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My deli-style rotisserie chicken salad is creamy, hearty, and packed with flavor. It comes together in under 15 minutes and is a fabulous filling for sandwiches or a shareable salad for potlucks and picnics.
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As a culinary school graduate, I know the secret shortcut to an epic chicken salad: It’s using rotisserie chicken. It’s the perfect recipe to use up leftovers (along with avocado chicken salad and healthy chicken salad). The inspiration came from a sandwich I’d order every week during my studies!
It’s quick, easy, and very versatile; enjoy it as a sandwich filling, over a salad, or bring it along to the potluck. My family loves it with crackers for dipping. No one will guess that it only took you 15 minutes to throw together. I love to meal prep this on weekends for quick and easy lunches for the week ahead.
Rotisserie chicken salad recipe highlights
Quick and easy: Toss the store-bought rotisserie chicken with the remaining ingredients and dig in. You can also use any leftover cooked chicken.
Healthy: The chicken provides tons of nutrition and protein. I also only use half the mayonnaise that other chicken salads call for.
Easy to customize: I prefer to keep things classic with celery and red onions, but feel free to use other vegetables or seasonings.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“This is such a delicious salad!!! Love the idea of using a store-bought rotisserie chicken. It also tastes better the next day. Odd, I know.” – Maya
Key Ingredients
- Rotisserie chicken. I typically grab a ready-made one from the store, but if you’d like to cook one at home, go for it. For a speedy home-cooked option, try my Instant Pot shredded chicken or air fryer whole chicken.
- Dressing. A combination of mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard. It’s lighter than a traditional creamy dressing without sacrificing any flavor.
- Seasonings. I seasoned the salad with garlic powder, lemon pepper, salt, and pepper.
- Vegetables. I made this salad with diced celery, red onions, and scallions.
How to make a rotisserie chicken salad
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Step 1 – Stir the mayo, yogurt, lemon juice, mustard, and seasonings together in a large bowl.
Step 2 – Add the celery, onion, and scallions. Mix well.
Step 3 – Fold through the chicken.
Step 4 – Mix everything until fully incorporated. Season to taste then serve.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Chop or shred the chicken. Use two forks to shred the rotisserie chicken meat or use a knife to cut it into bite-sized chunks before tossing it with the dressing.
- Taste as you go. Store-bought rotisserie chicken is often pre-seasoned, so I highly recommend tasting the salad as you go and adjusting the flavors as needed. Add more salt, pepper, or lemon pepper until every bite is well-balanced.
- Chill before serving. Those 30 minutes in the fridge are key to an out-of-this-world chicken salad! During this time, all of the flavors can meld and mingle, enhancing the overall taste and texture.
Storage and make-ahead
To store: Transfer the leftover chicken salad to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Make ahead: If you want to make this salad ahead of time, I recommend prepping it a maximum of 24 hours before serving.
Rotisserie Chicken Salad
Video
Ingredients
- 1 small rotisserie chicken skin removed and chopped * See notes
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup celery finely diced
- 1/3 cup red onion finely chopped
- 1 scallion diced
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, salt, lemon pepper, and black pepper.
- Add the chopped rotisserie chicken, celery, onion, and scallion and mix until combined.
- If desired, chill the salad for 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Add fresh herbs. For extra freshness, add chopped fresh dill, parsley, or cilantro to the salad.
- Mix up the seasonings. Ground spices, like curry powder, smoked paprika, or cumin, give the salad more complex flavors.
- Give it a spicy kick. A dash of your favorite hot sauce is always welcome!
- More add-in ideas. Add grapes, dried cranberries, or raisins for sweetness, chopped nuts or seeds for crunch, or diced avocado for creaminess. Or, make this a Waldorf-style chicken salad by adding chopped apples and walnuts to the mix.
- Pasta chicken salad version. You can make this rotisserie chicken salad even more filling by adding cooked and cooled pasta, like macaroni or penne.
Does it need to be rotisserie or can I change for other pieces of chicken?
Love it 🥰
This is such a delicious salad!!! Love the idea of using a store bought rotisserie chicken!
One of my favs!
Love how EASY and fast this is- my favorite rotisserie chicken salad recipe.
It is so super tasty 🙂
Your rotisserie chicken salad is such a game changer! Thanks, Arman!
So welcome, Monica!
This is my favorite creamy salad EVER!!! I like to use Costco rotisserie chicken.
Love that chicken!
Very tasty and refreshing. It is great on a croissant with some lettuce.
Thanks, Paul!