This is not your average chicken salad recipe! Creamy chicken salad is mixed with sour cream, bacon, chives and cheddar for all of the decadent flavors of a loaded baked potato. It is perfect for keeping your lunch box interesting for the week days or makes a great dish to take along to a potluck or barbecue. Make sure and bring enough though, because this has a tendancy to be the first empty dish where ever you take it!
I have to admit… I have quite a lot of crazy ideas for new recipes. Some don’t work out so well. Most of them turn out good, but sometimes it turns out like really, really good. This, my friends, is one of those times!
When I think of my favorite comfort foods, baked potatoes are on the top of the list. Not just plain boring baked potatoes, but baked potatoes loaded with all the good stuff. I am talking sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese, baaaaaaacoooooon, and of course chives.
If I can have it on a potato, I thought, why can’t I just take the flavors right over to one of my other favorites, chicken salad?
Well… it turns out you can. And you definitely should. And since it is just SO GOOD and I have never seen anything like it before, I just decided I would go ahead and dub it the World’s Best Loaded Chicken Salad. Okay?
Since this is Fourth of July weekend and all, I thought it was time to finally share this with you because, what is more all american than the loaded baked potato? If you are barbecuing with me this weekend you will be getting some of this delicious chicken salad on these fantastic cut crystal Chinet plates. I have been a little obsessed with them since I got them at Snap Conference in April. They are so pretty, but disposable, because really… who has time for dishes?!
What is Chicken Salad?
This is one of my personal favorite chicken salad recipes, as well as my readers favorites, but it isn’t a traditional chicken salad. In the United States chicken salad can refer to either a green salad, or a creamy salad where chicken is mixed with a few other ingredients in a mayonnaise based dressing. The very first chicken salad was made in 1863 with leftover chicken, mayonnaise, tarragon, and grapes and served by a meat market right near our new home, in Wakefield, RI. It was so popular that the meat market eventually converted into a deli.
In modern times you can find many different flavors and ingredients other than the traditional mayo and grapes in chicken salad recipes. Bases can include things besides mayonnaise like sour cream, cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, or greek yogurt, or any combination of them. You will also find all sorts of flavors from Ranch Chicken Salad to Fajita Chicken Salad and more!
I am a huge chicken salad fan and have made quite a few recipes of my own. You can find all of my Best Chicken Salad Recipes here!
How to Serve Loaded Chicken Salad
So now that you know about my new favorite, let’s chat about a few things you can do with this delicious loaded chicken salad. You can go with my old favorite, which is toast. Chicken salad is always great on toast. You can go with crackers or pita chips. If you want to get fancy with it for a baby shower or bridal shower, you can hallow out baked potatoes into shells and fill it with this.
But if you want to make it a little lighter or appreciate low carb options, then there are plenty! Try it stuffed in a hallowed avocado or tomato. You can slice up cucumbers, squash, or zucchini and serve it on slices. Or a super fun way to serve it for a bite sized appetizer is to use snacking peppers or cherry tomatoes cut in half and hollowed. All of these are delicious and you can use this or any other of my chicken salad recipes you see below (if you try one, go for the Ranch. SO GOOD!)
How do you cook the chicken for chicken salad?
When you are ready to make this chicken salad, you can follow the recipe below, but I get some questions on how I prefer to cook my chicken that I use in chicken salad. I do a few different things depending on how much time I have and what I have on hand at the moment. Here are my most used methods:
- Rotisserie– Using rotisserie chicken is probably my favorite way to make chicken salad. I love that it is tender and full of flavor and it is a bonus that you can easily grab one at the store, or use the leftovers from another meal and just pull it off and chop it up without having to spend the time and mess cooking it.
- Oven baked – If I do decided to cook my own chicken for the chicken salad recipe, I usually bake it. To bake chicken for chicken salad, I preheat the oven to 375˚F and then line a cookie sheet with foil. Lay the chicken breast flat and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper on each side. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165˚F. Once it is done, shred or chop to your liking.
- Boiled chicken– Some people really like to use boiled chicken in chicken salad. It is an easy way to cook multiple chicken breasts quickly. To boil chicken, bring a pot of lightly salted water or chicken stock to a boil. Then place the chicken breasts in the pot and allow them to boil for 15-20 minutes or until they reach an internal temperature of 165˚F.
