50+ Easy Chicken Salad Recipes to Beat the Heat

Updated May 26, 2020
Aaron Kirk; Food Styling: Ivy Odom; Prop Styling: Christina Daley

It's hard to top a good chicken salad, especially when summer temps start to rise. They're a great way to use up leftover or rotisserie chicken, meaning you won't have to turn on the stove or oven to get the meal ready. You can go cool, creamy and traditional with just some mayonnaise and pickle relish, or branch out and experiment with different flavors and combinations to find your new favorite chicken salad recipe.

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Greek-Style Chicken Salad

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Kira Corbin

Greek-Style Chicken Salad Recipe

This Greek-style main dish salad features parsley salad topped with homemade chicken salad and pita chips. 

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The Best Chicken Salad Recipe Ever

Credit: Emma Crist; Styling: Emma Crist

The Best Chicken Salad Recipe Ever Recipe

This 20-minute chicken salad is creamy, flavorful, and packed full of healthy veggies and protein-rich chicken. Use store-bought rotisserie chicken to save even more time on busy weekdays.

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Chicken Salad in Lettuce Cups

Credit: Alison Miksch Styling: Kellie Gerber Kelley

Chicken Salad in Lettuce Cups Recipe

Dried tart cherries and sliced green onions are the secret to this flavorful chicken salad. For a low-carb option, serve in lettuce cups as shown here.

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Tarragon Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Missie Neville Crawford

Tarragon Chicken Salad Sandwiches Recipe

Fresh tarragon infuses this picnic-perfect chicken salad with lovely anise notes. However, feel free to separate part of the salad into a bowl before adding the tarragon for a couple of kid-friendlier servings.

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Avocado Chicken Salad

Credit: José Picayo

Avocado Chicken Salad Recipe

Fresh, tasty, and delicious is how this 5-star, avocado chicken salad recipe is commonly described. Even better than Wendy's Southwest Avocado Chicken Salad (seriously), this particular recipe uses vinaigrette instead of mayonnaise but doesn’t lose its creamy texture, thanks to avocado. Salsa and fresh cilantro give this easy chicken salad its south-of-the-border flavors. So, instead of layering over a bed of greens, serve with tortilla chips for scooping and an added crunch. This recipe works for any week day lunch or even for a Cinco de Mayo celebration. 

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Creamy Tarragon Chicken Salad

Credit: José Picayo

Creamy Tarragon Chicken Salad Recipe

A combo of yogurt and mayo gives a traditional chicken salad more zip. We like the richness of white and dark meat, but you can use all one type. Serve with Steamed Sugar Snap Peas.

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Curried Chicken Salad

Curried Chicken Salad Recipe

Spice up a plain chicken salad with curry powder and add grapes for sweetness and chopped walnuts for crunch. Serve the salad in radicchio cups for an elegant presentation.

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Waldorf Chicken Salad

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia Pursell

Waldorf Chicken Salad Recipe

Add chicken and grapes to the classic chopped apple salad to make it a hearty main dish.

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Chicken Salad with Grapes and Pecans

Use both mayonnaise and sour cream to add creaminess to this classic chicken salad. Grapes, pecans and chopped celery all contribute texture, flavor and color to the salad.

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Chicken and Couscous Salad

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Fonda Shaia

Chicken and Couscous Salad Recipe

A great way to use leftover chicken, this 20-minute dinner salad calls for quick-cooking couscous and lots of brightly flavored herbs. Serve it with crackers or over a bed of greens.

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Curried Chicken Salad with Apples and Raisins

Credit: Howard L. Puckett

Curried Chicken Salad with Apples and Raisins Recipe

Using grilled herbed chicken adds extra flavor to chicken salad. This chunky main dish salad features chopped apple, celery and raisins, plus a little kick from the curry.

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Chicken Salad With Grapes and Pecans

Chicken Salad With Grapes and Pecans Recipe

When you need a traditional Southern chicken salad recipe, this is the one to use. It's full of halved grapes and chopped pecans, and the dressing is a creamy blend of mayonnaise and sour cream. Enjoy it on its own, or serve with crackers.

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Chicken Salad with Olive Vinaigrette

Credit: Photography: Karry Hosford

Chicken Salad with Olive Vinaigrette Recipe

Instead of a creamy mayonnaise base, this chicken salad has a citrusy olive oil vinaigrette that you combine with chunks of chicken, kalamata olives, capers, and tender Israeli couscous. It's a great option for picnics or lunch at the office.

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Chicken Salad in Radicchio Cups

Credit: Anna Williams

Chicken Salad in Radicchio Cups Recipe

Combine shredded rotisserie chicken with shredded carrots and sliced scallions, then mix with a light Dijon mustard vinaigrette for a tangy, colorful salad.

