Name: Basic Chicken Salad Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 12 oz can of chicken breast or 1-1/2 C chopped cooked chicken; 2 to 3 tablespoons mayonnaise; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; ¼ cup finely chopped celery; Salt and Pepper ((to taste)); 1/4 cup Dried Cranberries; 1/4 cup Dried Mango slices ((cut into small pieces)); 1/4 cup Chopped Pecans, Walnuts, Peanuts or Almonds; 2 tablespoons Sweet pickles ((cut into small pieces or sweet pickle relish)); 1/4 cup Green bell pepper ((chopped)); 1/4 teaspoon herbs such as thyme, basil or rosemary; 2 Scallions, white and tender green parts only ((sliced)); For those who like it spicier, add some chopped jalapeno pepper or curry powder

Basic Chicken Salad is simple and requires no cooking. You can eat it in 10 minutes!

Basic Chicken Salad with Dried Cranberries

Basic Chicken Salad

Don here. Any way you make it Chicken Salad is a big hit at our table. The basic chicken salad recipe I start with has celery chopped fine for the crunchiness, mayonnaise to hold it all together, Dijon mustard to add some zip, salt and pepper. We usually have canned white chicken breast meat so we use that. But when we have leftover grilled or baked chicken, I'll chop that into small pieces and use it.

Make Basic Chicken Salad, Then Change It Up

Then I add whatever suits me at the time to the basic chicken salad recipe. Sometimes it's a bit fruity with dried fruit pieces or even fresh grapes. Perhaps I'm in a nutty mood and will add pecans or almonds.

Chicken Salad can be served many ways: as a sandwich filler, stuffed into a tomato or bell pepper shell, piled over avocado slices or on a bed of your favorite lettuce or field greens. Or when no one else is home, I just eat it right out of the mixing bowl 😉

Basic Chicken Salad Recipe

A simple chicken salad recipe with ideas for making it even more delicious and fancy.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep 10

Total Time 10

Course Chicken, Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings

Calories 345 kcal

Ingredients

Basic Ingredients:

1 12 oz can of chicken breast or 1-½ C chopped cooked chicken
2 to 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup finely chopped celery
Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Optional, add one or more:

¼ cup Dried Cranberries
¼ cup Dried Mango slices (cut into small pieces)
¼ cup Chopped Pecans, Walnuts, Peanuts or Almonds
2 tablespoons Sweet pickles (cut into small pieces or sweet pickle relish)
¼ cup Green bell pepper (chopped)
¼ teaspoon herbs such as thyme, basil or rosemary
2 Scallions, white and tender green parts only (sliced)
For those who like it spicier, add some chopped jalapeno pepper or curry powder

Instructions

Place the Basic ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix until blended.
Mix until all the ingredients are coated with the mayonnaise.
Add a bit more mayonnaise if it is too dry for your taste.
Add one or more of the optional items.
Serve as a sandwich filler or on a bed of lettuce or greens.

Notes

For an elegant presentation hollow out a large tomato and stuff it with the chicken salad.

Nutrition

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Kathy Owen

Kathy acquired the blog, Recipe Idea Shop in 2024. She was raised on a farm in Arkansas where having a big garden and good food to eat was the norm. She shares recipes for homemade comfort food and new trending dishes.
Kathy began her blogging journey in 2011 when she founded PetticoatJunktion.com, a home décor blog focused on repurposing and upcycling furniture, and thrift store finds.