Smoked Chicken Salad. This simple recipe is a fresh twist on a classic favorite. It’s tangy and smokey and just wonderful. Whether you pile it high onto pieces of toasted sourdough or toss it with avocado chunks and spoon it into cucumber boats, you cannot go wrong. It’s a true crowd pleaser and a soon-to-be favorite!
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I have to be honest. I’ve never really liked chicken salad until I started making it this way. The smokiness of this recipe combined with the tanginess and crunch checks all of my marks. I eat this straight out of the bowl, spooned on top a big green salad, or throw it in a wrap.
Smoked chicken salad is a recipe thats great for a quick and easy lunch, as a perfect snack for your next trip to the beach, and even makes an appearance in our coolers when we are on a road trip. My kids love it, my husband requests it all of the time, and I have yet to tire of it. You’ve gotta try it. It’ll be on your radar from now on!
smoked chicken salad ingredients
- Rotisserie Chicken
- Mayonaise
- Celery
- Red Onion
- Smoked Paprika
- Celery Seed
- Lemon
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Chives
- Kosher Salt
- Fresh Ground Pepper
here’s how i did it!
This awesome chicken salad recipe could not be easier. It’s just a simple toss of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and a few stirs. A rotisserie chicken makes even quicker work of this lovely concoction. All hail those rotisserie chickens!
- Remove the chicken meat from one rotisserie chicken. Chop roughly.
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. That’s it!
- Season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste. (If it was just me, and not my kids and husband, I would add finely diced jalapeños to this mix as well!)
- Serve it however you like. See below for options.
smoked chicken salad serving ideas
This recipe can be served so many different ways. It truly is a multipurpose meal. The most obvious to me is to serve this on two pieces of perfectly toasted sourdough bread.
Other ideas include:
- On cucumber boats
- Tossed with avocado chunks and scooped with tortilla chips
- Smoothed onto flour tortillas to make a chicken salad pinwheel
- Piled high onto a bed of fresh greens and crunchy veggies
- Dolloped in a baked wonton chips for a party appetizer
- Simply scooped with a classic saltine cracker
But, let’s not forget, this glorious chicken salad is the best when scooped straight from the bowl in the fridge and directly into your mouth. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!
frequently asked questions
Yes! This chicken salad recipe is both gluten and dairy-free. Just be mindful of how you serve it.
Unfortunately, I do not recommend freezing this recipe. It will not thaw out well. But, don’t worry, once you make a batch of this chicken salad, it won’t last long.
This chicken salad recipe will stay good in the fridge 3-5 days…if it lasts that long!
You absolutely can serve this recipe as soon as it’s mixed together. I will, however, urge you to gather restraint and wait at least 6 hours (overnight is best) before serving. This gives the salad flavors time to get to know each other.
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Smoked Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 rotisserie chicken, deboned and meat roughly chopped save the bones for bone broth!
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1 cup red onion, diced
- 1/2 cup chives or green onion tops, chopped
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp celery seed
- juice of 1 lemon
- kosher salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Thank you!
I am so incredibly happy that you are here! I hope you try my Smoked Chicken Salad and fall in love with it. If you make this recipe, please share and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok! I absolutely love seeing each and every one of your kitchen masterpieces! And, as always, if you ever have any questions about any of my recipes, please don’t hesitate to contact me!
Happy Cooking!
–Rufus
Rufus for Real is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. I may earn a commission, with no additional cost to you, if you purchase through those links.
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