We Asked 5 Chefs the Secret to the Best Chicken Salad—They All Said the Same Thing

Few dishes have the ability that chicken salad does to be either incredibly delicious or seriously disappointing. It’s a simple classic that is either bursting with flavor and texture or utterly boring and flavorless. If the chicken is overcooked, that tender and juicy salad can become dry and quite unpleasant. Add too much mayonnaise or dressing, and the chicken salad is wet and unappetizing. But if you cook the chicken just right and add the perfect amount of dressing, you are assured of a delicious final product. 

To better understand how to perfect this dish, I reached out to five chefs who let me in on their secrets for making the best chicken salad. They all showed some serious love for this classic. After all, when made just right, it’s an ideal filling for a sandwich, topping for a green salad or accoutrement on a cheese board. As it turns out, they all agreed that the chicken is the star and needs to be flavorful and cooked properly to retain flavor and moisture. But what they also said is that the secret to truly exceptional chicken salad has little to do with the actual chicken beyond that. It’s actually what you add to the chicken: the mix-ins. 

The Secret Is the Mix-Ins

If your homemade chicken salad has ever felt a bit lackluster, dry and flavorless, perhaps you are missing the texture, balance and surprise element that comes with mix-ins. It could be the classic chopped celery, more controversial grapes and nuts, or the unexpected pickled jalapeños and cilantro. The goal is to find complementary flavors, interesting textures and unique elements that take boring poached chicken mixed with mayo to the next level.

“Chicken salad is my ultimate comfort food,” said chef Carrie Baird, Season 15 Top Chef finalist and James Beard semifinalist. “For some reason, it just feels like summer to me. It’s a nostalgic dish that brings back memories of childhood meals, especially the classic Waldorf-style chicken salad my mom used to make: shredded chicken, store-bought mayo, walnuts, celery and red grapes. Delicious? Absolutely. But it could definitely use a refresh.” 

So how does Baird, who is a chef/partner at the Culinary Creative Group in Denver, elevate chicken salad? She likes to add a unique element to this classic. “Here’s a fun twist: add potato chips,” Baird said. “They’re salty, crunchy and totally unexpected. Just add them at the end and on the top to keep them crisp.”

Chef Evelyn Garcia, co-owner of Jun & Kin HTX in Houston, agreed that what takes chicken salad to the next level is texture. This Season 19 Top Chef finalist and graduate of the Culinary Institute of America said she’s a “grape and nuts in my salad type of person” and likes to add celery cut into “meaningful pieces,” as well. 

Complementary Textures and Flavors

So why are the mix-ins so important? For Amanda Langler, executive chef of Bartolotta’s Lake Park Bistro in Milwaukee, it’s all about balance: “It is important to incorporate different textures to contrast with the softness of the chicken. Celery is very popular; I like to use nuts or seeds as well.”

Celebrity chef and restaurateur Karen Akunowicz said chicken salad should be comforting but never boring. It’s about layering flavors and textures, ensuring that “every bite is craveable.” 

“I like to add an element that makes people stop and go, ‘Oh wow, what is that?’” said Akunowicz, a James Beard Award–winning chef, cookbook author and judge on Beat Bobby Flay and Top Chef. “Maybe it’s toasted pistachios or Marcona almonds for crunch, pickled shallots for a little tang, or even a pop of sumac for citrusy brightness. If I’m feeling playful, I might sneak in a bit of Calabrian chile for heat or finish with a drizzle of really good olive oil.”

Sometimes you can achieve that unique element with something simple yet unexpected. Chef William Gideon, director of culinary at JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa, suggests adding a splash of pickle juice and swapping out the mayonnaise for yogurt. 

How to Make the Best Chicken Salad

Now that we’ve established that chefs like a unique flavor and some texture in their chicken salads, how do you actually make sure the dish is as delicious as possible? It starts with the chicken. If the chicken is overcooked, the salad will inevitably be dry and even fibrous, no matter how much dressing or mayo you add. 

Cook the Chicken Just Right

“Rotisserie chicken works great—just make sure it’s fresh and high-quality,” Baird said. “If I’m cooking my own, I like to poach a whole chicken in a flavorful broth. Once it’s cooled, I pick the meat and save the bones and skin for soup later. Nothing goes to waste.”

Gideon also prefers to poach chicken when making salad. “I always poach the chicken breasts, as this will give you a more tender and flavorful product,” he said. “If you really want to raise the bar, you can brine the chicken and then poach it. This will infuse a perfect amount of salt and juiciness into your salad.”

Instead of poaching a chicken, try roasting it. That’s Akunowicz’s preferred method. “Roasting a chicken brings out incredible depth of flavor, and I love using my black truffle rotisserie chicken from Bar Volpe as the base for the most amazing chicken salad,” she said. “The slow roasting process allows the skin to get golden and crisp while keeping the meat juicy and full of rich, savory flavor. The black truffle adds an earthy, luxurious note that makes the chicken salad feel extra special.” 

Shred the Chicken

Of course, most home cooks won’t have the time or resources to make a black truffle rotisserie chicken, so instead Akunowicz suggests using a good-quality store-bought rotisserie chicken. Whether you poach or roast chicken, or buy store-bought, this next step is critical: don’t cube the meat; shred it instead. “I always make sure to shred the meat by hand to keep the texture tender and rustic,” Akunowicz said. 

Baird agreed that the texture of the meat is important for great chicken salad: “I love a chicken salad where the meat isn’t shredded so fine it’s unrecognizable. Keep the pieces larger; it makes a difference in texture and keeps the chicken moist.”

Add a Flavorful Dressing

Finally, be sure to mix the rustically shredded chicken with a flavorful dressing. Of course you can use mayonnaise—homemade or store-bought. Langler likes to skip the mayonnaise and instead uses blended cottage cheese for extra protein. Once you have the base, be sure to introduce bright flavors. Akunowicz likes to balance the creamy dressing with Greek yogurt, crème fraîche or even a tahini-lemon dressing, while Baird adds a bit of acid through mustard, vinegar and even citrus. And don’t forget to add fresh herbs to your dressing. “Herbs take a good dish and make it great,” Baird said. “Basil, dill, tarragon, chives—don’t be shy. Use way more than you think you need.”

The Bottom Line

Great chicken salad starts with perfectly cooked, juicy chicken, shredded and never cubed. Stir in a flavorful dressing made with bright citrus or vinegar and plenty of fresh herbs. But to make a chef-quality elevated chicken salad that’s packed with interesting flavors and unique textures, add mix-ins like nuts, seeds, chiles or pickles. And if you want to go the classic route, cut the celery, grapes and walnuts into meaningful pieces to ensure that the salad has some serious bursts of flavorful and complementary textures for that soft, juicy chicken.