Chicken Salad
Poached chicken folded with mayo, celery, and lemon — sandwich filling, lettuce-cup hero, meal prep MVP.
Ingredients
- 400 g Chicken
- 5 tbsp Mayonnaise
- ½ Lemon
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 stalks Celery (optional)
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)
- 1 tbsp Chives (optional)
- ½ tsp Black pepper (optional)
Method
- Bring a saucepan of salted water to a bare simmer over medium heat — lazy bubbles, not a boil.
- Lower the chicken into the barely simmering water and poach it until cooked through with no pink in the center, about 15 minutes; cool it in the liquid if you have time.
- Dice the celery finely.
- Whisk the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, and pepper together in a large bowl.
- Shred or chop the poached chicken into bite-size pieces.
- Fold the chicken and celery through the dressing until evenly coated.
- Finish the salad with chives and serve it in sandwiches, wraps, or lettuce cups.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Chicken Salad
Chicken Salad is an American deli and picnic staple, endlessly adaptable and built on one non-negotiable principle: the chicken has to be gently cooked so it stays tender. This version poaches the meat in barely simmering water — lazy bubbles, never a hard boil — which keeps it juicy and lets it cool in its own liquid for extra moisture. Folded through a dressing of mayonnaise sharpened with Dijon and lemon, with finely diced celery for crunch, it hits the classic notes: creamy, tangy, and fresh.
The pleasure of it lies in the textures and its sheer versatility. Tender shreds of chicken carry the creamy dressing, celery adds a clean snap, and chives lend a mild oniony finish that keeps everything bright. It's a chameleon at the table — piled into sandwiches, wrapped up, or spooned into crisp lettuce cups for a lighter, low-carb meal — and it's a meal-prep workhorse that holds well in the fridge for a few days. Whisking the dressing before the chicken goes in ensures every piece gets evenly coated, which is the small step that separates a bland version from a well-seasoned one.
Chicken Salad: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Chicken Salad?
A serving has about 338 calories — 19g protein, 1.5g carbs, 28g fat, 0.2g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Chicken Salad gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Chicken Salad has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
How long does Chicken Salad take to make?
About 30 minutes start to finish, but only around 11 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Chicken Salad?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out celery, dijon mustard, chives — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Chicken Salad make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.