Chicken Salad Sandwich · Classic
Classic Creamy Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Tender chicken in a light, lemony dressing with crunchy celery and fresh herbs. Start with a rotisserie chicken and lunch for the week is ready in 15 minutes.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Serves
- 4 sandwiches
- Level
- Easy
Ingredients
- Chicken salad
- 3 cups cooked chicken, chopped or shredded, from 1 rotisserie chicken
- ½ cup mayonnaise ≈ 110 g
Swaps for mayonnaise
Instead of mayonnaise
- Plain Greek yogurt: The same amount. Tangier and lighter; a bit looser.
- Egg-free (vegan) mayo: The same amount. Very close.
- Sour cream: The same amount. Tangier and less rich.
Cooking for an allergy? Check every label.
- 2 tbsp plain Greek yogurt or more mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Swaps for lemon juice
Instead of lemon juice
- Lime juice: The same amount. A different, more floral aroma; works almost everywhere.
- Bottled lemon juice: The same amount. More sour and flatter; fine in cooking and baking, less bright in dressings and drinks.
- White wine vinegar or white vinegar: Half as much. Sharper, with no citrus aroma.
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
Swaps for Dijon mustard
Instead of mustard
- Another prepared mustard: The same amount. Yellow is milder and more vinegary; Dijon is sharper; whole-grain adds texture; spicy brown is in between.
- Dry mustard: 1 tsp dry mustard + 1 tsp water + 1 tsp white wine vinegar for each 1 tbsp. Sharper and less smooth.
- 2 celery ribs, finely diced
- 2 tbsp red onion, finely minced
Swaps for red onion
Instead of onion
- Another onion: The same amount. Yellow is the all-rounder; white is sharper and crisper; red is milder raw and adds color; sweet onions are mildest.
- Shallots: The same amount, chopped. Milder and sweeter, with a hint of garlic.
- Leeks: About 1½ times as much, white and light green parts. Milder and softer when cooked.
- 2 tbsp fresh dill or parsley, chopped
- ½ cup red grapes, halved (optional)
- ½ tsp kosher salt
Swaps for kosher salt
Instead of salt
- Table salt or fine sea salt: About half as much as Diamond Crystal kosher, about ¾ as much as Morton kosher. The same saltiness when measured this way.
- Salt by weight: 1 tsp is about 6 grams of table salt, 5 grams of Morton kosher, 3 grams of Diamond Crystal kosher. The most reliable way to swap, especially in baking and brines.
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Sandwiches
- 8 slices bread, or 4 croissants
- 4 lettuce leaves
Cooking for a crowd? Pans, timing and salt for 12 to 50.
Missing something? Tap Swaps next to an ingredient, or see all substitutions.
Steps
Kid helper. A child can do steps 2, 4 and 5: no knife, no heat. Steps marked “Grown-up” use a knife or raw meat or fish. Everyone washes hands after touching raw meat or fish. Cooking with kids
- Pull the meat from the rotisserie chicken, discarding skin and bones, andGrown-up: knife, raw meat or fishit into bite-size pieces. Measure 3 cups.
chop (how to chop)
Chop Cut food into bite-size pieces that don't have to match exactly. 1. Cut a flat side on round food and lay it on that side so it can't roll.2. Slice the food into strips about as wide as the pieces you want.3. Turn the strips and cut across them.4. Rock the knife over any big pieces until they are about the same size. Done when: The pieces are close enough in size to cook in the same time, about ½ inch unless the recipe says otherwise. Safety: Keep the fingertips of your guiding hand curled under, knuckles toward the blade, and set the board on a damp towel so it can't slide.How to chop vegetables and herbs: mistakes to avoid - In a large bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, yogurt, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper.Kid step
- Add the chicken, celery, onion, herbs and grapes and fold until everything is evenly coated.Grown-up: raw meat or fish
- Taste and add more salt, pepper or lemon as you like. Chill 30 minutes if you have time; the flavors blend as it sits.⏱ Chill (optional): 30 minKid step
- Pile onto bread with lettuce and serve.Kid step
Tap an underlined word for how to do it, or see all techniques.
Tips
- Leftover roast chicken, or chicken breasts poached to 165°F and cooled, work just as well.
- Keep chicken salad cold. Don't leave it out more than 2 hours, or 1 hour on a hot day.
Storage
Refrigerate in a covered container up to 3 days. Assemble sandwiches just before eating so the bread stays fresh.
Make ahead
Make the chicken salad up to 2 days ahead.
How long leftovers keep, and freezing and reheating: leftovers and storage. In season: lettuce (April to June and September to October).
Quick answers
- Can I make it ahead?
Make the chicken salad up to 2 days ahead.
- What can I swap?
- Instead of mayonnaise: Plain Greek yogurt, the same amount.
- Instead of lemon juice: Lime juice, the same amount.
Leftover roast chicken, or chicken breasts poached to 165°F and cooled, work just as well.
Answered from this recipe's own storage, make-ahead and swap notes.
Estimated nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 2,340 kJ
- Protein
- 37 g
- Carbohydrates
- 31 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugars
- 5 g
- Fat
- 31 g
- Saturated fat
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 800 mg
Whole recipe, 4 servings: about 2,230 calories.
Estimate from USDA FoodData Central; not medical or dietary advice. Based on 12 of 12 ingredients.
How we estimate
We add up USDA FoodData Central values for each measured ingredient as written and divide by the recipe's 4 servings, so changing the servings or units here doesn't change a serving. Brands, swaps, trimming and cooking all change the real numbers.
Not counted: red grapes (optional).
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Gear for this recipe
- See price on Amazon: Nesting mixing bowls (opens Amazon)
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- See price on Amazon: Large cutting board (opens Amazon)
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Cleanup score 5/5 (very easy cleanup): 1 thing to wash, mixing bowl.
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