Hi, friends. One thing you might or might not know about me is that I freaking love a rotisserie chicken. I’m always picking them up at the grocery store, bound for luynch sandwiches and salads or carved up for a quick dinner alongside frozen fries and a bagged Caesar salad kit.
But my favorite thing to do with a rotisserie chicken? Make chicken salad.
I don’t think I understood the beauty of chicken salad until recent years. I thought of them as too heavy with mayo, too lacking in texture, too… chicken-y, tbh. Growing up my mom would make them simply, with onion and celery and pickles, seasoned with salt and pepper and maybe celery salt and served between slices of soft white bread.
They were good — but I didn’t begin to love chicken salad until I realized it could be so much more than that.
My ideal version is — no surprise — quite zhuzhed up. There’s celery and mayo, just like mom’s, but there’s also tons of herbs, lots of acid to wake everything up, and enough fresh ingredients that it feels like something you’d actually crave on a hot summer afternoon (and not just a way to use up leftover chicken).
I add Greek yogurt to the mayo for tang and lightness, apples for a little sweetness, and two different mustards because, well, life’s short. It’s fresh and bright and crunchy and exactly the type of thing I’d happily throw together between meetings on a Wednesday or on a leisurely Saturday afternoon, chilled glass of crispy white on the side.
You can sandwich it between sourdough, tuck it in lettuce cups, scoop it up with crackers, and easily pack it up for beach lunches and picnics and summer road trips galore. My favorite way to enjoy it is to pile it on a thick slice of bread that’s lightly fried in olive oil — the golden crunch of the bread with the creamy salad is to die for — but I am equally happy serving it alongside Ritz crackers and some pickles for a much easier and more low-key snack plate.
Recipe note: This recipe was originally developed in partnership with Bread & Butter Wines, a longtime brand partner that I genuinely love working with. Their Pinot Grigio is a perfect pairing here — the bright citrus notes and crisp acidity are perfect with the fresh herbs and lemony chicken salad.
Serves: 6
Ready in: 20 minutes (all prep/chopping — no cooking required!)
Meat from 2 rotisserie chicken breasts (about 3–4 cups shredded or chopped)
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 crisp apple (I’ve been liking cosmic crisp), diced small
⅓ cup sliced toasted almonds
2 tbsp grainy mustard
¼ cup mayonnaise
⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
Zest of 1 lemon
2–3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
¼ cup finely chopped dill
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
2 tbsp finely chopped chives
Salt and pepper
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, celery, apple, almonds, dill, parsley, and chives. Add the grainy mustard, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, lemon zest, 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, kosher salt, and a few generous cracks of black pepper. Toss until everything is evenly coated. Taste and adjust with more lemon juice, salt, and pepper as needed.
Serve immediately, or refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving if you have the time — the flavors only get better as they mingle.
Leftovers: Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
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