Best chicken salad recipe for a crisp, lightly dressed lunch
The best chicken salad recipe depends on the texture you want. This version suits a crisp, lightly dressed sandwich filling: diced cooked chicken, celery and a small amount of relish, rather than a heavily sweetened or fruit-filled salad.
It takes about 15 minutes when the chicken is already cooked and chilled. Poaching or roasting raw chicken requires additional time and a separate cooling step; it is not hidden inside a “no-cook” preparation claim. The quantities serve four as a sandwich filling.
For a milder onion flavor, reduce the onion rather than trying to cover its sharpness with more sugar. For a more savory result, choose dill relish, but expect a different flavor from the stated sweet-relish version.
Cooked chicken is the main safety consideration; changing mayonnaise brands does not make the salad safe to leave warm. Keep below 40 °F (4 °C) and discard perishable portions left out more than 2 hours, or 1 Hour above 90 °F (32 °C).
When serving outdoors, bring out a small bowl at a time and keep the rest in a refrigerator or properly chilled cooler. Do not mix a newly chilled batch into a bowl that has already been sitting out.
Ingredients
Step 1
Use fully cooked chicken that was refrigerated promptly. Remove bones and skin if present, then cut into small pieces of similar size. Wash celery and peel the onion before chopping.
Step 2
Combine mayonnaise, relish, lemon juice and pepper in a bowl. Taste the dressing: relish supplies sweetness and acidity, while mayonnaise already contains salt.
Step 3
Fold chicken, celery and onion into the dressing until evenly coated. Start gently so the chicken keeps some texture. If the mixture seems too dry, add mayonnaise one teaspoon at a time rather than pouring in a large amount.
Step 4
Cover and refrigerate until serving. For sandwiches, fill bread shortly before eating, or pack bread and filling separately to preserve the texture. Bread and salad leaves are optional accompaniments, not included in the quantities.
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