3 Chicken Salad Recipes to Try This Summer

Chefs share savory variations on a satisfying classic

Leslie Quander Wooldridge,

AARP

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Published July 30, 2024

Deli Style, Asian Chicken and Green Mango, and Waldorf Chicken Salad

AARP; (Courtesy Chef Dennis Littley; AARP; StockFood)

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Best Chicken Salad — Deli Style • Waldorf Chicken Salad • Asian Chicken and Green Mango Salad

When the days get hot and long, it’s the perfect time for an easy and light meal. Enter chicken salad, the deli classic that can hit the culinary spot just right when prepared with the right ingredients. And there’s a nice bonus: You can serve it on a sandwich, with salad greens, or as the star of your lunch or dinner plate.

The base of this classic dish, of course, is good chicken — whether it’s leftover or cooked for this purpose. Adding tasty ingredients and spices can bring out decidedly delightful flavors. So check out these recipes from top chefs, who offer classic, elegant and gourmet ways to make this splendid dish that’s just right for summer.

Best Chicken Salad — Deli Style

Chicken salad between two slices of bread on plate

Chef Dennis Littley's Best Chicken Salad

Courtesy Chef Dennis Littley

Recipe by Dennis Littley, creator of the blog askchefdennis.com

Makes 6 servings

Prep time: 15 minutes

Active time: 25 minutes

Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

16 ounces chicken breast, boneless skinless
12 ounces chicken thigh, boneless skinless
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon granulated onion, optional
⅔ cup mayonnaise, more or less as desired
3 stalks celery small dice, more if desired
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Lightly oil the chicken breasts and thighs. Season with sea salt, black pepper and granulated onion, if using. Place in a baking dish and lightly cover with foil. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the temperature in the thickest part of the breast reaches at least 165 degrees. Allow chicken to cool for 10 minutes, then refrigerate for at least one hour. When chicken has chilled, dice the breasts and thighs into pieces about ¼ to ½ inch.

In a large mixing bowl, add the diced chicken, mayonnaise and celery. Mix all the ingredients together well, cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours or overnight. The chicken salad will taste better the next day as all the flavors fully mingle.

Taste and season as needed with salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy.

Waldorf Chicken Salad

Cubed chicken with apples, grapes, nuts, celery and mayonnaise in bowl

Alicia Shevetone's Waldorf Chicken Salad

StockFood

Recipe by Alicia Shevetone, creator of Dink Cuisine (dinkcuisine.com) and author of Italian Cookbook for Two

Makes 2 servings

Prep time: 10 minutes

Active time: 10 minutes

Total time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
½ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup diced apple
⅓ cup diced celery
½ cup halved grapes
¼ cup chopped walnuts or almonds
6 ounces cooked chicken breast, cubed
Butter lettuce or romaine spears, for serving

Directions

In a large bowl, combine sugar, lemon juice, mayonnaise and salt.

Add apple, celery, grapes, walnuts or almonds, and chicken and toss to combine. Serve on butter lettuce or romaine spears.

Asian Chicken and Green Mango Salad

Salad consisting of lettuce, cut up chicken breast, shredded mangoes, tomatoes and carrots in bowl

Chef Dennis Chan's Asian Chicken and Green Mango Salad

AARP

Recipe by Chef Dennis Chan, owner of Blue Bamboo restaurant in Jacksonville, Florida, and author of Hip Asian Comfort Food, and Let’s Eat!

Makes 4 servings

Prep time: 10 minutes

Active time: 5 minutes

Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the dressing:

1 teaspoon garlic
1 red chile, remove veins and seeds if you prefer less heat
¼ cup water
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1½ tablespoon lime
1½ tablespoon sugar

For the salad:

1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup shredded green mango or papaya
⅔ cup carrot, shredded
¼ cup mint or basil leaves
1 cup cooked chicken breast, shredded
¼ cup toasted peanuts
2 tablespoons shredded green onions
Lettuce leaves, for serving

Directions

For the dressing: Puree 1 teaspoon garlic, chile, water, fish sauce, lime and sugar until liquid. Set aside.

Sauté garlic in oil over medium heat until fragrant. Let cool.

Combine mango or papaya, carrot, mint or basil leaves, chicken, peanuts and green onion in a bowl. Add garlic oil and pureed dressing. Toss and serve in lettuce leaves.