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Shredded Chicken Salad

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If you like the Costco version, you'll love this easy shredded chicken salad recipe! Made with crunchy red grapes, toasted almonds, and tangy sour cream it's a great way to use up that rotisserie chicken in the fridge!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Hands removing plastic wrap from a bowl of easy chicken salad.

This shredded chicken salad is a delicious way to repurpose leftover rotisserie chicken. Similar to how I use it in this chicken Florentine soup and these chicken bacon ranch sliders, shredding chicken with a handheld mixer makes it so much easier! If you don’t have an electric mixer, a food processor, a blender, or even just your hands are good options.

For an extra flavor boost, try making a batch of spicy garlic aioli or pesto mayo (but if you’re using the spicy garlic aioli, consider reducing the garlic to keep it balanced). I think this quick and easy bang bang sauce recipe would also be amazing. Regardless of your choice, this recipe is simple and makes a perfect light lunch or snack in lettuce cups, stuffed into pita bread, or even served with crackers.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

✔️ This is a delicious way to repurpose leftover rotisserie chicken.
✔️ It’s a refreshing spin on plain chicken salad with celery and onion.
✔️ You can make this shredded chicken salad in less than 10 minutes.

Ingredients For Shredded Chicken Salad

Ingredients to make chicken salad with grapes and almonds.

Ingredient Notes

  • Cooked Chicken: Ideal for salads, cooked chicken should be moist and tender. Rotisserie chicken is convenient, offering a rich flavor that complements the other ingredients.
  • Garlic Powder: A convenient alternative to fresh garlic, it provides a milder, less pungent flavor than fresh garlic.
  • Green Onions: Also known as scallions, these are mild-flavored onions that add a fresh, slightly sharp taste and a bit of crunch.
  • Lemon Juice: Adds a bright note to the salad and helps balance the richness of the mayo and sour cream.
  • Mayonnaise: Binds the ingredients together and adds smoothness to the salad’s texture.
  • Raw Slivered Almonds: Almonds that have been thinly sliced into stick-like shapes. They add a nutty flavor and crunchy texture to the salad. Toasting them before adding to the salad enhances their flavor.
  • Red Grapes: These add a burst of sweetness and a juicy texture. They contrast nicely with the savory elements of the salad and add a pop of color.
  • Sour Cream: Adds richness and balances the flavors in the salad.

It’s important to note that when making substitutions in recipes, the texture and flavor may be slightly different. However, these substitutes are the best options to change the original recipe.

Ingredient Substitutions

  • Cooked Chicken: use any cooked or boiled chicken for chicken salad. You can also use canned chicken or turkey as an alternative. For a vegetarian option, try using canned rinsed chickpeas.
  • Garlic Powder: Onion powder or a small amount of finely minced fresh garlic can be an alternative.
  • Green Onions: Chives or finely chopped red onion can be used for a similar mild onion flavor.
  • Lemon Juice: Lime juice or a small amount of white vinegar can substitute for a similar acidic quality.
  • Mayonnaise: Avocado or hummus provides creaminess with a different flavor profile.
  • Pepper: Crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper can be used for a different heat.
  • Raw Slivered Almonds: Substitute with chopped walnuts or pecans for a different nutty flavor and texture.
  • Red Grapes: Diced apples, dried cranberries, or halved cherry tomatoes can be used as a sweet and juicy alternative.
  • Sour Cream: Greek yogurt is a great substitute, offering a similar tang and creaminess.

Recipe Variations

  • AsianInspired: Add a dash of soya sauce and sesame oil, and mix in chopped cilantro and sliced green onions.
  • Apple and Walnuts: Substitute red grapes with diced apples and slivered almonds with chopped walnuts.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar and Dill: Use apple cider vinegar instead of lemon juice and add fresh dill for a unique tangy and herby taste.
  • Blue Cheese and Bacon: Mix in crumbled blue cheese and crispy bacon bits for a savory, rich flavor.
  • Chipotle and Corn: Incorporate chipotle peppers and sweet corn for a smoky, slightly spicy salad.
  • Cranberry and Pecans: Swap grapes with dried cranberries and almonds with pecans.
  • Curry and Raisins: Stir in a teaspoon of curry powder and a handful of raisins.
  • Feta and Cucumber: Mix in diced cucumbers and crumbled feta cheese for a refreshing and tangy variation.
  • Lime and Avocado: Use lime juice instead of lemon juice and substitute mayonnaise with mashed avocado.
  • Mango and Cashews: Add diced mango for sweetness and cashews for a crunchy, buttery texture.
  • Pesto and Pine Nuts: Stir in homemade basil pesto and sprinkle with pine nuts.
  • Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Olives: Use chopped sun-dried tomatoes and sliced olives for a Mediterranean-inspired variation.

Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of this post, or scroll to the bottom to see the PRINTABLE recipe card with ingredient measurements and complete instructions.

How To Make Shredded Chicken Salad

Process shots to make this recipe.

STEP 1: Toast the almonds in a small skillet until golden. Set aside to cool.

STEP 2: Shred the chicken in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer.

STEP 3: Stir in the sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

STEP 4: Add the grapes, green onions, and toasted almonds. Stir together, then cover and chill in the fridge for at least one hour.

Expert Tips

1. Chicken that’s still warm shreds easier than chicken cold from the fridge.
2. Taste the seasoning as you go and adjust accordingly to suit your liking.
3. Shredded chicken salad tastes better on the second day.

Recipe Notes

  • Buy pre-toasted almonds if you want to save time.
  • If using cold chicken, bring it to room temperature for 30 minutes before shredding.
  • Use full-fat sour cream, whole egg mayonnaise, and freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor.
  • Experiment with different herbs like fresh dill, parsley, or chives.

Storage

  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
A hand using a fork to press rotisserie chicken salad onto a toasted bagel.

Recipe FAQ

What’s the best way to cook chicken for chicken salad?

If you don’t have a rotisserie chicken, place raw chicken in a pot or a slow cooker. Cover the chicken with chicken stock or salted water. Cook the chicken on a low simmer (stovetop) or on high for a few hours (slow cooker) until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches a minimum of 165ºF (74ºC).

What is the best way to shred chicken?

A hand or stand mixer is the best way to shred chicken for easy cleanup. You can also pulse the chicken in a food processor using a dough blade or pulse it in a high-speed blender. To use your hands, pull cooked chicken apart along the grain (shredded chicken should be more stringy rather than chunky).

What can you serve with chicken salad?

The obvious answer is sandwiches or wraps, but if you prefer to eat chicken salad without bread, try spooning it into lettuce cups, or serve with pickles, fruit, cheese, or soup on the side.

Did you make this shredded chicken salad? Please rate the recipe and tell me how it went in the comments below. Also, stay in touch with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to see more delicious food and recipes!

Printable Recipe Card

Hands holding a bowl of delicious chicken salad.

Shredded Chicken Salad

Author: Kelly Neil
If you like the Costco version, you'll love this easy shredded chicken salad recipe! Made with crunchy red grapes, toasted almonds, and tangy sour cream it's a great way to use up that rotisserie chicken in the fridge!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Course Family Meal Ideas
Cuisine American / Canadian
Servings 6 servings
Calories 205 kcal

Special Equipment

  • Measuring cups and spoons or digital kitchen scale
  • Small skillet
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Electric hand mixer or stand mixer, food processor, or high speed blender
  • Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
Need Metric Measurements?Use the button options below to toggle between US cups and Metric grams.

Ingredients
 
 

  • ¼ cup almonds, raw, slivered
  • 2 cups chicken, cooked
  • ½ cup sour cream, full-fat or full-fat Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • teaspoon black pepper, ground
  • 1 cup red grapes
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons green onion, sliced, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Place a small skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the slivered almonds to the skillet. Cook the almonds, stirring often, until toasted and fragrant, about 6 to 7 minutes. Carefully transfer the hot almonds to a heatproof dish to cool.
  • While the almonds are cooling, make the chicken salad. Place the cooked chicken in a large mixing bowl. Use a handheld mixer on low to begin shredding the chicken. If low speed isn’t breaking up the pieces, gradually increase the speed of the mixer until most of the chicken is shredded. Finish shredding any larger pieces by hand if you need to.
  • Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the chicken. Stir to combine.
  • Add the grapes, toasted almonds, and sliced green onions to the bowl. Stir everything together until well combined. Transfer the shredded chicken salad to a smaller bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least one hour before serving.

Recipe Notes

  • Buy pre-toasted almonds if you want to save time.
  • If using cold chicken, bring it to room temperature for 30 minutes before shredding.
  • Use full-fat sour cream, whole egg mayonnaise, and freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best flavor.
  • Experiment with different herbs like fresh dill, parsley, or chives.

Storage

  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 205kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 6gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 180mgPotassium: 168mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 187IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 44mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. If accurate data is important to you, please verify it independently.

Did you make this recipe?Let me know on Instagram @kellyneildotcom or tag #kellyneil!

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