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This is seriously and by far THE BEST Chicken Salad Sandwich! Tender chicken with a creamy dressing of mayo, Greek yogurt, and pickle relish, with fresh herbs and seasonings, crunchy celery and pecans all on hearty toasted bread – it doesn’t get much better than this!
These chicken salad sandwiches are picnic perfect. Serve them up with other spring favorites like Best Ever Classic Macaroni Salad, chips and some delicious Texas Sheet Cake for dessert!
THE BEST CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICH RECIPE
I just love a good chicken salad sandwich. Sure there are lots of restaurants that make them, but there’s nothing like fresh homemade. You can make a big batch of the salad and munch on it all week on toasted bread, croissants, in a tortilla wrap or with crackers. It’s great for picnics or potlucks, too. Whip up a big batch and load up some mini croissants or sandwiches cut into quarters.
The best chicken salad sandwich starts of course with the filling. There are a lot of ways you can make chicken salad, but I love mine savory and with fresh herbs and some pecans for crunch. So good!
WHAT KIND OF CHICKEN IS BEST FOR A CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICH?
- You’ve got to start with tender, juicy chicken breast. You can get this by cooking it yourself using my foolproof shredded chicken recipe, or pluck the meat off of a store bought rotisserie chicken. Either way is fine.
- If you don’t have cooked chicken on hand, you could also simply boil the chicken breasts for 20-30 minutes or until fully cooked. Be careful not to overcook your chicken or it be dry and stringy.
- Another option would be to use leftover chicken that you may have from dinner the night before. My Baked Chicken Breasts are excellent in chicken salad!
- Chop the chicken breast into bite sized pieces or shred into small chunks.
HOW TO MAKE THE DRESSING FOR A CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICH
Next up is the dressing. This chicken salad sandwich recipe calls for both mayo and plain Greek yogurt, but you could use all mayo or all Greek yogurt, or substitute sour cream for the Greek yogurt. The mayo adds a real creaminess and I recommend using it if you don’t mind it.
- To make the dressing, combine the mayo and Greek yogurt with dijon mustard, pickle relish, fresh minced parsley (dried will work in a pinch), paprika and garlic powder.
- Stir in sliced green onions, diced celery, chopped chicken and pecans.
- Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking. If it’s too dry for you, add a little more mayo or yogurt.
CUSTOMIZE YOUR CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICH
The best part of making your own chicken salad sandwiches at home is that everyone can get exactly what they want.
- Add fresh grapes or diced apples, dried cranberries or cherries for a sweet version. (Omit the pickle relish for this).
- For a more tangy salad, add more fresh lemon juice and throw in some lemon zest as well.
- Use all plain Greek yogurt for a healthier version.
- Swap out the pecans for your favorite nuts – walnuts, almonds or even sunflower seeds.
- Toss in some more veggies like shredded carrots or zucchini.
- Add hard boiled eggs for added protein.
More chicken recipes you’ll love:
- Shredded Chicken Parmesan Sandwich
- Chicken and Broccoli Stuffed Shells
- Instant Pot Chicken Pasta
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos
- Easy Chicken Minestrone Soup
- Buffalo Chicken Nachos
Chicken Salad Sandwich
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayo more or less to taste
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt can sub sour cream or more mayo
- 2 tablespoons pickle relish
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup diced celery
- 3 thinly sliced green onions
- 3 cups shredded chicken
- ¼ cup chopped pecans can sub walnuts or almonds
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Whole grain wheat bread or your favorite bread
- Lettuce and tomato if desired
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine mayo, plain Greek yogurt, mustard, pickle relish, parsley, paprika and garlic powder.
- Stir in shredded chicken, celery, nuts and green onions. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Toast your bread. Spread a thin layer of mayo on each slice (optional), then top one slice with lettuce(also optional). Scoop a generous helping of chicken salad on top of the lettuce and top with the other slice of toasted bread. Secure with toothpicks and cut sandwiches in half with a sharp knife.
- Serve immediately, or wrap sandwiches in foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to four hours.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of "Yellow Bliss Road" is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
One of my favorites.
Thanks Rebecca!
Hi
You mentioned lemon juice in the instructions, but don’t have it listed in the ingredient’s list.
I ended up swapping out the lemon for pickle relish in my recipe, but neglected to remove it in the printed version.