Pesto adds big flavor to this creamy Pesto Chicken Salad. Layer it on sandwich rolls or tuck it inside wraps for an easy lunch or dinner in 10 minutes!
Store-bought rotisserie chicken is the key to making this quick and easy chicken salad recipe and my Napa Almond Chicken Salad (a big reader favorite!)
The other day I came across a great big container of pesto that I buy from Costco tucked in the back of my fridge. Finding hidden pesto in the fridge is like finding money in a coat pocket. And, I’m not talking spare change – I’m talking about the green stuff. Cha-ching!
One batch of this Pesto Chicken Salad made only a small dent in my giant container, but that’s just fine with me. There’s plenty left for my Chicken Pesto Pasta, Baked Chicken Pesto Parmesan, Chicken Pesto Pizza, and Pesto Green Beans.
Pesto fest!
Table of contents
Easy Pesto Chicken Salad Recipe
Store-bought pesto has long been one of my favorite ways to add big flavor to recipes. When you have an ingredient that is this bold, you really don’t need much more. It’s an easy way to turn simple chicken salad into a creamy, dreamy, flavor-packed meal.
Recipes like this are perfect for busy weeknights and great for meal prep.
Ingredient Notes
- Rotisserie chicken – Costco rotisserie chickens are quite meaty and should yield about 4 cups of shredded chicken, which is more than you need for this recipe. Just package up the remainder, along with the dark meat, and keep it in the fridge for another purpose.
- Mayonnaise – My favorite mayo of the moment is olive oil mayo.
- Yogurt – A little nonfat plain Greek yogurt take the place of some of the mayonnaise to lighten up this recipe.
- Basil pesto – Regular grocery store prices on pesto can be very high. I recommend big box stores, like Costco, for an amazing price.
- Celery and red onion – For flavor and crunch.
- Lemon – Zest and juice from a lemon brighten up the flavors. I always like to use sweet and juicy Meyer lemons, when available.
- Seasoning – A little salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Optional for sandwiches or wraps – Sandwich rolls, tortillas or low-carb wraps, sliced tomato, sliced cheese (love it with Muenster), and peppery baby arugula, baby spinach, or mixed greens.
For the shredded chicken, remove the skin from the breast meat of your rotisserie chicken and pull it off the bone. I find it works best to use my fingers to shred the meat.
How to Make Pesto Chicken Salad
- In a large bowl combine the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, pesto, celery, red onion, lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper.
- Add the shredded chicken and mix until well combined.
- Serve on sandwich rolls or wraps with cheese, sliced tomato, and greens.
Serving Suggestions
- Sandwiches – Pile it on sandwich bread or rolls with muenster cheese, red ripe tomatoes, and arugula. Substitute your favorite sandwich fixings.
- Low-Carb Lunch – Slice an avocado in half and fill each half with a big scoop. Yum.
- Wraps or Pitas – Roll it in tortillas, low-carb wraps, or tuck it in pitas with any add-ins you like – cucumber, olives, pepperoncini, bell pepper. The possibilities are endless.
- Salad – Serve it on a bed of greens with assorted veggies (cherry tomatoes are great), goat cheese and a drizzle of Honey Balsamic Dressing.
- Snack – Scoop it up with crackers for a yummy, late-night snack.
Storage Tips
Store Pesto Chicken Salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh and tasty for up to 3 to 4 days.
More Chicken Salad Recipes
- Classic Chicken Salad
- Napa Almond Chicken Salad (Panera Copycat)
- Crunchy Sweet Chicken Salad
- Curry Chicken Salad
- Cranberry Almond Poppy Seed Chicken Salad
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Pesto Chicken Salad
Ingredients
For the Pesto Chicken Salad
- 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken breast
- ½ cup mayonnaise, regular or light (I use olive oil mayo)
- ¼ cup nonfat plain Greek Yogurt
- 3 tablespoons pesto
- 1 celery rib, diced
- ⅓ cup finely diced red onion
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Optional for Sandwiches or Wraps
- Sandwich rolls
- Tortillas or low-carb wraps
- Tomato, sliced
- Sliced cheese, I used Muenster
- Baby arugula or mixed greens
Instructions
- Remove and discard the skin from the breast portion of the rotisserie chicken. Pull the white breast meat from the chicken to a cutting board and use your hands to shred it. You should have approximately 3 heaping cups of shredded chicken. If there is more, reserve it and the dark meat for another purpose.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, pesto, celery, red onion, lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper. Add the shredded chicken and mix until well combined.
- Serve on sandwich rolls or wraps with cheese, sliced tomato, and greens.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
More Sandwich Recipes
This post was originally published on February 22, 2015. It has been updated with new text and images.
OMG, Costco pesto is SO good!!! Did I start buying it thanks to your (my favorite) costco post? I forgot… but it’s likely… as I always check what you buy there (haha!). Anyway, I make similar sandwiches with the pesto too, but I’ll add greek yogurt next time! Your sandwiches look so yummy!!!
Always on the lookout for new ways to use up the ridiculous amount of meat you get from a Costco bird, this looks great,
I swear, those things are like baby turkeys, I get one, and I’m still making stuff out of it a week later.
Yes! Baby turkeys…definitely. I hope you try this one, RL 🙂
Hey, Val, made this Thursday morning at about 5 am, good thing I had my coffee!
Turned out great, I made salads for me and my wife with a generous dollop of the chicken salad, very zesty!
I didn’t know about the Kirkland pesto, made a special trip to Costco to get a jar of that and a baby turkey, that stuff is AWESOME. I made us a dinner of sauteed shrimp with spaghetti and that most delicious pesto, it will be my go-to from now on. 😀
I’m going to forever think of the Costco roti chickens as “baby turkeys” thanks to you 🙂 Glad to hear you enjoyed the chicken salad. You are a good man to make chicken salad (or anything) at 5am!
I’m a bit of a chicken salad addict- there’s always a batch in the fridge! Your version looks fantastic, I’ll have to try it soon!
Me too, Nora! I love the stuff. I hope you enjoy it 🙂
What a delicious Saturday lunch! I’m making this for my husband this weekend. Thanks!
You are very welcome, Sheryl. Enjoy!
LOVE that hidden jar of pesto! Like finding treasure! These sandwiches look absolutely delicious.
MMMMmmm, those look yummy! Guess I better get my act together and go start some basil on the back porch!