All The Pinning Mama Chicken Salad Recipes
World’s Best Loaded Chicken Salad Recipe – Step by Step
Loaded Chicken Salad – Ingredients:
You need just a few simple ingredients for this recipe. I say this on every chicken salad I make, but this is no exception, I love to load chicken salad up with veggies. This lowers the calorie density per serving, as well as up the nutrients and fiber. Plus, you get more texture and flavor so it is a super great little trick. If you don’t like any of the veggies below you can eliminate, or substitute them for ones you prefer. If you want it to be even healthier… add more veggies! Chicken salad is a very forgiving dish, so it is a great one to add little extras to make it suit your tastes. Here’s what you need:
- 2 Cups chicken breast, shredded or cubed
- 1/4 Cup mayonnaise (I love this Avocado Oil Mayo!!)
- 1/2 Cup sour cream
- 1 Cup celery, finely chopped
- 1 Cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1/4 Cup yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 Green onions, sliced
- 1/2 Cup bacon crumbles (try this method for quick, easy, mess free bacon!)
- Salt & Pepper
Loaded Chicken Salad – Instructions
To start out grab some shredded or cubed chicken breast. I love to use leftover rotisserie chicken because the flavor is so amazing, You can also use baked, boiled, or even canned chicken. The better the chicken, the more flavor you will have thoough.
Place the chicken in a large bowl with the mayo, sour cream (this is the secret ingredient that really puts it over the top!!), celery, cheese, onions, and bacon. Mix it well and then add salt and pepper to taste.
You can eat it right away, but it is even better if you have a couple of hours to let it sit in the fridge to let the flavors really meld together.
Delicious, right?! If you make this recipe, it would really make my day if you would leave a comment below, and let me know what you thought! I read every single comment!
Also, if you need easy dinner recipes, check out my easy chicken bake dinner recipes. They are easy to get on the table fast and tried and approved by literally millions of people!
Loaded Chicken Salad
Prep
Total
Yield 6 1/2 cup servings
This chicken salad recipe is loaded with bold and delicious flavors. It can be made into a chicken salad sandwich, or served on greens, inside an avocado, tomato or with crackers.
Ingredients
- 2 Cups chicken breast, shredded or cubed
- ¼ Cup mayonnaise
- ½ Cup sour cream
- 1 Cup celery, finely chopped
- 1 Cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- ¼ Cup yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 Green onions, sliced
- ½ Cup bacon crumbles
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- Place the chicken, celery, onions, bacon, and cheese in a large bowl and top with the mayonnaise and sour cream.
- Mix well until everything is evenly coated and distributed throughout.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. I usually use between ½-1 tsp of each.
- Serve on toast, in an avocado, tomato, in a lettuce wrap, with crackers or your favorite way to eat chicken salad.
- ENJOY!
Notes
©2016 The Pinning Mama
Courses Lunch, Dinner
Cuisine American
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1/2 cup
Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
Calories 114 | ||
% Daily Value | ||
Total Fat 9 g | 14% | |
Saturated Fat 3 g | 15% | |
Unsaturated Fat 1 g | ||
Cholesterol 24 mg | 8% | |
Sodium 492 mg | 21% | |
Total Carbohydrates 3 g | 1% | |
Dietary Fiber 1 g | 4% | |
Protein 8 g | 16% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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Made this amazingly delicious recipe tonight, and I seriously have to say it is fireworks in my mouth good. I paired it with some bakery dub rolls and POW!! The kids suddenly loved it. Great dish. Thanks for sharing.
You can use the icons on the recipe card at the bottom if you would like
I added some dry ranch seasoning. Delicious!
How many sandwiches can you make with this recipe?
I can’t wait to try this recipe! Just to let you know, the link for the mess free bacon is broken.
Thanks for the heads up! I’ll fix it now!
Just a heads up, you say chives in the beginning but your ingredients list and pictures show green onions sometimes known as scallions or spring onions. Which do you actually use because chives are a very different flavor from a green onion/scallion?
Green onions is best in this salad !
