Homemade Chicken Salad
Homemade Chicken Salad
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We like several different styles of chicken salad but this one is one of our absolute favorites. The apple cider vinegar and honey in the dressing give it a perfect balance of tang and sweetness, the green apple adds a fresh crunch, and the pecans and cranberries take it to a whole other level. Make it your own — use the nuts and fruit you prefer, swap them out, or leave them off entirely. Either way, this chicken salad is better than anything you'd find at a restaurant.
🍗 The Chicken & Mix-Ins
- 1 rotisserie chicken, ~3 lbs — pulled and diced
- ½ cup celery, diced
- ½ cup green apple, diced
- ⅓ cup red onion, diced
- ¼ cup pecans, diced
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- Couple pinches of dill
- Fresh parsley for garnish
🥄 The Dressing
- ¾ cup mayo
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- 1–2 tsp SPG seasoning
How to Make It
- Pull and dice your rotisserie chicken to your preferred consistency — some people like it finely shredded, others prefer larger chunks. Do what you like.
- Add the chicken to a large mixing bowl along with the celery, green apple, red onion, pecans, cranberries, and dill.
- In a separate bowl, combine the mayo, sour cream, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, and honey. Mix thoroughly until smooth. Season with SPG to taste.
- Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and fold together gently. Add in increments — start with about half and add more until you reach your preferred consistency. You can always add more but can't take it away.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. The flavors come together beautifully as it chills.
Ways to Serve It
- A store-bought rotisserie chicken is the ultimate shortcut here — already cooked, already seasoned, and the meat pulls beautifully.
- Add the dressing slowly in increments — start with half and fold in more as needed. It's much easier to add than to fix an overdressed salad.
- The 1-hour chill is not optional — the flavors need time to come together. If you can make it the night before, even better.
- Green apple adds a fresh crunch that cuts through the richness of the dressing — don't skip it. Honeycrisp works great as a substitute.
- Not a cranberry fan? Swap for golden raisins or halved grapes for a different kind of sweetness.
- This keeps well in the fridge for 3–4 days — perfect for meal prep lunches all week.
Make It Your Own
The beauty of this recipe is how flexible it is. Leave out the pecans and cranberries for a more classic style. Add halved grapes for a different kind of sweetness. Throw in some crispy bacon for a savory twist. Swap the Dijon for whole grain mustard. However you build it — start with this dressing and you're already ahead of any store-bought version.
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