Last Modified: August 10, 2026

I had no idea chicken salad was so easy to make until I turned 20. I worked in a small cafe that served the best chicken salad, and I would eat it every day, not joking. So, I figured there had to be a way to make it at home. 

To my delight, not only is it easy to make, it is 10 times better than anything you can get at the store. We have all had that moment when eating some sort of pre-packaged chicken product where you get a mouthful with a bone or one of those weird chewy pieces of cartilage. That instantly makes me want to stop eating. If you make it from scratch, you can prevent that from happening!

Another wonderful thing about this chicken salad recipe is that it is fairly basic. It has a wonderful flavor on its own, but it is also ready for you to customize. You can certainly throw some cranberries in there, nuts, curry powder, green onions, whatever you’d like! The chicken salad is yours to customize.

First ingredient to deal with is the chicken. This is honestly the most time-consuming part of the process depending on how you do it.

You can use rotisserie chicken or pre-shredded chicken. If you do this, you will save a lot of time. It is, however, a bit more expensive and you once risk getting a piece of bone or cartilage.

I prefer to make my own in the instant pot using boneless, skinless chicken breast. I can get chicken breast for $2.19 a pound at my local Aldi, so I don’t mind the extra time it takes to cook. I put two breasts in the instant pot with one cup of water, salt, and pepper. Then, I cook it on high for 8-10 minutes depending on how large the chicken breasts are. Once it is done, I let the pressure release naturally before removing them and shredding them in my stand mixer.

Using a stand mixer to shred chicken will give you the best texture every time and it is so quick and easy. 

Once the chicken is prepped, you just throw all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix. This is where you can get creative and add different mix-ins if you want.

This chicken salad can be eaten immediately, BUT you should really let it chill in the fridge for at least an hour for the best flavor. 

You may notice I use both greek yogurt and Duke’s Mayonnaise. You can do all mayo if you’d like, I just prefer to add a little extra protein with the yogurt, and it helps make it feel a bit lighter. I will say, this recipe will not taste the same without at least a little mayo. Duke’s is a non-negotiable for me when it comes to chicken salad. The tang and flavor it gives is irreplaceable. You can experiment with other brands, but Duke’s gives the best flavor in my opinion.