Food and Recipes Meat Chicken 21 Easy Chicken Salad Recipes That'll Be Instant Classics By Southern Living Editors Southern Living Editors Since 1966, the editors of Southern Living have been carrying out the mission of the brand: to bring enjoyment, fulfillment, and inspiration to our readers by celebrating life in the South. We inspire creativity in their homes, their kitchens, their gardens, and their personal style. We are a friend they can trust, a guide to the seasons, a helping hand during the holidays, and a relentless champion of the Southern way of life. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on June 27, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Torie Cox Chicken salad is one of those dishes that has been a staple in our cooking repertoire for years. It's just as elegant as it is simple—the perfect dish to throw together for last-minute dinner party appetizer or a relaxing lunch at home. You can serve it in a sandwich or a wrap, in lettuce cups or tarts, or all on its own. No matter how you serve chicken salad, it's guaranteed to be delicious. From the creamy classics, like Chicken Salad-Stuffed Tomatoes and Old-Fashioned Chicken Salad, to more inventive takes on the dish that prove you don't need mayo to make it great (don't gasp until you've tried our Chicken Tortellini Salad and Fried Chicken Salad with Basil-Buttermilk Dressing!), our favorite chicken salad recipes offer something for everyone. Plus, chicken salad can be made ahead of time—and any leftovers will be fantastic meal prep for the busy week ahead. 01 of 21 Tarragon Chicken Salad Jennifer Davick Recipe: Tarragon Chicken Salad With bright lemon and earthy tarragon, this light Tarragon Chicken Salad is perfect for your springtime ladies' luncheon 02 of 21 Cranberry Chicken Salad Victor Protasio, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall, Prop Stylist: Kathleen Varner Recipe: Cranberry Chicken Salad You can make this chicken salad year-round, but it'll make the ideal main dish for your casual holiday brunch menu. We love the tangy notes brought to the table with the addition of Dijon mustard in the dressing, and you can never go wrong with opting for a rotisserie chicken. 03 of 21 Old-Fashioned Chicken Salad Southern Living Recipe: Old-Fashioned Chicken Salad This classic chicken salad recipe combines all your favorite components, from celery to lemon juice to mayo. It's packed full with the nostalgic flavors of Grandma's kitchen. 04 of 21 Homemade Chicken Salad Southern Living Recipe: Homemade Chicken Salad The ingredient list is simple, but effective. Thyme will be the unlikely hero, adding a touch of fresh herby flavor that really sings when you add a dash of lemon juice to the mix. 05 of 21 Crispy Chicken-and-Broccoli Salad Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Crispy Chicken-and-Broccoli Salad This salad is all about texture and flavors. Creamy, crunchy, tangy, sweet. Be sure to add the chicken after you've allowed the salad to marinate so that it doesn't lose its crispiness. 06 of 21 Chicken Salad With Grapes and Pecans Will Dickey Recipe: Chicken Salad With Grapes and Pecans If you're tired of the same ol' chicken salad recipe, add a bit of juicy flavor and nutty crunch with pecans and grapes. 07 of 21 Kale-and-Chicken Salad with Jalapeño-Lime Dressing Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners Recipe: Kale-and-Chicken Salad with Jalapeño-Lime Dressing The trick to this light, healthy salad is to tenderize the kale. It only takes a few extra minutes, but massaging the de-stemmed leaves with olive oil will help remove the toughness. 08 of 21 Fried Chicken Salad with Basil-Buttermilk Dressing Victor Protasio; Food Styling: Rishon Hanners; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis Recipe: Fried Chicken Salad with Basil-Buttermilk Dressing Consider this a lightened-up version of one of our favorite dishes, fried chicken. You can either fry it up yourself or run to Publix for a handful of tenders. We wouldn't blame you for going with the latter. 