Tasty and easy chicken salad ready in just 10 minutes. Just follow these easy step by step photo instructions for a quick and delicious meal.
Editor’s Note: Originally Published December 16, 2012. Updated with expanded discussion and updated photos.
Sometimes you will need a fast lunch on the run, and this was one of those days. I had forgotten to plan for lunch. I had no supplies. So to the pantry was raided. I emerged with a can of chicken. How odd.
Inspired by Martha Stewart’s Classic Chicken Salad with a few minor changes
My Rating
A high 4 to low 5 but I really love chicken salad. An odd rating considering it came from a can, but the can did not affect the outcome. I will need to keep some of this around.
Pro Notes: Recipe Notes for Easy Chicken Salad
The Chicken
Any precooked chicken should do as long as it is a little chunky. The canned chicken was a little too chunky, and I broke it apart a little. I got a cup and a half from the 13 oz can of chicken.
A cup of cubed chicken weighs about 4-5 oz. A cooked medium-size skinless boneless chicken breast will get you about the cup and half this recipe needs.
Other Ingredients
You can use Miracle Whip or Mayonnaise. It can be low fat if you want.
The lemon juice can be fresh if you have it. A medium lemon will have 2 tablespoons of juice.
This is a good recipe to double. It is good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Other Picnic Dishes
Any chicken will do as long as it is chunky. Use Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip.
Dice 1 stalk of celery and half a small red onion finely then combine 1 1/2 cup diced chicken, 1/4 cup mayo, 1/2 teaspoon parsley, 2 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Mix well and serve on a sandwich, salad or in a wrap.
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Easy Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup chunky chicken
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise - or Miracle Whip
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 red onion - small diced
- 1 stalk celery stalk - diced small
- 1/2 teaspoon parsley dry
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Any chicken will do as long as it is chunky. Use Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip.
- Dice 1 stalk of celery and half a small red onion finely then combine 1 1/2 cup diced chicken, 1/4 cup mayo, 1/2 teaspoon parsley, 2 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Mix well and serve on a sandwich, salad or in a wrap.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- Use any cooked chicken you have and adjust the other ingredients as needed for the amount you have.
- A medium size skinless boneless chicken breast will yield about 1 1/2 cup of cooked cubed chicken
- Good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
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Nutrition is generally for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.
All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
Lissa
How much canned chicken would i need for 16 people
DrDan
Hi Lissa,
Welcome to the blog. Cooked diced chicken does not have an exact conversion to weight and then they dump “packing water” in also.
Having said that 1/2 cup of diced chicken should weigh 4-5 oz. There are variables with hydration and size of the dice. A half cup is a large serving. I would make 1/3 to 1/2 cup of chicken per person. Better a little too much than not enough.
Our local Sams Club sells cut up rotisserie chickens from the day before that I usually use for this and my cleaning lady gets the local Meijers (think kind of a Walmart) will strip the meat off the bone for free. I also keep a few cans (12 oz each I think) in the pantry. It yields about 8 oz which is really “cooking for two” size.
Dan
Chris
This is how I like mine. I don’t enjoy the ones that have grapes, apple, and/or nuts in them. I guess that’s just because this is how my mom made it, without all the frills.