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Honey-Chicken Salad

Honey-Chicken Salad Recipe

In addition to chopped celery and toasted pecans, this salad also has sweetened dried cranberries sprinkled into the chicken mixture. The mayonnaise-and-honey dressing is reminiscent of poppy seed dressing.

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Chicken Salad

Chicken Salad Recipe

Add both crunch and color to a chicken salad with chopped red and yellow bell pepper, diced celery, and red onion. Because it's made with shredded chicken, you can easily spoon the salad onto crackers or sliced bread.

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Cha-Cha Chicken Salad

Credit: Beth Dreiling; Styling: Rose Nguyen

Cha-Cha Chicken Salad Recipe

Impress your guests with this creamy chicken salad that's pressed into a mold and inverted onto a cake stand. Press chopped almonds into the side and surround the chicken salad with fresh herbs and fruit for an over-the-top presentation.

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Rosemary Chicken Salad Sandwiches

Credit: Randy Mayor

Rosemary Chicken Salad Sandwiches Recipe

Fresh rosemary and smoked almonds elevate the usual sandwich chicken salad to new heights, yet using rotisserie chicken breast keeps prep quick and simple.

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Fruity, Curried Chicken Salad

Credit: Karry Hosford

Fruity, Curried Chicken Salad Recipe

Swap your usual chicken salad recipe for this spicy-sweet version flavored with fresh fruit, curry powder, and a hint of honey. Serve on a baguette or with whole-grain crackers for a refreshing–and fast–meal.

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Barley Salad with Chicken, Goat Cheese, and Walnuts

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Linda Hirst

Barley Salad with Chicken, Goat Cheese, and Walnuts Recipe

Pearled barley is convenient and relatively quick-cooking; if you want to make this a whole-grain salad, you'll need to choose hulled barley, which takes about an hour to cook.

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Creamy Chicken Salad with Pita Chips

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Kira Corbin

Creamy Chicken Salad with Pita Chips Recipe

Prepare these homemade pita chips and creamy chicken salad for an easy after-school snack. 

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Chicken Salad with Bok Choy, Almonds, and Apricots

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen

Chicken Salad with Bok Choy, Almonds, and Apricots Recipe

Use Chicken and Mushroom Stroganoff chicken to make this fresh main dish salad. 

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Honey-Lemon Chicken Salad

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Amanda Widis

Honey-Lemon Chicken Salad Recipe

This sweet and tangy chicken salad features honey, lemon juice, apple, almonds, red onion, and more.

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Chicken Salad in Lettuce Cups

Credit: Alison Miksch Styling: Kellie Gerber Kelley

Chicken Salad in Lettuce Cups Recipe

Dried tart cherries and sliced green onions are the secret to this flavorful chicken salad. For a low-carb option, serve in lettuce cups as shown here.

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How to Make Chicken-Horseradish Salad

Horseradish takes this humble chicken salad up a couple of spicy notches.

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Chicken and Edamame Couscous Salad

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Chicken and Edamame Couscous Salad Recipe

Dried cranberries complement the sweet and tangy dressing on this salad, while roasted peanuts contribute a nice crunch.

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Creamy Blueberry Chicken Salad

Credit: Randy Mayor; Styling: Lindsey Lower

Creamy Blueberry Chicken Salad Recipe

Red onion and celery add texture to this quick chicken salad. Blueberries have thick skins, so they won't break apart when tossed with the chicken.

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Chicken Salad Melts

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cindy Barr

Chicken Salad Melts Recipe

For a touch more sweetness, substitute halved grapes for the apple. You can also chop the apple and add it to the salad mixture.

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Chicken Salad with Mango and Apple

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps

Chicken Salad with Mango and Apple Recipe

Combine shredded rotisserie chicken with Greek-style yogurt, honey, curry powder, apple, mango, and more to make this tasty chicken salad.

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Curried Chicken and Grape Salad

Credit: Kate Sears; Styling: Susan Vajaranant

Curried Chicken and Grape Salad Recipe

Curried Chicken and Grape Salad makes a hearty one-dish meal, but it's equally as good when spooned onto slices of bread for sandwiches.

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Lemon-Basil Chicken Salad

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Buffy Hargett

Lemon-Basil Chicken Salad Recipe

Baby spinach and sun-dried tomatoes add flavor and color to Lemon-Basil Chicken Salad. Serve this tasty chicken salad on whole grain flatbread.

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Chicken Salad Tarts

Credit: Jennifer Davick; Styling: Lydia Degaris Pursell

Chicken Salad Tarts Recipe

Spoon your favorite store-bought chicken salad into mini phyllo cups and top with basil sprigs, mango slices, and blackberries for what might be the easiest appetizer ever.

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