Old-Fashioned Chicken Salad Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. See my privacy policy for details.

Every good cook should have a chicken salad recipe in their back pocket for using up leftover chicken, but not only that, chicken salad is the go-to sandwich salad for every occasion, from a family lunch to a larger gathering. I must admit however that homemade Caesar salad is definitely another firm favorite staple!

Old-Fashioned Chicken Salad Recipe

Of course, there are lots of amazing chicken salad recipes to choose from, but this old fashioned chicken salad recipe is definitely my favorite. It’s been passed down from generation to generation in my family and it’s still as good as it ever was.

The wonderful thing about this chicken salad is that you can easily add slight variations in seasoning and texture to suit your tastes and serve it in any way you’d like depending on the occasion. It’s perfect for adding to a green salad or sandwiches with some homemade mayo to give it that extra kick. I like to serve this with my buttery garlicky homemade croutons for a bit of extra crunch too.

How To Make Chicken Salad  

This recipe really is so easy to put together, it won't take any time at all.

1. Get all of your salad ingredients and place them in a bowl. I find that a medium-sized bowl is a perfect size.
2. Stir the ingredients together. This is super quick and easy, as you can see! After you’ve finished stirring the dressing, add it to the salad ingredients and stir until all of the ingredients are combined. When you’re stirring the dressing don’t forget that you can always adjust the lemon according to taste (it’ll probably be a bit of trial and error ‘til you get it exactly how you like it!).
3. Serve how you wish! There are so many ways to serve this chicken salad – from a simple lettuce leaf wrap to more filling sandwiches or even croissants. Or just serve it by itself!

Old Fashioned Chicken Salad Tips and Tricks

I really love how easy it is to customize this old fashioned chicken salad to your own preferences! Here are a few ideas for you to try out with yours.

• If you’d like a low-carb variation, try serving this old fashioned chicken salad on a bed of salad leaves with some avocado and tomatoes. It’s an easy and delicious alternative to bread or a wrap! The lettuce leaf wrap I mentioned earlier is also a great way to make this a low-carb wrap.
• Take your time with the seasoning and add it bit by bit. Remember, you can always add more but you can’t take it out once it’s there! Add your seasoning little by little and have a taste each time until you get the flavour you love best.
• If you want to add a bit of extra flavor, try adding some mustard to the mayonnaise!
• Add some sweet fruity goodness with a few red grapes quartered or halved.
• For some extra crunch, add some chopped-up toasted pecans to finish.
• Use rotisserie chicken for the BEST flavor – and a super easy cheat!

• More Sandwich Recipes

  I love a good sandwich! Try my:

  • Italian sub
  • Meatball sub
  • Reuben sandwich
  • Tuna melt

More Chicken Recipes

Whether you want something a bit more filling or need to use up some leftovers, here are a few more chicken recipes I love!

• Cashew Chicken Stir Fry
• Olive Oil Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary
• How To Make Chicken Marsala
• Greek Yogurt Cheesy Bacon Ranch Artichoke Chicken

Thanks to ads on this website, readers of The Kitchen Magpie are now sponsoring 2 families a month through the Edmonton Food Bank. Learn how you can help here.

Learn to cook like the Kitchen Magpie

Flapper Pie and a Blue Prairie Sky

A Modern Baker’s Guide to Old-Fashioned Desserts

Learn More

The Prairie Table

Suppers, Potlucks & Socials: Crowd-Pleasing Recipes to Bring People Together

Learn More

Subscribe to The Kitchen Magpie on YouTube

One click and you'll get notified of new videos added to our YouTube account!

Old-Fashioned Chicken Salad Recipe

This classic Old-Fashioned Chicken Salad Recipe is the best way to use up leftover chicken!

5 from 32 votes

Review Save RecipePrint

Prep Time

10 minutes

Total Time

10 minutes

Course

Dinner

Cuisine

American

Servings

6

Calories

167

Author

Karlynn Johnston

Ingredients

 

Salad Ingredients

• ▢ 3 cups cooked chicken chopped
• ▢ 3/4 cup chopped celery
• ▢ 1/4 cup finely chopped onion

Dressing Ingredients

• ▢ 1/2 cup mayonnaise to taste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice this is to taste
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon celery salt
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

 

• Place the salad ingredients into a medium sized bowl.
• Stir together the dressing ingredients in a bowl, adjusting the lemon to taste. Add to the salad ingredients and gently stir them until the ingredients are well combined.
• Use in lettuce leaf wraps, in sandwiches or just by itself!

Recipe Notes

Optional ingredients:

1. diced apples
2. diced hard boiled eggs
3. sliced grapes 

 

Use light mayo to keep the fat and calories down.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 167kcal, Carbohydrates: 3g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 55mg, Sodium: 493mg, Potassium: 203mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 139IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 13mg, Iron: 1mg

All calories and info are based on a third party calculator and are only an estimate. Actual nutritional info will vary with brands used, your measuring methods, portion sizes and more.

Made this recipe?

Share a photo of what you made on Instagram or Facebook and tag me @thekitchenmagpie or hashtag it #thekitchenmagpie.

Please rate this recipe in the comments below to help out your fellow cooks!