My family has been making this classic chicken salad recipe from canned chicken breasts for many years. We love it so much that we plant a garden every year to grow cucumbers. Then, with those fresh cucumbers we make our own sweet relish and can it up for the next year. Of course, your local supermarket will have a great selection of sweet relishes or dill relishes.
This tasty chicken salad can be made either keto friendly or non keto friendly. Simply exchange the sweet relish with dill relish and leave out the grapes. But, it is a good basic recipe to start with and add your favorite seasonings, fruit or nuts.
What is in chicken salad? (scroll down for printable recipe card)
This easy chicken salad recipe calls for simple ingredients that you can purchase at your local grocery store.
- canned chicken breasts
- mayo or miracle whips
- sweet relish or dill pickle relish
- pecans
- red grapes
- salt and black pepper, I add very little salt to my recipe
- crisp celery (optional) I am not crazy about the celery or the onion, so I leave these two items out of my recipe. But, I do give you the measurements just in case you want to add either one of these to your chicken salad.
- onion (optional)
What else can I add to chicken salad?
For some extra flavor in your chicken salad you can add different seasonings, fruits or nuts. So, here are some optional ingredients to this great creamy chicken salad recipe.
- instead of mayo you can add sour cream or plain greek yogurt
- cranberries
- instead of pecans you can add walnuts
- red onion
- green onions
- fresh herbs
- red pepper flakes
- onion powder
- garlic powder
- lemon juice
How do I make my favorite chicken salad recipe? (scroll down for printable recipe card)
- Take your canned chicken breasts and drain off all of the chicken broth (Be sure to freeze this broth for recipes in the future)
- Add your drained chicken breasts to a very large bowl
- Take a fork and crumble up all of the chicken breast chunks
- Chop up the pecans, celery and slice the grapes
- Add mayo, relish, chopped pecans, celery, sliced red grapes, salt, and black pepper.
- Combine and chill in the refrigerator.
- Serve within 5 days
How to eat chicken salad?
This is such a simple recipe that can be made several different ways. Plus, it is a great way to meal prep easy lunch ideas.
- chicken salad sandwich on regular bread, mini croissants or keto friendly bread
- chicken salad lettuce wraps
- place a scoop of chicken salad on a bed of lettuce
How to Make 7 Quarts of Delicious Chicken Salad
If you need to make delicious chicken salad for a large gathering, I have the best recipe!
Ingredients
- 8 (12.5 oz) cans of chicken breast (drained)
- 2 stalks of celery (diced)
- 2-3 lbs of red grapes (sliced)
- 3 cups of chopped pecans
- 30 oz jar of mayo
- 1 (12 oz) jar of sweet relish
- salt & black pepper to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Take your canned chicken breasts and drain off all of the chicken broth (Be sure to freeze this broth for recipes in the future)
- Add your drained chicken breasts to a very large bowl
- Take a fork and crumble up all of the chicken breast chunks
- Chop up the pecans, celery and slice the grapes
- Add mayo, relish, chopped pecans, celery, sliced red grapes, salt, and black pepper.
- Combine and chill in the refrigerator.
- Serve within 5 days
Q&A’s
What can I make with canned chicken breast? A simple chicken salad recipe is an easy recipe to make from canned chicken breasts. Plus, you can make a buffalo chicken dip, Southern chicken salad or add it to creamy pasta salads for some extra protein.
Can I eat leftover chicken salad? Yes, you can eat leftover chicken salad. Place the leftovers in an airtight container and place into the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
What can I replace the canned chicken for in chicken salad? If you are not a fan of canned chicken breasts then you can replace the chicken in this recipe with leftover rotisserie chicken, any cooked fresh chicken or leftover instant pot chicken.
Can I leave out my chicken salad at room temperature? It is not a great idea to leave any chicken recipes out at room temperature for very long of a time. The best way is to serve your chicken salad sandwiches quickly within 2 hours of preparing.
How do I make a keto chicken salad? To make this the best chicken salad recipe keto-friendly or low carb friendly you will need to replace the sweet relish with dill relish and leave out the grapes and extra celery to this classic recipe.
What is the difference between a classic chicken salad recipe and egg salad recipes? The only difference between a homemade chicken salad and egg salad is that one consists of chicken and one is make from boiled eggs. The other ingredients are basically the same.
What is the difference between a basic chicken salad recipe and a deli-style tuna salad recipe? The only difference between a simple canned chicken salad recipe and a classic tuna salad is that one is made with chicken and the other is made with tuna. Basically, all of the other basic ingredients are the same.
Can I serve delicious chicken salad at a baby shower? Yes, chicken salad on mini croissants with a side of fruit salad would be the perfect and easy meal to serve at a baby or wedding shower.
Hopefully, this will be your new favorite chicken salad recipe to enjoy for years to come. My family has enjoyed it for so many years and this recipe can be changed in so many ways by adding different fruits or nuts. A lot of times I may have been out of one of the classic ingredients and I would exchange a different one. There is not a right or wrong way to make this recipe, so be creative and enjoy!
Try some of our other recipes!
- Baked Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls with Cilantro Lime Ranch
- Easy Garlic Bread Casserole
- The Easiest Chicken Pot Pies
- Easy Dorito Chicken Casserole
- Savory Brown Sugar Meatloaf
- Caprese Stuffed Chicken Breasts
- Creamy Mozzarella & Tomato Pasta with Italian Chicken
