Name: Classic Chicken Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 3 cups finely chopped cooked chicken ((I use rotisserie chicken - Costco baby!)); 3/4 cup mayonnaise; 1/3 cup diced celery; 2 tablespoons minced fresh Italian parsley leaves; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon fine ground sea salt, (or to taste); 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, (or to taste); 12 slices sturdy sliced bread, (like sourdough or whole-grain bread); leafy greens; sliced tomatoes; thinly sliced red onion; pickles

30 30 Minute Meals

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Tender bites of chicken are tossed in a simply seasoned, creamy dressing with bits of crunchy celery in this Classic Chicken Salad recipe.

I crave Chicken Salad Sandwiches on a regular basis. It’s such a familiar, nostalgic flavor for me that it’s my go-to when I need a little soothing during a busy week. I’m talking old-school, Classic Chicken Salad with no fancy add-ins.

It’s a happy day when I have a batch of it in my fridge at lunch time and it’s spot-on perfect when I’ve got a ton going on and need a simple choice for dinner.

Last night after a long, mind-numbing day of working on taxes (ugh!) I mixed up a batch of this easy Chicken Salad for sandwiches and a pot of my Broccoli Cheese Soup and I had satisfying, delicious meal on the table in under 45 minutes. If you skip the soup you can whip this recipe up in a mere 10 minutes!

Sometimes I’m in the mood for a less traditional variety like my Crunchy Sweet Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Cranberry Almond Poppy Seed Chicken Salad, or Pesto Chicken Salad. But, most often this Classic Chicken Salad is the one I make to hit that spot!

It’s perfect in it’s simplicity.

The Ingredient List

Cooked, chopped chicken (I use rotisserie chicken)
Mayonnaise
Celery
Onion powder
Fresh lemon juice
Fresh parsley
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

This is one more recipe to add to your rotisserie chicken recipe collection. Instead of shredding the meat, I like to pull it off the bone in chunks and then chop it for a slightly different consistency to this Chicken Salad then you would get with shredded meat. It’s a small difference but that’s how I like it.

You can use your own fully-cooked chicken but the mighty Costco rotisserie chicken makes this recipe so effortless and very economical.

There’s no need to mix the dressing ingredients separately, just throw everything into a big mixing bowl and mix it up.

The dressing is simple but surprisingly flavorful. A touch of onion powder, salt, and pepper are all you need to add with the mayonnaise. A little fresh lemon juice and fresh parsley to brighten it up. If you want to lighten this recipe up quite a bit you can substitute light mayonnaise but I have to say, it’s really tasty with the real stuff.

How to Serve Classic Chicken Salad

When making sandwiches I suggest choosing a sturdy sliced bread like sourdough or a whole grain sandwich bread. Load up your sandwiches with the toppings you love – lettuce, tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion and my life is not complete without a couple of bread and butter pickles.

Or skip the bread altogether and mound this Chicken Salad on leafy greens with lots of fresh veggies for a wholesome meal.

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