Classic Chicken Salad Spread
We love this Classic Chicken Salad Spread that’s perfect for spring or summer luncheons, picnics, or even tea parties! It’s based on a family recipe with a few tweaks, including the addition of pimento, chopped pickles, AND pickle juice. So good!
(Post modified on 8/11/23.)
This chicken salad is one I like to make when we’re traveling and eating lunch at a roadside park. And it’s so easy to prepare. Serve on slices of buttered bread with lettuce or on crackers.
If you’re making this for a tea party, place the salad in a pretty bowl to serve with artisan crackers or on thin slices of buttered bread, garnished with thin slivers of sliced carrot, tiny pickles, or olives. See my recipe for Sourdough Artisan Crackers Here.
Chicken salad is also a great recipe to make with kids. Once the chicken is cooked and shredded, the rest of the dish can be assembled by children. It’s a great way to practice measuring and mixing skills.
More Tea Sandwiches to to Try
- Chicken Salad Croissant Sandwiches
- Curried Chicken Tea Sandwiches
- Ham Salad Tea Sandwiches
- Smoked Salmon Mousse Sandwiches
Ingredients for Classic Chicken Salad Spread
(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)
- chicken breast
- chicken bouillon and water
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Salad Mixture
- mayonnaise
- celery
- red onion
- sweet pickles + pickle juice
- pimento
- Dijon mustard
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- smoked paprika
- fresh curly parsley, for garnish
Instructions for Making This Recipe
Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand.
Prepare the Chicken
Place 1 1/2 pounds of chicken breast or tenders in a saucepan filled with water. Add a cube of chicken bouillon and 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer and continue cooking for 12-15 minutes until chicken is tender.
Chicken should register 165 F on a digital meat thermometer.
Allow the chicken to cool for a few minutes, and then slice into 2 or 3-inch chunks. Place chicken in a food processor and pulse 4-5 times until all of the meat is shredded.
Prepare the Vegetables
While the chicken is cooking, prepare the remaining ingredients. Using a knife and cutting board, thinly slice the celery. Mince the red onion.
Chop the sweet pickles into small pieces.
Assemble the Salad
In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, mayonnaise, sliced celery, minced red onion, chopped pimento and sweet pickles. Add in the pickle juice, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Mix until everything is combined.
Taste for seasoning, and if needed, add more salt, black pepper, and/or pickle juice. I’ve also been known to add smoked paprika at this time, too, maybe 1/2 teaspoon.
Spoon salad into a serving bowl and if desired, garnish with more paprika and fresh curly parsley. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with plain artisan crackers or Ritz crackers.
Another option is to serve this spread as sandwiches on thinly sliced buttered bread with lettuce and garnish with slivers of carrot or with pickles or olives.
This recipe will serve 8-10 people.
See more Salad Recipes Here. Browse Sandwiches Here. View my Tea Party Food Ideas Here.
Classic Chicken Salad Spread
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken breast
- 1 cube chicken bouillon + water to cover the chicken
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt divided
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper divided
Salad Mixture
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 stalks celery thinly sliced
- 1 cup red onion minced
- 1 cup sweet pickles chopped
- 2 tablespoon sweet pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon pimento chopped
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika for garnish optional
- fresh curly parsley for garnish optional
Instructions
- Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand.
Cook and Shred the Chicken
- Place 1 1/2 pounds of chicken breast or tenders in a saucepan filled with water. Add a cube of chicken bouillon and 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer and continue cooking for 12-15 minutes until chicken is tender. (Chicken should register 165 F on a digital meat thermometer.)
- Allow the chicken to cool for a few minutes, and then slice into 2 or 3-inch chunks. Place chicken in a food processor and pulse 4-5 times until all of the meat is shredded.
Prepare the Vegetables
- While the chicken is cooking, prepare the remaining ingredients. Using a knife and cutting board, thinly slice the celery. Mince the red onion, and chop the sweet pickles into small pieces.
Assemble the Salad
- In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, mayonnaise, sliced celery, minced red onion, chopped pimento and sweet pickles. Add in the pickle juice, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Mix until everything is combined.
- Taste for seasoning, and if needed, add more salt, black pepper, and/or pickle juice.
- Spoon salad into a serving bowl and if desired, garnish with paprika and fresh curly parsley. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve on sandwiches or with crackers. This recipe will serve 8-10 people.
Glad to have this recipe, the hubby just asked for me to make chicken salad. There is nothing better than the classic version like your recipe. I will try your food processor technique to mince the chicken.
Hope you enjoy the salad. I love chicken salad especially on warm summer days. And for tea parties!
I make a much simpler version of this chicken salad without the pimentos, pickles and pickle juice. I can imagine your version is more flavourful than mine. Can’t wait to try i out!
It’s always nice to have various recipes for chicken salad for your different moods! I hope you will enjoy this one!