I Tried Our Five Most Popular Chicken Salad Recipes, and the Winner Is Truly Excellent

Having grown up in the Deep South, I have consumed more than my fair share of chicken salad and consider myself to be a certified connoisseur. It’s one of the best ways to use up leftover chicken or to feed a crowd, and everyone in the South has an opinion about whose chicken salad is the very best. In search of the perfect specimen, I scoured our site and tested the five top-rated chicken salad recipes.

What Makes a Great Chicken Salad?

Chicken and a creamy (typically mayonnaise-based) dressing are the two primary components of classic chicken salad. These are combined in a ratio that yields a mixture that is neither too moist nor too dry. The best recipes not only have this ratio dialed in, they also include fresh herbs, spices, and other elements to make a product that stands out from the crowd. The dressing should be light, tangy, and flavorful; the chicken tender and either shredded or diced. The additions of things such as fruits and nuts are a highly debated and are often a deeply personal decision. In my opinion, if you dressing sings, you won’t need a whole lot more to boost the flavor or add interest. Nail your dressing and you’re 75 percent there.

Meet the Contestants

• Best Chicken Salad, submitted by Jackie M.

• Holiday Chicken Salad, submitted by emmaxwell

• Becky’s Chicken Salad, submitted by Beckey Riley

• Dijon Chicken Salad, submitted by Susan C.

• Fruity Curry Chicken Salad, submitted by Karen L. Baker

How I Judged the Chicken Salad Recipes

• Flavor: Chicken salad should be light and bright, with plenty of fresh herbs and seasonings. The last thing we want is a bland dish. Using a high-quality mayonnaise as the base is really important.

• Texture: The best chicken salads manage to strike a balanced cream-to-crunch ratio. We want a mixture that is spreadable and creamy but not sloppy or dry. The preparation of the chicken itself plays a role in the final outcome: To shred or to cube? Each method has its place and and has the ability to completely change the final product. The addition of fruits and nuts is a personal (and often controversial) choice and often adds textural benefits.

• Versatility: Sometimes you just want to eat a scoop of chicken salad on its own and sometimes you want to stuff it into a sandwich or spread it on a cracker. I tasted each recipe on its own and in a sandwich in order to test its flexibility. I also observed whether the recipes lent themselves easily to alterations according to personal preference.

The Results

Most Versatile

• The Recipe: Best Chicken Salad, submitted by Jackie M.

• Average Rating: 4.6 stars

• Rave Review: “This was so good. I plan on making this again. I made it per the recipe but I'm going to make it again using crushed pecans. This was easy and wonderful.” —AllRecipes Member

This recipe is as simple and straightforward as it gets and is a great jumping off point for adaptations of almost any sort. Jackie M. calls simply for chopped cooked chicken, celery, blanched almonds, lemon juice, mayo, salt, and pepper. The ratio of chicken to dressing is spot-on and the blanched almonds and celery add just the right amount of texture. I would suggest swapping out the almonds for pecans and adding a dash of lemon and some tarragon to take this recipe to the next level.

Most Surprising

• The Recipe: Becky’s Chicken Salad, submitted by Beckey Riley

• Average Rating: 4.7 stars

• Rave Review: “Have made this for years! Always a favorite served on a croissant.” —Lynette Fry

Becky’s recipe calls for diced chicken, mayo, parsley, sliced almonds, grapes, celery, salt—and an unexpected ingredient: (drumroll, please) whipping cream. Never have I ever added whipping cream to a chicken salad, and I was delighted to find that this addition lent an unexpected lightness to the final product. This recipe is delicious, creamy, and endlessly adaptable.

Best Budget-Friendly Pick

• The Recipe: Dijon Chicken Salad, submitted by Susan C.

• Average Rating: 4.7 stars

• Rave Review: “Quick and easy chicken salad. The grapes and cranberries were wonderful. I use it on sandwiches and on salad. Will definitely make it again!” —Artemisia

Susan C. combines mayo, dijon mustard, honey, and salt and pepper to make her dressing. Into this she folds canned chicken, grapes, cranberries, and chives. To be completely honest: I have a problem with canned meat. I know it’s an excellent pantry staple and budget choice, but canned chicken is always a little too salty and has a strange texture. That said, this recipe is fine with canned chicken—but if it skeeves you, feel free to use leftover baked or rotisserie chicken. The mustardy dressing is delightful with an unexpected sweetness from the honey.

Most Festive

• The Recipe: Fruity Curry Chicken Salad, submitted by Karen L. Baker

• Average Rating: 4.8 stars

• Rave Review: “Wow, this is my new chicken salad recipe. I am a bit of a chicken salad 'snob' in that I have made so many different varieties and order it very often at restaurants. This version is perfect (as long as you like curry)!!” —lovetocook

This is such a fun recipe, and such a great diversion from the norm. Baker combines mayo with curry powder to make a punchy dressing to which she adds diced chicken breast, golden raisins, a Golden Delicious apple, green grapes, celery, and green onions. Not only is this a delicious recipe, I found it to be the most visually appealing of the bunch. The bright green and yellow color palate is a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day.

Best Overall

• The Recipe: Holiday Chicken Salad, submitted by emmaxwell

• Average Rating: 4.8 stars

• Rave Review: “This chicken salad recipe has been a family and friend favorite for years. At this point, I don’t usually measure the ingredients because it’s SO forgiving. We eat it with croissants, toast or just with a spoon out of a bowl. Give it a try… you won’t be disappointed.”—OZRES

This recipe was an immediate favorite among my family members. Creator emmaxwell adds paprika to her dressing, which gives the recipe just the right hint of smoky flavor. In addition to cubed cooked chicken, she also calls for green onions, green bell peppers, cranberries, celery, and pecans. All of these items combine to make a truly excellent chicken salad. This recipe is great as is, and lends itself easily to adaptation by personal preference. This is the recipe I’ll be keeping in my journal to make in the future.

Related: I Tried Our 5 Most Popular Grilled Cheese Sandwich Recipes and This Is the One I’ll Make Forever

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