5.0 from 15 votes
Southern Chicken Salad Recipe
A simple, old fashioned chicken salad recipe that's delicious on its own, and equally good in sandwiches!
Prep Time
15 mins
Additional Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 428 kcal
Course:
Lunch , Dinner
Cuisine:
American
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked, shredded chicken (such as from a rotisserie chicken)
- 1 cup dried sweetened cranberries (such as Craisins), dried cherries, or halved red grapes
- ⅔ cup finely diced celery
- ½ cup sliced almonds (or chopped pecans or walnuts)
- ¾ cup Duke’s mayonnaise, or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon ground mustard
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss together the shredded chicken, cranberries (or grapes or cherries), celery, and almonds.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, lemon juice, ground mustard, onion powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and a dash of pepper.
- Add the mayonnaise mixture to the chicken mixture; stir gently to combine. Gradually add more mayonnaise, if necessary, to reach the desired consistency.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours (or overnight) to allow the flavors to come together.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- White or dark meat: If you like dark meat, it adds great flavor to chicken salad. We like a combination of both white and dark, but you can use whichever you prefer.
- Use the meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken for an easy, flavorful shortcut.
- We prefer shredded chicken rather than diced or chopped chicken. The mayo dressing tends to cling to the shredded chicken a little better.
- How to cook the chicken at home: If you'd rather cook your own chicken instead of using a rotisserie chicken, you'll need about 1 ½ pounds of raw boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. Boil the chicken until cooked through (about 15-18 minutes), and then shred with two forks. Alternatively, you can cook the chicken in a crockpot for 1-2 hours on HIGH, then shred and cool before using in the salad. If you’re shredding a lot of cooked chicken at once, use the paddle attachment on a stand mixer to make the job easy!
- Use a high-quality mayonnaise, since this contributes a lot of flavor to the dish. I prefer Duke's brand.
- Add more or less mayonnaise. The amount of mayonnaise in a chicken salad recipe is truly a matter of personal preference. I like to err on the side of less mayo, so I think this is best with about ¾ cup. If you like a wetter salad, increase the amount to 1 full cup.
Nutrition Information
Serving
1/6 of the recipe
Calories
428kcal
(21%)
Carbohydrates
21g
(7%)
Protein
24g
(48%)
Fat
28g
(43%)
Saturated Fat
4g
(20%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
14g
Monounsaturated Fat
8g
Trans Fat
1g
Cholesterol
71mg
(24%)
Sodium
239mg
(10%)
Potassium
290mg
(8%)
Fiber
2g
(8%)
Sugar
16g
(32%)
Vitamin A
83IU
(2%)
Vitamin C
1mg
(1%)
Calcium
44mg
(4%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 428
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1/6 of the recipe | |
| Calories | 428kcal | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 21g | 7% |
| Protein | 24g | 48% |
| Fat | 28g | 43% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 14g | 82% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 71mg | 24% |
| Sodium | 239mg | 10% |
| Potassium | 290mg | 6% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 16g | 32% |
| Vitamin A | 83IU | 2% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 44mg | 4% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.