This Easy Chicken Salad Recipe is a classic recipe made with shredded chicken, red grapes, green onions, celery, pecans and mayo. Add a little twist to the basic chicken salad sandwich with the addition of some lemon zest, juice and a few poppyseeds. Chicken salad sandwiches are perfect for parties, a quick lunch or even dinner.

buttery croissant stuffed with chicken salad with red grapes on top op green leafy lettuce

Chicken Salad Sandwich

The ultimate chicken salad sandwich is made with simple ingredients and can be made last minute if needed. We are crazy about this easy chicken salad recipe, we love to serve this with simple side dishes like a fruit salad or even a loaded pasta salad.

creamy chicken salad with red grapes, celery, green onions and pecans in a glass mixing bowl.

Chicken Salad Ingredients

This chicken salad recipe can be made in just a few minutes with ingredients you most likely already have in your home. This recipe uses the basic chicken salad ingredients, plus a few that we have added to our favorite recipe to make it just a little better.

To make this chicken salad recipe you will need:

shredded chicken– you can use leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken or easily cook up some chicken breasts. I like to boil my chicken for about 20 minutes, allow it cool and then it will easily shred. Canned chicken can be used for this recipe, I like to rinse it under water before using, I think it has a funky taste from the can
mayonnaise– this adds a tangy zip to this recipe.
lemon juice and lemon zest– we love the addition of lemon zest to this chicken salad recipe, it adds a lot of delicious flavor

ingredients for chicken salad separated out into smaller glass mixing bowls

red grapes– crisp and so fresh tasting when you bite into one of these grapes in this sandwich
pecans– for a little extra crunch, toast them for extra flavor if desired.
celery– a classic, crunchy ingredient for chicken salad sandwiches
green onions– just the green part for this recipe
poppyseeds– the flavor of poppyseeds in this chicken salad recipe is not overpowering, looks pretty and adds another layer of crunch.

For a full list of ingredients and specific amounts, head to the recipe card.

shredded chicken topped with mayonnaise, salt, pepper and poppyseeds all in a glass mixing bowl

How to make Chicken Salad for Sandwiches

Just a few minutes and a few simple steps is all it takes to make a delicious chicken salad sandwich.

Start by combining the shredded chicken, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, black pepper and poppyseeds in a large mixing bowl. Mix them together until they are well combined.

Next, add in the red grapes, sliced celery, green onions and pecans. Gently fold the chicken mixture with these other additions carefully as to not smash the grapes. I like to do this with a large spoon so I can scoop everything up from the bottom of the bowl and bring it up to the top.

shredded chicken salad with red grapes in a glass mixing bowl

Serve immediately or cover with plastic wrap or place in an air tight container and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

What kind of bread is good for Chicken Salad Sandwiches?

We love to eat chicken salad sandwiches on buttery croissants. Some other delicious options are sourdough bread or a hearty multi-grain bread.

Toasting the bread before topping with chicken salad is also so delicious! Another option is to ditch the bread entirely and wrap up in a tortilla or even lettuce leaves.

How to store Chicken Salad

This chicken salad recipe will last for up to 3 days. Be sure to store in an air tight container in the refrigerator to keep fresh.

Chicken salad does not freeze well. If you need to make some preparations far in advance, you can precook and shred the chicken. Then, freeze the chicken for up to 3 months. Place into the refrigerator for 24 hours to thaw before making this chicken salad sandwich.