Easy Chicken Salad 

By Lidey Heuck

Updated October 20, 2025

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
20 minutes
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
5 minutes
Rating
5(1,188)
Comments
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This simple chicken salad makes great use of leftover chicken, though you can certainly use a rotisserie chicken or roast or boil chicken breasts for this recipe. The recipe calls for classic crunchy mix-ins such as grapes, celery and pecans, but feel free to make it your own: Use a diced tart apple in place of the grapes, or toss in a handful of dried cranberries. Chicken salad gets better as it sits, so make this at least a few hours in advance if you can, or make it on Monday to have on hand for lunches all week long. 

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings 

  • ½ cup mayonnaise (see Tip)

  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard

  • Salt and pepper

  • 3 cups diced cooked chicken breast 

  • ½ cup finely chopped celery (about 1 large stalk)

  • ½ cup seedless grapes, quartered

  • ½ cup toasted pecans, chopped (see Tip)

  • ¼ cup minced red onion (about ¼ small onion)

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

  • Toasted bread, lettuce cups or crackers, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 to 6 servings)

4 grams carbs; 67 milligrams cholesterol; 320 calories; 8 grams monosaturated fat; 11 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 23 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 300 milligrams sodium; 23 grams protein; 3 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper; whisk until smooth. Add the chicken, celery, grapes, pecans, onion and parsley and mix well. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

  2. Step 2

    Serve on toasted bread or lettuce cups, or with crackers. Chicken salad will keep for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Tip

  • For a lighter version, substitute half of the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt. Toast pecans on a baking sheet at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. 

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,188 user ratings
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Comments

DougR

robert, that's the point! This is a great recipe for a basic chicken salad. As the chef suggests you can use this for the base and add other options to your liking. I like tarragon and celery. If you want to make a chicken curry salad just add some curry powder and grapes. So many of us now are afraid to cook.... Start with the basic recipe and add something that you like and think would be good. Walnuts, sliced almonds, dried cranberries, whatever. Just have fun and enjoy.

R Coyne

Can you substitute Greek Yogurt for the mayo to bring down the fat content?

RJ NH

If you omit the mustard and add an apple, this is a great Waldorf salad. Excellent in pita pockets, whole wheat, or in a wrap.

MFrame

Made this for the holiday weekend and it was perfect. For the chicken, I used balsamic chicken breast from Trader Joe's. I use plain non-fat Greek yogurt with the mayo, as suggested. Roasted the pecans, too. Had some leftovers that were even better!

Dave

I used a rotisserie chicken and put the rest together in pretty short time. Proportions for each ingredient hit my palate perfectly. This chicken salad is just right for these HOT Chicago summer days! It will likely be put in sandwiches as our Independence Day main course.

Liam

The toasted pecans add a lot! Dried cranberries are a good substitute for the grapes, a substitute that makes the salad last longer in the fridge.

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