List

When looking for a keto cheat sheet printable, the most-requested information is a keto food list.

The great thing is that keto doesn’t have to feel restrictive. It’s incredibly satisfying and there’s such a wide variety of foods you can eat!

Foods To Eat On Keto

• Leafy greens – Such as spinach, chard, and lettuce.
• Above-ground veggies – Such as peppers, zucchini, and cauliflower.
• Full-fat cream & cheese – Such as heavy cream, sour cream, and full-fat hard cheeses.
• Natural meats – Such as beef, lamb, and pork.
• Berries – Such as raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries.
• Avocados
• Unsweetened nut milks – Such as almond milk and coconut milk.
• Almond flour and coconut flour
• Eggs
• Healthy fats – Such as coconut oil, avocado oil, olive oil and butter.

Foods To Avoid On Keto

• White flour & sugar
• Rice & grains – Such as barley, wheat, and corn.
• Milk & yogurt – Such as fruit on the bottom yogurt, sweetened Greek yogurt, and all milk.
• Cereal
• Processed food – Such as granola bars, candy
• Most fruit – Such as apples, bananas, and grapes
• Hydrogenated fats – Such as vegetable oil, soybean oil, and margarine
• Sweetened beverages & condiments – Such as soda, ketchup, and sweet dressings
• Starchy veggies – Such as peas, carrots, and beets.
• Potatoes – Such as sweet potatoes and white potatoes.

That’s the short keto diet cheat sheet version of all the keto food categories, but I recommend downloading the full Keto Cheat Sheet System. It includes a super detailed printable keto food list with over 100 items, including 2 color-coded pages with net carb counts, along with 6 more pages of keto cheat sheets:

Get The Keto Cheat Sheet System PDF (Only $37)

Electrolyte Basics

Getting enough electrolytes is crucial for anyone, but especially so on a keto diet. The reason is that ketosis has a diuretic effect, which increases excretion of water and electrolytes, especially sodium [ * ]. This is often the cause of the keto flu.

For more details on electrolytes and avoiding keto flu, check out the full keto flu guide here .

The important thing to know about electrolytes is that replenishing them will keep keto flu away and keep your body functioning well. I always recommend an electrolyte drink and whole food sources of anything your body needs before resorting to supplements, so I made a list of what to eat to get each of the 3 major electrolytes – sodium, magnesium and potassium.

Here’s your keto diet cheat sheet for getting electrolytes from food:

Keto Diet Types

People follow a keto lifestyle for different reasons. Some do it just to lose weight, others are after better overall health, increased energy, and reduced inflammation.

Strictly speaking, the defining factor of a keto diet is the metabolic state of ketosis, which is achieved by restricting carbs. However, many people (myself included) also reduce or eliminate processed, inflammatory, or low-nutrient foods.

Below is your keto cheat sheet summary of the different ways that people follow keto. You choose what works best for your goals and lifestyle!

• Strict Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, count all calories and macros, and eat clean, unprocessed foods.
• Lazy Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, and track only net carbs OR eat keto foods without tracking.
• Dirty Keto – Up to 20-30g net carbs daily, with “if it fits your macros” approach including processed foods.
• Low Carb – Up to 50-100g net carbs daily, less strict.

For a more detailed listing of these different types of keto with pros and cons, grab the Easy Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF below!

Want The Keto Cheat Sheet Printable PDF System?

Get all this information and MORE in convenient printer-friendly format – 13 cheat sheet pages you can take with you anywhere or keep in your kitchen, plus 4 recipe cookbooks! Includes:

1. Keto food list (230+ foods) – Super detailed & color-coded, with net carb counts, so you’ll know exactly what to eat.
2. Foods to avoid on keto – Detailed and specific list so that you know exactly what to watch out for.
3. Macros cheat sheet – Explains everything you need to know about macros to succeed on keto.
4. Keto food swaps (60+ swaps) – Covers virtually every food you love, so you don’t have to miss out!
5. Keto meal formula – With specific food ideas, so it’s easy to mix-and-match.
6. Keto flu guide – Understand what it is and exactly how to avoid it.
7. Electrolyte cheat sheet – With whole food ideas + bonus keto tips.
8. Keto Diet Types – Summary of 4 ways to do keto, so you can choose what fits you best.
9. FOUR (4!) Keto Swaps Recipe EBooks – Dozens of recipes to replace bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, desserts, and other carbs you’d otherwise miss.

Get The Printable Keto Cheat Sheet System (75 pages, Only $37!)

Easy Chicken Salad

My easy chicken salad recipe takes just 10 minutes, with tender chicken, sweet grapes, and crunchy celery & pecans, all in a creamy dressing.

Scan this QR code with your phone’s camera for the full recipe, including tips, step-by-step photos, and storage, or to save it to your account. You can also find it at: https://www.wholesomeyum.com/chicken-salad-recipe/

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb Shredded chicken
• 1 1/2 cups Red grapes (cut in half)
• 1/2 cup Celery (diced)
• 1/2 cup Pecans (optional; finely chopped)
• 2 tbsp Fresh dill (finely chopped)
• 1 tbsp Green onions (sliced thinly)
• 1 cup Mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tbsp Lemon juice (or 2 tbsp if you like it extra tangy)
• 1/2 tsp Sea salt (plus more to taste)
• 1/2 tsp Black pepper

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the chicken, grapes, celery, pecans, dill, and green onions.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
3. Pour the dressing over the salad. Mix well until uniform. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste if needed.
4. Serve right away, or refrigerate to let the flavors develop.

Maya’s Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1/2 cup

• Tips: Check out my recipe tips above to help you get the right balance of saltiness and acidity, shred the chicken more easily, and why I don’t recommend cubed chicken.
• Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last for up to 3-5 days, depending on the freshness of your chicken and mayo. I don’t recommend freezing chicken salad recipes with mayo in them, because the dressing will separate after thawing and the texture of the grapes will be different.
• Note on nutrition info: The optional pecans are not included. If you want to update the nutrition calculation to add them, you can do that by customizing the recipe and marking them as not optional in the Wholesome Yum App .

I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy .

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. :)