One of my fondest food memories from growing up might be the way my grandparents tricked my cousins and me into eating heaps of chicken salad (which we would otherwise carefully avoid) by tucking it into soft, buttery Costco croissants and calling it a chicken sandwich. Was it a lie? Sort of, but also not really, and knowing what I know now about how difficult it can be to feed the picky eaters among us, I think it was a genius move.
Nowadays I enjoy chicken salad whether or not it’s spooned into a croissant. In fact, I enjoy many different kinds of chicken salads, from the creamy classic with mayo and apple (or grapes) that reminds me of my childhood to ones tossed with chili crisp and cucumber and of course the beloved chicken Caesar and Cobb.
So in honor of my personal love (that admittedly was not at first sight), and one that I know many others share, I’ve gathered the best of the wide variety of chicken salads. From creamy ones to stick between bread or pile into lettuce cups to green salads featuring chicken, there are multiples to put on your to-cook list.
Simply Recipes / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
Get Recipe: Fall In Love With This Easy Marry Me Chicken Salad
“You can substitute half of the mayo for yogurt for a lighter version of this salad.”—Marianne Williams, Recipe Tester and Developer
Simply Recipes / Shilpa Iyer
Get Recipe: Banh Mi Salad
“While there are a few components to this salad, there are just as many make-ahead opportunities. The dồ chua can be made a days or even weeks before. The chicken can also be marinated for as little as 15 minutes or as long as overnight, giving you added flexibility. And if you really want to get ahead, you can even make the dressing the day before, too.”—Sheela Prakash, Recipe Developer
Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek
Get Recipe: The 30-Minute Greek-Inspired Dinner I’m Making All Summer Long
“If it’s grilling season, I recommend grilling the chicken, but you can absolutely make the chicken indoors instead. Pan-sear or bake the marinated chicken until it’s lightly golden brown on the outside and fully cooked (at least 165ºF on an instant-read thermometer) on the inside.”—Rebecca Fennel, Recipe Developer
Simply Recipes / Sheela Prakash
Get Recipe: The 4-Ingredient Chicken Salad I Can’t Stop Eating
“Conventional chicken salad is generally not something I veer towards. I find most versions unnecessarily heavy and not all that flavorful. This iteration is anything but boring thanks to savory, spicy chili crunch. I mix it with enough mayo to provide creamy richness but not so much to take this chicken salad into goopy territory.”—Sheela Prakash, Recipe Developer
Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
Get Recipe: Chow Mein Noodle Chicken Salad
“This is not a traditional Chinese dish, but rather an American salad that uses some traditional Asian ingredients in the dressing plus chow mein noodles to give the salad some great crunch.”—Elise Bauer, Founder
Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas
Get Recipe: Cobb Salad
“Cobb salad is the quintessential American salad, first pulled together on a whim by Robert Cobb of the former Los Angeles landmark Brown Derby restaurant in 1937.”—Elise
Simply Recipes / Sara Haas, RDN
Get Recipe: Sheet Pan Chicken Caesar Salad
” If you can’t find chicken cutlets at your store, buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cut them in half horizontally to make two thin filets. That’s essentially what the butcher or producer did to make the cutlets you buy at the store. There’s a bit of an up-charge for that service, but if time is money for you, then buy the cutlets.”—Sara Haas, Recipe Developer
Simply Recipes / Annika Panikker
Get Recipe: Tarragon Chicken Salad
“Tarragon is an aromatic green herb that’s in the sunflower family. It has aromas and flavors of licorice, eucalyptus, vanilla, and pepper. The flavors of fresh tarragon become concentrated in the dried herb so you shouldn’t substitute them 1:1 in a recipe. When substituting dried for fresh, use a 1:3 ratio. Use 1 teaspoon of dried tarragon if the recipe calls for 1 tablespoon fresh.”—Elise
Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
Get Recipe: Un-Cobb Salad
“Instead of bacon, eggs, and tomato, this salad includes mango, apple slices, and dried cranberries. It also has strawberries and supremed orange segments.”—Elise
Simply Recipes / Kris Osborne
Get Recipe: The 2-Ingredient Chicken Salad I Can’t Stop Making
“This chicken salad comes together in about five minutes flat, requires zero cooking skills, and tastes much fancier than it is. It’s the ultimate lazy lunch hack that doesn’t taste lazy at all.”—Kris Osborne, Recipe Developer
Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
Get Recipe: Avocado Chicken Salad
“The concept is simple—a quick, basic chicken salad that uses mashed avocado as a binder instead of the more traditional mayonnaise.”—Elise
Simply Recipes / Coco Morante
Get Recipe: The 4-Ingredient Chicken Salad I Can’t Stop Making
“My favorite way to enjoy this chicken salad is on crackers and cucumber rounds for a snacky lunch. Water crackers, rice crackers, or shrimp chips are all tasty pairings. You can also make a chicken salad sandwich, layered with tomato and lettuce.”—Coco Morante, Recipe Developer
Simply Recipes / Kat Lieu
Get Recipe: I Can’t Stop Making Dolly Parton’s 5-Minute Chicken Salad
“To make Dolly Parton’s famous pecan chicken salad, it’s best to have cooked chicken breast ready, or use a store-bought bag of cooked chicken. The pre-seasoned store-bought version is great because it’s not as bland as plain boiled chicken breast.”—Kat Lieu, Recipe Developer
Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
Get Recipe: Classic Chicken Salad
“We poach boneless skinless chicken breasts in salted water for this salad. You could also use any leftover cooked chicken meat, with or without the skin.”—Elise
Simply Recipes / Shilpa Iyer
Get Recipe: The 4-Ingredient Chicken Salad I Make Once a Week
“Often, you’ll see curry chicken salad with additional bells and whistles—I’m talking diced celery and red onion, golden raisins, halved grapes, chopped nuts, and fresh herbs. Any one of those add-ons would be welcome at my chicken salad picnic, so feel free to use what you have on hand to make this recipe your own.”—Stephanie A. Ganz, Recipe Developer
Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer
Get Recipe: Cajun Chicken Salad
“I love the spicy kick that the Cajun seasoning brings to the salad. It makes for great leftovers and works well on lettuce or in a sandwich.”—Elise
Simply Recipes / Sara Haas
Get Recipe: California Chicken Salad
“I love this salad on soft whole-grain bread or sourdough with lettuce or sprouts, but it’s also delicious stuffed inside a pita. It can be served on a bed of greens or inside lettuce cups, too.”—Sara Haas, Recipe Developer
Simply Recipes / Lauren Bair
Get Recipe: I’m Making Kardea Brown’s 10-Minute Chicken Salad From Now On—It’s That Good
“The sandwiches are gently kicky, totally satisfying, and a little bougie thanks to the soft, buttery croissant. I love how this salad packs up easily for a beach picnic or turns into a dip with some veg, so I’ll be making this recipe all summer long.”—Lauren Bair, Recipe Developer
Read the original article on SIMPLYRECIPES
