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This tasty rotisserie chicken salad sandwich is easy to make and it boasts so much incredible flavor! It’s a classic chicken salad recipe with vegetables, a mustard-spiked creamy dressing and even some almonds for crunch, which nobody can resist. Whether you choose to enjoy this creamy homemade chicken salad in a bun, in a baked potato or just by itself, you’re going to love the bold and fresh flavors it offers in every mouthful.

A chicken salad sandwich made with rotisserie chicken. Served with lettuce on a croissant, accompanied by grapes on the side.

A creamy rotisserie chicken salad sandwich makes a lovely lunch or snack. This is an easy chicken salad recipe which boasts savory flavors and perfect creaminess!

Also try pressed Italian sandwiches, blackened Caesar salad, French dip sandwiches or radicchio endive chicken salad.

Classic chicken salad croissant sandwich served with chips and lettuce on a kitchen counter.

Why You’ll Love This

Easy: If you’re methodical and prepare the ingredients and then combine them, you’ll find it really easy to make this delicious chicken salad recipe.
Tasty: You simply can’t beat the flavor of homemade chicken salad. Nothing from a can or container could ever taste this fresh!
Popular: Make this easy chicken salad and you’ll find it disappears fast! Whether you’re making it as a sandwich filling option, for a buffet or simply to use up rotisserie chicken, you might like to make a double batch, because people simply can’t get enough of this creamy salad!

Rotisserie chicken salad sandwiches on croissants with a side of grapes.

Chicken Salad Sandwich Ingredients

A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below

Rotisserie chicken: I grab a rotisserie chicken just about every time I go to the store, because it’s so versatile and tasty. You can make chicken salad sandwiches, quesadillas and so much more using rotisserie chicken or even canned chicken.
Vegetables: Add the color and crunch to your homemade chicken salad that canned and packaged salads just don’t have, with the addition of carrots, celery, red onion, and peas.
Mayonnaise: The creamy combination of mayonnaise with mustard, apple cider vinegar, salt, paprika, and black pepper makes such a tasty, creamy dressing for the shredded chicken salad. For the richest flavor, use full-fat mayo.

Ingredients for a chicken salad recipe displayed on a white surface, including a whole roasted rotisserie chicken, various vegetables, spices, and condiments.

How to Make Chicken Salad

For more detailed instructions with weights and measurements, jump to the printable recipe card

Prepare the chicken: Peel off the rotisserie chicken skin and shred the meat into bite-sized pieces. Put the chicken skin and carcass in one large bowl and the shredded chicken meat in another.
Prepare the veggies: Dice the carrots and celery, finely chop or mince the red onion and add to the shredded chicken. Mix in the frozen peas (they will thaw in the mix).
Make the dressing: Whisk the mayonnaise with the mustard and vinegar, then adjust the ingredients as needed, adding more mayo, mustard or mayo.
Mix the salad: Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and toss until well mixed.
The finishing touches: Add salt and pepper, then cover and chill for an hour or until the peas have thawed out. Sprinkles over the almonds and paprika right before serving.

Rotisserie chicken salad sandwiches made from a classic chicken salad recipe, served on croissants with a side of red grapes.

Substitutions and Variations

No rotisserie chicken? If the store is all out of rotisserie chicken, you can substitute in cooked chicken breast or canned chicken.
Optional add-ins: Feel free to add other ingredients. Sweet ingredients like diced apples, pears or grapes, or chopped dried cranberries, raisins or currants will work, or for crunch you can add chopped pecans or chopped walnuts in place of the almonds, or maybe some toasted sunflower seeds. Chopped fresh dill, green grapes, garlic powder or corn kernels are more add-in options.
Swap the veggies: Feel free to omit any of the vegetables you don’t want to use. You can also swap the red onion for shallot or green onions in your chicken salad.
Reduced fat option: To cut down on saturated fat, use fat-free mayonnaise or your favorite fat-free dressing. Or swap half the mayo for fat-free Greek yogurt.

Fresh classic chicken salad recipe croissant sandwiches served with grapes and a refreshing beverage.

Serving Suggestions

This classic chicken salad recipe is lovely served in a sandwich or baked potato or as a side dish or on a bed of lettuce. If you’re making it as part of a potluck, picnic or buffet, here are some other dishes you might enjoy:
Appetizers:  This roasted red pepper cream cheese dip makes a great appetizer, as would crab cake egg rolls.
Side dishes: 
Pimento cheese sandwiches are another popular option if you’re serving a variety of dishes, or you might prefer to make truffle loaded nacho fries or mushroom risotto.

Rotisserie chicken salad sandwich served with grapes on a ceramic plate.

How to Store Chicken Salad

Store:  Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 3 days. Because the almonds soften over time, it might be best to add those just before serving.
Freeze:  This recipe doesn’t freeze well.

Chicken salad sandwich made with the best chicken salad recipe, on a croissant with chips and grapes on the side.

