The Ultimate Southern Chicken Salad Recipe
The Ultimate Southern Chicken Salad Recipe – Our homemade chicken salad recipe is easy to make and loaded with celery, apples, relish, and almonds. Enjoy this classic Southern staple on sandwiches, in salads, or scooped with crackers!
Why We Love This Southern Chicken Salad Recipe
I love chicken salad, especially on a hot spring or summer day. There’s nothing more refreshing and filling than a creamy, chunky homemade version. I can’t resist trying different takes on this classic dish, whether it includes walnuts, grapes, or Greek yogurt.
After many trials and feedback from family and friends, I’ve perfected The Ultimate Southern Chicken Salad. It strikes the right balance of mayonnaise and Dijon mustard, with a great mix of textures from fruits, veggies, and toasted almonds. Savory, slightly sweet, and crunchy—it’s just perfect!
This chicken salad is a must-have in any cook’s recipe collection. If you don’t have a signature version, this one is a great choice!
What makes it Southern? While most chicken salads share a mayo and chicken base, this recipe shines with fresh produce, herbs, and big flavors. The blend of chicken, celery, apples, sweet pickle relish, almonds, scallions, and dill makes it stand out. It’s great for sandwiches, topping salads, or as a dip with crackers or veggies.
Perfect for your next picnic or potluck!
Ingredients You Need
- Rotisserie chicken – store-bought or homemade roast chicken (Chicken Breasts are also an option)
- Mayonnaise – you can also use Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Celery – chopped
- Apple – diced
- Sweet pickle relish – or dill relish if you want a different flavor
- Almonds – freshly toasted nuts (or try with pecans)
- Scallion Onions – chopped green onions
- Dijon mustard – yellow mustard can also be used, but it will have a milder flavor
- Fresh dill – chopped (fresh herbs are the best)
- Salt and pepper – to taste
How to Make Southern Chicken Salad
- First, toast the almonds to provide just the right smokiness and crunch. Place the almonds in a small dry skillet and set over medium heat. Toss and brown for about 3-5 minutes, until golden. Take the skillet off of the heat and set it aside to cool.
- Next, remove the skin from the rotisserie chicken and pull the cooked meat off the bones. Discard the skin and bones. Place all of the chicken meat on a cutting board and roughly chop.
- Place the chopped chicken in a large bowl. Then add the mayonnaise, chopped celery, diced apple, sweet pickle relish, toasted almonds, diced scallions, Dijon mustard, and chopped fresh dill. Note: If you are not sure how creamy you want your chicken salad, add only 1 ¼ cup of mayonnaise at first. You can always add more if desired.
- Lastly, stir well to evenly mix all of the ingredients together. Taste, then salt and pepper as needed.
- Cover and chill until you are ready to serve. The flavors get even better as the ingredients all sit together and become cold.
Get the Complete (Printable) Ultimate Southern Easy Chicken Salad Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- Fruit – Swap the apple for grapes or add both for a sweet and tangy kick.
- Nuts – Use pecans or walnuts instead of almonds for a different nutty flavor.
- Greek yogurt – Replace some of the mayo with Greek yogurt for a lighter, tangier version.
- Herbs – Add fresh parsley, tarragon, or thyme along with or instead of the dill for a new herby twist.
- Spicy – Mix in a dash of hot sauce or finely chopped jalapeños for some heat.
- Cranberry – Add dried cranberries for a sweet and tart contrast.
- Avocado – Incorporate diced avocado for a creamy texture and added richness.
- Smoky – Toss in some smoked paprika or chipotle powder for a smoky depth of flavor.
- Curry – Add 1–2 teaspoons of curry powder for a spiced-up version with a unique flavor profile.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this delicious chicken salad on its own, garnished with extra toasted almonds and fresh dill for a pop of color and flavor. You can also add a dash of black pepper or a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten things up.
This chicken salad is perfect for stuffing into a buttery croissant or piled high on a toasted sandwich bun. It also works great as a topping for a fresh green salad or served with crispy crackers, sliced cucumbers, or veggies for dipping. For a lighter option, scoop it into lettuce wraps for a refreshing twist!
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use low-calorie, paleo, or keto-friendly mayonnaise to make a lighter version of this recipe.
Homemade chicken salad will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container. Prep this recipe beforehand for meal prepping for chicken salad sandwiches.
Looking for More Classic Southern Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
- Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe (Oven Fried!)
- Best Ever Potato Salad
- Perky Pimento Cheese
- Buffalo Cowboy Caviar
- Crock Pot Brisket Sandwiches (Texas BBQ Beef)
- Southern Tomato Pie Recipe
- Oven Baked “Fried” Pickles with Garlic Sauce
Get the Complete (Printable) Ultimate Southern Easy Chicken Salad Recipe Below. Enjoy!
The Ultimate Southern Chicken Salad Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 whole rotisserie chicken, about 5 cups chopped chicken
- 1 ¼ – 1 ½ cups mayonnaise
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup diced apple, a firm variety
- ½ cup sweet pickle relish
- ½ cup toasted almonds
- ½ cup chopped scallions
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place the almonds in a small dry skillet. Set over medium heat. Toss and brown for 3-5 minutes, until golden. Turn off the heat. Meanwhile, chop all the procduce.
- Remove the skin from the chicken and pull the cooked meat off the bones. Place all the chicken meat on a cutting board and roughly chop. Discard the skin and bones.
- Set out a large mixing bowl. Place the chicken in the bowl. Then add the mayonnaise, celery, diced apple, sweet pickle relish, toasted almonds, scallions, Dijon mustard, and dill.
- Stir well to evenly mix all the ingredients. Taste, then salt and pepper as needed.
- Cover and chill until ready to serve. (Chicken salad always tastes better after it has time to rest and chill. If possible, make a day ahead.)
If made a day in advance is there any issues with apples browning? Are granny smith too tart, maybe fuji is better?
Hi Denise!
No, the apples will be well coated with dressing, so they will be just fine. I like to select a tangy-sweet apple, so Fujis are a great choice. :)
Oh wow, this recipe for chicken salad is so good, so solid. Even if you have to tweak the recipe a tad (didn’t have everything on hand), the result is delicious! My tweaks were as follows: no apples, no almonds. Added a TBL of half-n-half (cuts the mayo flavor, makes it creamy), 1/4 slice of lemon squeezed, dried dill, and 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley. So darn good!
My husband is a big fan of chicken. I cook chicken dishes every week so I need many different chicken recipe ideas. Yesterday, I found this chicken salad recipe and decided to make it. I just wanna say: “Wowww!”. The taste was really really incredible. Thanks for the recipe!
Love how simple this is to make and how tasty it was! The relish is a nice touch!
This takes chicken salad to an all new level! I love the flavors and the combinations of sweet and savory. Perfect lunch!
This is such an amazing salad recipe!! A huge hit at my house!
I am looking for a salad recipe at dinner tonight, then I find this ultimate southern chicken salad recipe. It looks so yummy. I will make it for my family tonight. Thank you for the recipe.
I especially love the apples and almonds in this chicken salad recipe! So delicious!!
AMAZING ,EASY TO DO AND VERY HEALTHY !