Also why don’t you try ceaser salad dressing . It go’s great with all these ingredients in this salad 😋
Just made this and OMG! So delicious! My family and I LOVE chicken salad but have never tried any like this and let me tell you it is the best recipe I’ve made! Thank you!!!
I had leftover chicken, onion and some crumbled bacon from Costco so I decided to try this recipe for football Sunday. Excellent!!! Even my husband who’s not a big chicken salad fan loved it. Thanks for sharing
I cannot wait to try this! It is a great twist to chicken salad. I have a food blog, and would love your input. Thanks for an awesome recipe!!
Hi! I made this yesterday and it is fabulous. I did make a minor adjustment by cooking the onions and celery before mixing it. There’s less crunch but my picky eaters gobbled it up!
Hi, I would love to make this for a baby shower tomorrow for 25-30 people. How many times should I double the recipe? It will be served on crescent rolls, rather than full sized sandwiches. Thanks!!
AMAZING, the flavor gets better in time too! If you can save some (Ha Ha) Thank you! From MA.
Just made this Chicken Salad! It’s delicious! What a great idea! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Eat this YUM YUM YUMMMMM Chicken Salad, you won’t even take the time to stop eating OR smiling😋
Thank You for the GREAT Recipe!
Hello, how much ingredients do i need for 25 people?
I have never liked Chicken or tuna Salad of any kind. I have to admit that this is beyond AWESOME!!! Thank You
I’m going to try to this, it looks awesome! How do I get to the recipe for the mayonnaise? Thanks!!
I use this one! http://thehealthyfoodie.com/fail-proof-home-made-paleo-mayo-whole30-compliant/ Enjoy!
Thanks so much!! Excited to get started!
this chicken salad is delicious! It’s a keeper for sure. Thanks for sharing.
Delicious chicken salad!! I made this a week ago and used 1 large can of chicken w/o celery and green onions as I didn’t have any. It was so good!! I made it again today with the celery, green onions, and 2 cans of chicken. Delicious!! It does make a lot!! And it is even better the next day! This is a definite keeper.
This is really loaded! Such a flavorful recipe.
Thanks Megan! It is a favorite around here for sure!
What yummy looking chicken salad!
I dont like sour cream. Can i use all mayo or sub for something else
Try a bit of yoguart in the salad .
Put in your own salad , just before eating you can add mayo a bit too!
Peggy
How many servings are in one recipe?
How much can you eat in one meal?? Can you eat the whole thing for lunch? Thank you
What are the macros?
This is fantastic, especially if served on croissants (Costco has the best!).
I agree with serving on Croissants! Also added some sliced water chestnuts for more crunch.
Soooo goood!!
First time trying it , it was really good thanks
Hello!:) Do you have the nutritional information and amount of servings for this recipe by chance? This looks amazing, but I’m on the Keto diet and need to count my macros.
Thank you!
How many servings is this for? Thank you
So delicious!! Thank you for sharing!
OMG this dish is AMAZING! Since I’m a low carb person,
This Will definitely be a dish I make from now on.
I have an egg allergy. Is there a good substitute for the mayo? This recipe looks amazing.
I got up this morning Easter Eve and made this wonderful salad for our Easter pucnic tomorrow.Then sat down with a small bowl with crackers for myself. It is so delicious.I made the double batch .and will serve it tomorrow on slider buns. I am eating it as I watched April the giraffe give birth live on fb. Lol. Tbank you for sharing this delicious recipe
Oh my goodness! She’s finally giving birth? I need to tune in!
Best chicken salad I have had. Actually scooped some in a tortilla shell. Excellent
I made this tonight for a group of about 50 people. Are used a bag of the pulled chicken from Costco. It seemed pretty thick, so I added some milk to thin it down a bit. I also added a little bit of vinegar and a tiny bit of sugar to give it Some extra flavor. It was really good.
I made this today well because it sounded yummy and I had a rotisserie chicken to Dinah using up!! It turned out amazing the only thing different I did was I didn’t just have shredded cheddar cheese I had a Monterey cheese blend so I used that. Again turned out great thanks so much for the idea! I think tonight I am going to try it warm with all the ingredients but add some salsa to it and put it in potato skins for twice baked potato skins! Thanks again
I have made this chicken salad three time, I have people at work ask me to make some for them. Love it
Do you have the nutritional information on this recipe? It was listed on a Keto diet board. Would love to know the breakdown.