09 of 21 Oven-Fried Chicken Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Photo: Jennifer Causey; Prop Styling: Christine Keely; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Oven-Fried Chicken Salad with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing This salad is easy to throw together, but delivers big on flavor. Grilling the romaine lettuce lends a smokey, sophisticated flavor, and baking instead of frying the chicken cuts down on oil. The results, however, are still delicious. 10 of 21 Hot Chicken Salad with Potato Chip Crust Sheri Castle Recipe: Hot Chicken Salad with Potato Chip Crust Now here's a blast from the past. Our Hot Chicken Salad with Potato Chip Crust is the retro recipe your grown-up dinnertime needs. Swap in rotisserie chicken if you're looking to serve up this casserole in a flash. 11 of 21 Breaded Chicken Salad with Grapes, Honey, Almonds, and Broccoli Hector Sanchez Recipe: Breaded Chicken Salad with Grapes, Honey, Almonds, and Broccoli Crunchy grapes, a sweet touch of honey, savory almonds, and crisp broccoli make this medley a yummy one. While the chicken bakes in the oven, you can prepare the rest of the salad—you'll have a meal in 20 minutes. 12 of 21 Hot Chicken Salad Recipe: Hot Chicken Salad The combination of pimentos, Cheddar cheese, water chestnuts, and a potato chip crust give this unconventional baked chicken salad nice layers of texture and flavor. It'll be your new go-to party dish, as it can be enjoyed as a dip or all on its own. 13 of 21 Jellied Chicken Salad Jennifer Causey Recipe: Jellied Chicken Salad This retro Jellied Chicken Salad is the perfect centerpiece for your holiday dinner spread. It's a great way to incorporate leftover ingredients into one stunning dish. 14 of 21 Chicken Salad Tarts Jennifer Davick Recipe: Chicken Salad Tarts This classic, bite-sized appetizer will be ready in a pinch, and it'll be the fan-favorite at your next cocktail party. 15 of 21 The Greenbrier's Chicken Salad The Greenbrier Recipe: The Greenbrier's Chicken Salad You can now make the Greenbrier's famed chicken salad at home with this recipe, also known as Dorothy Draper's Chicken Salad. 16 of 21 Chicken Salad MyRecipes Recipe: Chicken Salad Don't let the simple name fool you. Loaded with red and yellow bell peppers, red onions, water chestnuts, and diced celery, this salad is full of original flavor and a powerful crunch. 17 of 21 Grilled Chicken Salad with Blueberries, Goat Cheese, and Pickled Onion Victor Protasio; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Grilled Chicken Salad with Blueberries, Goat Cheese, and Pickled Onion Blueberries add sweetness, goat cheese lends creaminess, and the onions some tang. We sprinkle on some candied pecans for a final crunch. You'll be turning to this refreshing salad throughout the summer season. 18 of 21 Chicken Tortellini Salad Recipe Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Audrey Davis; Food Styling: Emily Nabors Hall Recipe: Chicken Tortellini Salad Recipe Elevate pasta night with this 20-minute salad. Add your tortellini to a bed of arugula and throw on some shredded chicken for protein. Cherry tomatoes and a quick dressing pull it all together. 19 of 21 Roasted Chicken Caesar Salad Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas Recipe: Roasted Chicken Caesar Salad We jazzed up the traditional Caesar salad by roasting the lettuce, which caramelizes it, and making a few tweaks to a store-bought dressing to give it a homemade spin. 20 of 21 Chicken and White Bean Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette Greg Dupree; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham Recipe: Chicken and White Bean Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette Chicken salads don't always have to be creamy (but a lot of the good ones are). In this recipe, the dressing is a bright, light concoction of orange juice, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, and shallots that make everything it touches oh-so-good. 21 of 21 Chicken Salad-Stuffed Tomatoes Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Kathleen Varner; Food Styling: Torie Cox Recipe: Chicken Salad-Stuffed Tomatoes In the heat of summer, there's nothing better than fresh tomatoes. Why not stuff those farmers' market tomatoes with chicken salad for an extra-refreshing meal? Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit