Classic Chicken Salad or Loaded with Mix-Ins? What’s Your Go-To?

[Charlotte Robert]

For those of you who make chicken salad regularly — do you prefer keeping it classic (just chicken, mayo, seasoning), or do you like adding mix-ins like grapes, apples, nuts, or fresh herbs?

I’ve noticed even small additions completely change the texture and flavor balance. Curious what combinations you all swear by — and what you absolutely avoid 👀🥗

[weinoo]

5 hours ago, Charlotte Robert said:

For those of you who make chicken salad regularly — do you prefer keeping it classic (just chicken, mayo, seasoning), or do you like adding mix-ins like grapes, apples, nuts, or fresh herbs?

I’ve noticed even small additions completely change the texture and flavor balance. Curious what combinations you all swear by — and what you absolutely avoid 👀🥗

 

This topic might help a little...

 

 

As might this one:

 

 

[Darienne]

Our take is chicken, mayo, green onions and celery, salt and pepper.  Period.  Oh, I chop the chicken finer than my husband does.

[lindag]

Dried cranberries (re-hydrated).

[BeeZee]

I lean towards curried chicken salad, with some finely chopped green apples, or honey-mustard-mayo with celery for crunch. Chicken being rather bland, I like the dressing to have some punch.

[blue_dolphin]

I have my personal “classic” tuna salad and egg salad, both just like my mom used to make. I rarely make chicken salad but when I do, it’s always something different, no “classic” there.
 

Restaurants in my area commonly offer a range of salads that can be “upgraded” with the addition of sliced, grilled chicken, steak or salmon.  That’s not what comes to my mind when I think of “chicken salad” but I guess they are. 

[Darienne]

1 hour ago, lindag said:

Dried cranberries (re-hydrated).

I'm going to try that next time.

 

[Tropicalsenior]

3 hours ago, BeeZee said:

Chicken being rather bland, I like the dressing to have some punch.

I feel the same way. Add-ins for me just don't give chicken salad enough flavor.

If it's poached chicken or rotisserie chicken I try to go with a very Tangy dressing but I prefer to prepare the chicken in a way that it has more flavor to begin with.

The other day I marinated finally diced raw chicken breast in soy sauce, hoisin sauce and rice wine vinegar. Sauteed it just until it was done and let it cool. Dressed with a light Sesame ginger dressing and used it on an arranged dinner salad. It was delicious.

[MetsFan5]

I have actually never had “chicken salad” as it’s mayo based. Nor have I ever had egg salad, potato salad or anything with tuna and mayo. 
 

the smell just turns me off. Always has, give me a PB&J and I’m happy. 
  
 The texture, the smell, the sight of mayo based salads are revolting to me. 
 

Also I can’t deal with cooked eggs. They smell awful. No way can I eat an egg that smells like a fart. 

Edited 2 hours ago by MetsFan5 (log)

[MaryIsobel]

37 minutes ago, MetsFan5 said:

I have actually never had “chicken salad” as it’s mayo based. Nor have I ever had egg salad, potato salad or anything with tuna and mayo. 
 

the smell just turns me off. Always has, give me a PB&J and I’m happy. 
  
 The texture, the smell, the sight of mayo based salads are revolting to me. 
 

Also I can’t deal with cooked eggs. They smell awful. No way can I eat an egg that smells like a fart. 

I believe that you may be my long lost daughter. One of my daughters is so adverse to mayo that even the word makes her gag. She is otherwise a very open-minded eater and an adventurous cook. What is it about mayo?

[TdeV]

I think homemade mayo is okay, otherwise not so much. DH is a mayo eater though.

 

Eggs, on the other hand, I can eat any which way.

 

[Tropicalsenior]

In one of the threads that Mitch gave us, someone mentioned putting boiled eggs in chicken salad. I like chicken and I like boiled eggs but I just can't see combining the two textures.

I much prefer homemade mayonnaise, especially for chicken salad, because you can customize it to your own taste. But it has a very short shelf life and I seem to throw away more than I use.

Every time I make a full batch it turns out perfectly. But whenever I try to make a half batch or a quarter batch I have a dismal failure.

Edited 32 minutes ago by Tropicalsenior (log)

[MetsFan5]

58 minutes ago, MaryIsobel said:

I believe that you may be my long lost daughter. One of my daughters is so adverse to mayo that even the word makes her gag. She is otherwise a very open-minded eater and an adventurous cook. What is it about mayo?

 I honestly never ate any thing with it , knowingly that is, until my mid 20s. I’m about to be 46! I do like making my own mayo but to me it’s a condiment not an ingredient if that that makes sense. 

[Maison Rustique]

I almost never make it but I saw a recipe for it not long ago (did not save it) that had the usual mayo, onion, celery, but also had pimento and water chestnuts. I thought the water chestnuts sounded good for texture.