Chicken Salad Sandwich
intro
Creamy, crunchy, perfectly seasoned cold chicken salad piled on soft bread: a nostalgic, portable meal ideal for warm summer gatherings.
Ingredients
Steps
Poach the chicken breasts
Place 450g boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a small saucepan, cover with 5cm of cold water, bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat (85°C/185°F, no rolling boil), then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 12 minutes until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 74°C/165°F. Remove chicken from water and let rest 10 minutes to cool slightly.
Prep crunchy mix-ins
While the chicken cooks and cools, finely dice 100g celery stalks, 50g red onion, and 60g dill pickles into uniform 3mm pieces, then chop 6g fresh dill; set all prepped produce aside in a small bowl.
Mix creamy dressing
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 120ml full-fat mayonnaise, 15ml Dijon mustard, 15ml fresh lemon juice, 2.5g celery salt, and 1g freshly ground black pepper until completely smooth, with no visible lumps of mustard remaining.
Shred cooled chicken
Once the poached chicken has rested 10 minutes and is cool enough to handle, shred it into 1-2cm bite-sized pieces using two forks pulled against the grain of the meat; discard any tough white connective tissue.
Combine chicken salad
Add the shredded chicken and prepped diced vegetables and dill to the bowl of creamy dressing, fold gently with a rubber spatula until all ingredients are evenly coated. Chill the mixture in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to let flavors meld before assembling sandwiches.
Assemble the sandwiches
Lay out 8 slices of soft sandwich bread, place one butter lettuce leaf on 4 slices, scoop 120g (≈½ cup) of chilled chicken salad onto each lettuce-topped slice, spread evenly, then top with the remaining 4 bread slices. Cut each sandwich diagonally into two triangles to serve.
Tips
2.To mellow the sharp, pungent bite of raw red onion, soak diced pieces in ice water for 10 minutes, then drain thoroughly before adding to the salad for a milder, sweeter flavor.
3.For a 10-minute quick version, replace poached chicken with 450g shredded, skinless store-bought rotisserie chicken to skip the poaching step entirely, ideal for busy days.
OMG this is the BEST chicken salad I’ve ever made! I brought it to our neighborhood potluck last weekend and every single person asked for the recipe. The celery and red onion add the perfect crunch, and the creamy dressing isn’t too heavy at all. 10/10 will be making this for meal prep every week!
My kids DEVOURED these sandwiches for dinner last night! I was worried the onion would be too strong for them so I diced it super fine and they didn’t even notice. Served it with potato chips and pickles on the side, total classic weeknight win.
This is so straightforward and easy to throw together! I had leftover grilled chicken from last night’s cookout so I chopped that up instead of cooking fresh, cut the total prep time down to like 10 minutes. Perfect for busy weekends when we’re running between soccer games.
Game changer! I’ve been making chicken salad wrong my whole life apparently. The little bit of dill in the dressing? *Chef’s kiss* I added a handful of halved grapes too for a little sweet contrast, highly recommend that swap if you like that sweet/savory vibe.
As someone who barely knows how to boil water, this was so easy to follow! Cook time was exactly 30 minutes like it said, no fancy ingredients needed. I ate this for lunch every day this week and didn’t get bored at all. Will be adding this to my tiny dorm recipe rotation for sure.
Packed these sandwiches for our day hike up Mount Evans last weekend and they were perfect! No soggy bread, even after being in the cooler for 4 hours. The protein kept us full for the whole trek, way better than packing granola bars again. Will be my new go-to trail lunch.
Really solid recipe overall! I loved the flavor, but I found the dressing a little too thick for my taste. Next time I’ll add a splash more lemon juice to thin it out a bit. Also, toasting the bread is NON-NEGOTIABLE, trust me on that.
I’ve tried so many creamy chicken salad recipes over the years and this one is hands down my new favorite. I made it for my book club meeting and half the group went back for seconds. The ratio of chicken to add-ins to dressing is perfect, no sad overly dressed chicken salad here!
Used smoked chicken I made on the pellet grill instead of regular boiled chicken and holy cow, that added such a great depth of flavor. My wife said it’s the best lunch I’ve made all summer. Win for dad!
So happy this recipe is easy to adapt for gluten free! I used my favorite GF sourdough bread and it worked perfectly. I was worried the dressing would have hidden gluten but it’s just simple pantry staples, no weird additives. 10/10 for my GF crew.
Taste was good, but I think I overcooked my chicken? It came out a little dry, which made the whole salad less creamy than I expected. Any tips for getting juicy chicken for this?
This tastes exactly like the chicken salad sandwiches my grandma used to make when I was a kid! It’s got that perfect classic creamy flavor, no weird fancy add-ins that don’t belong. I ate mine on soft white bread with a side of coleslaw and it felt like a hug on a plate.
Great high protein lunch option! I swapped the regular mayo for light mayo to cut down a little on calories, added a little extra black pepper, and served it on whole wheat bread. Kept me full through my 3pm work meeting and my evening gym session, no mid-afternoon crash. Perfect.
Made mini versions of these sandwiches for my weekend brunch with friends and they were gone in 10 minutes! I cut the crusts off the bread and sliced them into little triangles, super cute finger food. I added a tiny bit of paprika to the dressing for a little warmth and everyone raved.
Wait, has anyone tried adding chopped dill pickles to this? I’m obsessed with pickles and feel like that briny crunch would go so well with the creamy chicken. Don’t want to ruin a good thing though, so asking before I experiment!
I work in a tiny office with a tiny break room kitchen, so I’m always looking for no-reheat lunch options, and this is perfect! No microwave needed, it tastes great cold, and it doesn’t leave a strong smell in the break room like my usual leftover pasta does. All my coworkers kept asking what I was eating because it looked so good.
I made this while my baby was napping and it was so fast to throw together! I had all the ingredients in my fridge already, no special trip to the grocery store needed. It’s been so hard to find time to cook lately, so having something easy and tasty to eat for lunch while the baby sleeps is a lifesaver.
Swapped the regular mayo for vegan mayo to make this dairy free for my sister who’s visiting, and you literally couldn’t tell the difference! She thought it was the regular version, and even my super picky brother who hates “health food” went back for a second sandwich. Win for everyone at the family cookout.
Made a big batch of this for our football tailgate last weekend and it was a total crowd pleaser. Served it on mini Hawaiian rolls for sliders, and they held up great even sitting out in the cooler for a couple hours. Way easier than grilling burgers for 20 people, and I got way more compliments than usual. Will be a staple for all our game days this fall.