Perfect thanks for the great recipe
Would it be good on a croussant? I am having a lady group at church and wanted to use a croussant.
Love this. I didn’t use any salt and pepper. I put a quick sprinkle of dill in instead and it is great. Gives just that little bit I need out the added salt.
Just tried this recipe, so delicious!!!!!
Thank you so much. I’m looking forward to seeing what other great recipes you have!
I made this this last night from left over “beer can” chicken we did on the grill. I never measured the veggies, I just loaded up with what was left of the chicken until I liked the veggie:chicken ratio. I also added packaged carrot shreds I had left over from something else and gave them a few chops so they weren’t so long. Super yummy, i liked the mayo and sour cream mixture, which I kept the ratio true. Served it over chopped green leaf lettuce for a great summer night meal. Hubby liked it too, and it had enough veggies to make it a filling meal!
I wasn’t a big chicken salad fan until I tried this one!! Wow. I love this!! I’ve made it about 5-6 times now. I’ve doubled the recipe and it makes a lot so now I just make one recipe unless I’m serving it to guests. My hubby wanted it a few weeks ago and proceeded to make it himself because it’s that’s good!! We use shredded Colby jack cheese and follow the rest of the recipe as it is. I’ve served this to guest on rolls and I usually eat this on Ritz crackers.
Orgasmic!!!! I made it last night, and let it sit and just had some. It is to die for! I’m new to the Keto diet (low carb), and if this is any indication of the deliciousness of the food, I’m going to love this!
I made this and it disappeared. My very picky teenager was asking for more the next day!! I absolutely loved it!! The only thing I did different was add more yellow onion, because we love onions here. I made homemade bread to put it on, and it was amazing!! So glad I found this recipe…Thank you so much
Amazing! Thanks so much for the recipe.
I love this recipe, it’s just perfect!!
Delish! I hate mayo so I used a combo of sour cream and full-fat Greek yogurt instead. Left out the yellow onions because they don’t agree with me and added a small dollop of honey mustard. Ate on a slice of marble rye bread and was a very happy camper.
This is the best chicken salad I have ever eaten. We made it last week, and we are making it again for this week. I love eatig it on large wheat thins.
Made this for the first time today. OMG!!!! I needed this recipe a long time ago!!! This is amazing chicken salad!!! I’ll be making this a LOT! Thanks!
Delicious and easy! I made a double batch, and adding an 1/4 tsp of celery salt really sets it apart!! So many options for serving in article.
I add red grapes and walnuts. It has become my favorite go-to super food! Unbelievably yummy and satisfying!
I love this! We use it with Lettuce Wraps. The only thing I do different is not add the yellow onion and sub sour cream for plain Greek yogurt. Still tastes awesome! Thanks!
Ive been dying to make this so today I did! I havent tried it yet bc i just put it in the fridge but i cant wait! I forgot the green onion!!..i did add a touch of garlic powder, smoked paparika,oregano and salt and pepper..im wondering if this might make a good panini? Ive got a liaf of homemade bread and im thinking about panninis..whats your advice and how would you make a pannini/what spread would you use?
I made the loaded chicken salad using chicken left over from Thanksgiving! I used purple onion since that is what I had and no green onion. Also diced up a few pieces of dried pineapple. It was very tasty! Love cheese and bacon in almost anything.
Delicious!
I am going to try and make chicken salad this way every time from now on.
My husband made two whole chickens last night so needless to say, stumbling upon this recipe was a lifesaver! Needed a good way to use up all the left over chicken! This recipe was so easy and so delicious! I’m going to make it the next time we have a family get-together! 😊
Thanks for this recipe. I’m on the low carb thing, so this was a pleasant surprise! Yummy
How long does this keep for leftovers? I like prepping lunches ahead of time. Thanks!
I don’t know what the “official” answer is but I’ve had it in my fridge for around a week with it not going bad. The only thing to keep in mind is that if you keep it long term the crispy bacon turns more chewy. If that bothers you then you could keep it on the side and sprinkle it on top when it’s time to eat.
I’m picky about how long food will sit in the fridge before I toss it. 3-4 days is the max. But we did eat this after 5 days. The bacon is soft and it was a little watery but the great flavor was still there.