Top Tips

Any chicken works: No rotisserie chicken left in the store? You can use canned chicken or even poach or grill some chicken breast and use that. If you’re more of a dark meat fan, thighs or chicken leg quarters are good too.
Enjoy it any way you want: You don’t have to make a chicken salad sandwich with this mixture. Feel free to serve it in a pita pocket or wrap, or even over mixed greens. Enjoy it with baked potatoes or with a simple green salad with a bowl of soup. This salad might become one of your favorite lunch recipes!

Croissant sandwiches filled with rotisserie chicken salad, served on parchment paper with fresh greens and grapes on the side.

Chicken Salad Sandwich FAQs

Can you make this rotisserie chicken salad recipe ahead?

You can make rotisserie chicken salad a day or so ahead if needed. But do keep it in an airtight container, not just something covered with foil or plastic wrap, or else it will dry out and spoil faster. If you have some rotisserie chicken left over, there are lots of other chicken recipes you can make.

What else can you add to the sandwich?

A scoop of chicken salad is wonderful with any kind of sandwich bread. Feel free to add lettuce, cheese slices or anything else you like to make it more filling.

A bowl of chicken salad garnished with lemon and spices, accompanied by rotisserie chicken salad sandwiches and chips on a table.

Chicken Salad Recipe with Rotisserie Chicken

5 from 12 votes

Rotisserie Chicken Salad Sandwiches

A creamy rotisserie chicken salad sandwich makes a lovely lunch or snack. This is an easy chicken salad recipe which boasts savory flavors and perfect creaminess!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Chill time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients 

  • 1 chicken, rotisserie meat, shredded
  • 1 Cup carrots, diced
  • 1 Cup celery, diced
  • 1/2 Cup red onion, finely chopped
  • 1/2 Cup peas, frozen
  • 1/2 Cup mayonnaise
  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 Teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 Teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 Teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 to 6 Ounces almonds, Marcona or slivered almonds
  • 1/4 Teaspoon paprika

Instructions 

  • Remove the skin from the rotisserie chicken and set aside on a plate or bowl large enough to hold the entire carcass. Shred or cut the meat into approximately 1” bite-sized pieces. Place the shredded chicken in a large mixing bowl (separate from the skin). Place the carcass in the plate or bowl with the skins.
  • Dice the carrots and celery into small pieces. Finely chop the red onion. Add them to the bowl with the shredded chicken.
  • Add the frozen peas to the mixing bowl. The peas will slowly thaw and serve to keep the chicken cold while you finish the recipe.
  • In a separate bowl, mix the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar with a whisk or fork. Mix well until all the ingredients are evenly incorporated and the dressing is creamy. Taste the dressing and adjust the Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar to your preferred level of tanginess.
  • Pour the dressing over the chicken, carrots, celery, onions and peas mixture in the large bowl. Gently toss everything together until the chicken and vegetables are evenly coated with the dressing. Be careful not to overmix, as you don't want the chicken to become mushy.
  • Add salt and pepper to taste.
  • Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate the chicken salad for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld. The frozen peas will thaw. Serve cold.
  • Sprinkle the almonds and paprika over the top of the salad just before serving, so the almonds stay crunchy.

Notes

Any chicken works: No rotisserie chicken left in the store? You can use canned chicken or even poach or grill some chicken breast and use that. If you’re more of a dark meat fan, thighs or chicken leg quarters are good too.
Enjoy it any way you want: You don’t have to make a chicken salad sandwich with this mixture. Feel free to serve it in a pita pocket or wrap, or even over mixed greens. Enjoy it with baked potatoes or with a simple green salad with a bowl of soup. This salad might become one of your favorite lunch recipes!

Nutrition

Calories: 383kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 344mg | Potassium: 386mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2948IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

This rotisserie chicken salad sandwich recipe couldn’t be easier. It’s so delicious too, offering fresh flavors in every bite. Succulent rotisserie chicken pairs with creamy mayonnaise, crisp vegetables, crunchy almonds, and more, to offer plenty of mouthwatering flavors in every mouthful. Nothing beats the fresh and wonderful taste of a homemade chicken salad sandwich. Once you try this recipe you will never want to buy readymade chicken salad again!

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Bella Bucchiotti

Bella Bucchiotti is a Canadian-based syndicated food, travel, and lifestyle writer, photographer, and creator at xoxoBella. She founded xoxoBella in 2015, where she shares her love for food, dogs, sustainability, fitness, crafts, outdoor adventures, travel, and philanthropy to encourage others to run the extra mile, try new recipes, visit unfamiliar places, and stand for a cause. Bella creates stress-free and family-friendly recipes for weeknight dinners and festive feasts.

 

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Recipe Rating




5 from 12 votes (9 ratings without comment)

4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This rotisserie chicken salad sandwich is delicious! Easy to make, packed with flavor, and perfect in a bun or alone!