Crisp And Creamy Chicken Salad Recipe

If you are looking for a light lunch and a great option to go between two buns or in a lettuce wrap, then this crisp and creamy chicken salad should be right up your alley. In addition to lean chicken breast, this all-star dish features lots of "crunch" with the addition of celery and apple. Add a mayonnaise dressing amped up with Dijon mustard, fresh lemon, and dill, and the flavors are out of this world good.

Recipe developer Jennine Bryant came up with this tasty chicken salad that will leave you wanting more. "What I like most about this recipe is how quick yet impressive it is as a dish. It's so flavorful and so versatile; it really is great for so many different occasions," Bryant shares. She also gives a little bit of insight on why she chose to make this dish and its total nostalgia: "The inspiration behind this dish is the classic picnic experience from my childhood. This chicken salad takes me right back to warm summer days sitting on picnic blankets in the sunshine, with a fresh baguette stuffed with chicken salad!"

Once you're ready to start, you will need to gather the ingredients. Make sure you have cooked chicken breasts (boneless and skinless), mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, chopped fresh dill, salt, pepper, celery, scallions, and an apple. Only 10 ingredients — including salt and pepper!

Grab a medium-sized bowl and start adding your ingredients for the sauce. Toss in the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper. Use a spoon or spatula to mix everything together. Set the bowl to the side for now.

Dice up the chicken breasts, celery, scallions, and the apple into small chunks. That last ingredient is what Bryant says takes this dish over the edge. An apple, she says, is "something that most people will have around the house in a fruit bowl. It's nothing fancy, but it really elevates the chicken salad by adding sweet notes." 

Once you finish chopping, add everything into a large bowl and give it a toss.

It's time to assemble the salad. Just pour the mayonnaise mixture over the bowl the chicken and mix thoroughly so that everything is well combined. The chicken, veggies, and fruit pairing is a match made in heaven.

"The taste is light and refreshing, with the creaminess of the mayonnaise being complemented by the crispness of the celery and the sweet apple," Bryant raves. "The lemon adds a lovely tang, and the dill provides herbal notes. For a dish with relatively few ingredients, it has a lot going on flavor-wise!"

Pop the bowl into the fridge until you're ready to serve the chicken salad, as it's best enjoyed when nice and cold. There are plenty of serving suggestions, and Bryant explains them best. "This chicken salad is great on a bed of lettuce or as a delicious sandwich filler," she shares. "It's also a great option to bring to a picnic or a potluck dinner, and makes a great cold barbecue side dish. You can also mix cold, cooked pasta to make it a full meal, which is great for a lunch option!"

If you happen to have any remaining, pop the leftovers back in the fridge in an airtight container. You can enjoy the crisp and creamy chicken salad for 3 days.