I just started on keto and was in search of a yummy chicken salad recipe and yours did not disappoint! Even tho I was missing the “secret ingredient” I subbed some bacon ranch dressing I had and it worked great! Mine was even lower carbs somehow so double yay! Thank you so much!
So glad you enjoyed it and were able to find a way to make it work for you! Have you tried any of my chicken bake recipes? Many of them are also keto friendly!
Made this today with some leftover rotisserie chicken from Costco – it was delicious!! One of my favorite keto-friendly recipes so far!!
I just made this, and I’ll never make it a different way. This is so yummy!! I omitted the yellow onion, and just used green onions. I also added a bit of Slap Yo Mama season salt for a kick. Thanks for this gem of a recipe!!
yum! love this
I have made this chicken salad 3 times in the past week-and-a-half. It’s a really good savory chicken salad. The 3rd time I made it, I left out the cheese, and I honestly don’t miss it a bit. I think the bacon, green onions, and celery make the salad! I have 5 young children (ages 8, 7, 5, 3, 2) and this is the first chicken salad recipe they all will eat, so that is a huge win in my book. Thanks so much for the recipe!
I used this recipe as a guide for an easy canned chicken breast meal! I didn’t have any green onions and I don’t like celery, so I added a diced jalapeño (no seeds) instead. I decided to give it an extra kick with chipotle aioli in lieu of mayo and it came out amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
Definitely going to try this!
I’m a little late commenting but this chicken salad is awesome!! Tonight is my second time making it with a rottiserie chicken and lots of green onion and celery. Each time I’ve served it on croissant rolls and let me tell you it doesn’t last long. The first time I made it for a football party and it went quicker than the more “manly” foods. Love the versatility and having a different chicken salad recipe. Perfect for hot summer evenings when you don’t want to heat up the kitchen! Thanks so much for sharing. *Also for the Maryland side coming out in me I like to sprinkle some old bay on top 😉
I grilled the chicken breasts yummy plus I added yellow red orange peppers cherry tomatoes hard boiled eggs and avacado yum now that’s loaded!
How long is this good for refrigerated? Thinking of making a batch for meal prep.
Wow! My new favorite chicken salad. Easy to make, the bacon was so easy to cook (in the oven). A must try
Wow! This is the best chicken salad I’ve ever had!!!!! Added some dry ranch seasoning as someone else stated and it is amazing!!!!
Tasted a lot like sour cream. I think I’ll try 1/4 cup instead of a half next time. Also added a little lemon pepper to hide the sour cream taste and it was great.
Oh my gosh! I love chicken salad at this recipe, this out does the mall. Thank you so much for sharing! I think I may just live on this while I’m on the keto diet.
This recipe is good, however it needs some zing. I had some pickled peppers I jarred about a month ago and used them plus some of the pickling juice. I bet a little mustard or relish would add similar flavor of you dont want heat. I liked the zing and pop of the peppers.
I just made this with a leftover chicken breast I had and oh my goodness!!! I am a huge fan of chicken salad and I have to say this might be the BEST I have ever had!!!!
By far THE BEST chicken salad I, or anyone I have served it to, have ever tasted. This makes eating even more enjoyable! Fantastic recipe!
Oh my goodness! I have this pinned and use it often. I love chicken salad in the summer months…. but I wanted to tell you that I was searching my faves, looking for inspiration for all this dang leftover turkey from Thanksgiving!!! Welp, once again, your recipe was a rockstar! My coworkers literally beg me for this, …and I know my turkey abundance will be taken care of. Ha! Thanks again, …and I hope you and your’s have a very blessed holiday!
That is so awesome! I love using this for leftover turkey too! You just can’t go wrong. Thank you so much for your sweet words!
I recently made this. It is the best chicken salad. I added sliced almonds. It is so yummy! It’s like comfort food. Amazing !
I love this chicken salad and make it for my husband while he is on his Keto Diet. I am having trouble with adding this to his app because the nutrition information is so different from what they are adding. The recipe sys 9g of fat per serving and 8g of protein, but the app wants to add way more fat and protein to the numbers, why would that be?
It could be a difference in serving size if both are increased.