Savory Chicken Salad Quick and Easy

A savory chicken salad is the only chicken salad my family will eat. No fruit, no nuts!

Savory Chicken Salad sandwich on a checkerboard paper plate with a celery garnish.

We are not fans of the typically sweet, fruity, nutty chicken salad. Nor do we like boiled eggs and sweet pickle relish in our chicken salad.

So I’ve always just made my own version. Which we think is the best chicken salad ever!

The crunch in our savory chicken salad comes from celery. If you’re not a celery fan, this chicken salad is not for you.

With that said, I am supremely confident if you give this easy chicken salad recipe a whirl, you won’t be disappointed. Man, it makes a great chicken salad sandwich!

How To Make Chicken Salad Video

How To Make A Savory Chicken Salad

Savory Chicken Salad - cooked chicken in a glass mixing bowl

Debone a whole cooked chicken. Store-bought rotisserie chicken is perfect for this chicken salad.

Or make this Slow Cooker Roasted Chicken. You can also poach or roast a couple of chicken breasts.

Savory Chicken Salad - shredded chicken in a glass mixing bowl

I despise shredding meat. The easiest way I’ve found to shred chicken is with an electric mixer.

Savory Chicken Salad - shredded chicken, celery, mayonnaise, and spices in a glass mixing bowl

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, celery, mayo, black pepper, salt, celery salt, dried dill, and dried parsley.

Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.

Savory Chicken Salad in a croissant on a white and red checked plate

Serve on your favorite sandwich bread, crackers or just a bed of lettuce.

If you’re like us and prefer a less sweet chicken salad you are going to love this great recipe.

This makes a perfect chicken salad sandwich and is a great addition to all of your chicken salad recipes.

Savory Chicken Salad in a croissant on a white and red checked plate

UPDATE: Several readers stated this is too salty.

I just made this with 1/2 teaspoon celery salt and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. When I asked my husband what he thought he said: “It needs salt”.

So start with 1/2 the celery salt and kosher salt called for in the recipe and then adjust to your taste.

Also, this recipe uses kosher salt, not table salt. There is a difference. A teaspoon of flaky kosher salt delivers less salty flavor than a teaspoon of table salt, which is more compact.

More Delicious Recipes

Savory Chicken Salad Recipe

Savory Chicken Salad sandwich on a checkerboard paper plate with a celery garnish.

Savory Chicken Salad Recipe

Savory chicken salad recipe, no nuts, no fruit! The best-tasting chicken salad, ever! Not fruity, sweet or nutty, just loaded with celery crunch.
4.68 from 31 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Salad, Sandwich
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 251kcal
Author: Don’t Sweat The Recipe

Ingredients
 

  • 3 cups chicken, chopped or minced
  • 3/4 cup celery, diced small
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a food processor add a mix of breast and thigh meat, pulse a few times until the meat is chopped fine.
  • Measure 3 cups of chopped chicken into a large bowl. Add the finely chopped celery. If desired add 2 or 3 diced green onions.
  • In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, celery salt, dried dill, dried parsley, kosher salt, and pepper.
  • Pour the dressing over the chicken and celery and stir to combine thoroughly.
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Notes

UPDATE: Several readers stated this is too salty.
I just made this with 1/2 teaspoon celery salt and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. When I asked my husband what he thought he said: “It needs salt”.
So start with 1/2 the celery salt and kosher salt called for in the recipe and then adjust to your taste.
Also, this recipe uses kosher salt, not table salt. There is a difference. A teaspoon of flaky kosher salt delivers less salty flavor than a teaspoon of table salt, which is more compact.
It’s important to refrigerate this chicken salad for at least 1 hour. This allows time for the flavors to combine.
Lighten It Up – Use light mayonnaise to lower the calories and fat. You can use Greek yogurt but it will change the flavor.
Storing – Place it in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Freezing – We do not recommend freezing this chicken salad. The mayo does not fair well in the freezer.

Nutrition

Calories: 251kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 595mg | Potassium: 95mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 119IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg

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50 Comments

  1. Made this recipe last night and missed the comments about it being too salty. Followed the recipe for salt exactly and got rave reviews from my husband and guests! I did use a rotisserie chicken which wasn’t very seasoned and added a little extra mayo. Maybe that helped keep it from tasting too salty? Either way I will be making this version again!5 stars

  2. This is so good! I’m not a big fan of the sweet/fruity chicken salads either. Was looking for something more savory and this seasoning combo was a winner! Hubs loved it too. Definitely going to have to make more chicken salad in the near future.

    (re-posting because I accidentally left my original comment as a reply to another commenter. Hopefully the moderator can clean it up. Lols)5 stars

  3. I just googled chicken salad! I have made many over the years, but decided to see what else might catch my taste buds. Well, yours did! It could not be much simpler and I had just poached two large chicken breast. ( do chickens now get breast augmentation?😊They are huge these days)
    It is now sitting in my fridge and I told “ Alexa “ to remind me in one hour!
    Note: I only cook with Kosher salt, but it now also comes in fine, like table salt and coarse which is what I have always used! It would make a big difference!5 stars

  4. I love this recipe. I don’t use the kosher salt. I just use the celery salt. That is the only change I made based on reading some of the reviews. It was so good last week so I made it again for this week.5 stars

4.68 from 31 votes (15 ratings without comment)

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