Best Rotisserie Chicken Salad
If you’ve ever been disappointed by watery, chunky chicken salad, this one’s for you. This rotisserie chicken salad is blended in a food processor into a creamy, smooth, pâté-like texture — no big chunks of chicken or celery, just rich, herby flavor in every bite. It’s ready in 10 minutes, made with simple staples, and works equally well for meal prep, lunches, snack boards, or a classic sandwich.
✅ My Ideal Weeks Contain a Bit of Meal Prep
But not too much. I used to do A LOT. Up until the day I went into labor (was planning on working that week, not having a baby!) And then once I had kids? It just wasn’t a priority and wasn’t how I wanted to spend my weekends.
Now I’m grateful when I can spend a bit of time on Sunday or Monday to prep ahead. On a good week, I have some lunch items prepped ahead. On a great week? It’s a batch of this chicken salad with rotisserie chicken with a big bowl of cowboy caviar or dense bean salad and a box of crackers. It’s filling, nourishing, and so SO tasty. It’s…
🏆 Perfectly smooth & creamy: The food processor blends everything into a rich, pâté-like texture that’s so much better than chunky chicken salad.
⏱️ Ready in 10 minutes: Rotisserie chicken skips the cooking step entirely — just blend and serve.
🥗 Meal prep friendly: Stays fresh and flavorful in the fridge for days, making it one of the easiest lunches to have on hand all week.
🧀 Totally versatile: Scoop it with crackers, stuff it in a sandwich, serve it on a snack board — it works for everything.
🌿 Simply seasoned: Just dill, Dijon, and a little mayo bring out the best in the chicken without overcomplicating it.
If this has you in a meal prep mood, keep going — breakfast meal prep is just as worth the effort as lunch, and having both ready makes the whole week feel more manageable. Black bean quinoa salad holds up beautifully in the fridge and makes a great lunch alongside this chicken salad. And if you want a dinner that doubles as meal prep, sheet pan sausage and veggies is one of the easiest ways to get ahead on the week.
Ingredient Notes
You’ll need some fresh ingredients and pantry staples to bring this chicken salad recipe to the table: celery, green onion, chicken, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, dried dill, and sea salt.
- Chicken: This recipe was written for store-bought rotisserie chicken, and it makes the salad come together really quickly and easily, but really, any cooked or leftover chicken will work. You can use white meat, dark meat, or a mix of both. If you cook your own, you may need to adjust the seasonings and add more salt as the rotisserie chicken is seasoned.
Emily’s Tips & Tricks
- Pro tip: If you find yourself with extra rotisserie chicken, this is the salad to make! It’s keeps really well in the fridge for a few days, so make a batch and enjoy delicious and nutritious lunches until it’s gone!
- Shortcuts: I use rotisserie chicken to skip an entire cooking step, and I highly recommend it! Using the chopper also allows you to skip the chopping AND creates the best texture.
- Variations: While the dill gives it great flavor, taragon would also add incredible flavor. You could also add in mix-ins like dried cranberries or cherries, chopped nuts, or diced apple.
Best Rotisserie Chicken Salad Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Low-Carb
Description
This rotisserie chicken salad is creamy, herby, and ready in 10 minutes – the food processor trick gives it a perfect smooth, scoopable texture.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup chopped celery (about 2 stalks)
- 1/4 cup chopped green onion (about 3 medium green onions)
- 2 cups shredded chicken (can use light, dark, or mix of both)
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/8 tsp. sea salt
- 1/8 tsp. dried dill
Instructions
- Add celery and green onion to a food processor bowl and pulse until chopped into really small pieces, scraping down the bowl once or twice.
- Add shredded chicken, mayonnaise, and dijon to the food processor.
- Pulse 5 times. Scrape down the sides with a spatula and pulse 5-10 more times.
Notes
Be careful not to over-pulse the chicken salad as you want to keep some of the texture (unless you don’t!)
Storage: Store chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
Ingredient notes: Use your favorite mayo for the best flavor. You could swap plain Greek yogurt for the mayo, but it will add more tang and less creamy flavor and texture. If you cook your own chicken rather than using rotisserie, you may need to adjust the seasonings and add more salt since rotisserie chicken is already seasoned.
Prep ahead: If you plan on cooking your own chicken, you could cook that a day or two in advance.
Special tools: My immersion blender (which is also a mini chopper) is one of my new favorite appliances. It’s so much easier than pulling out the full food processor, and I find myself reaching for it all the time!
Serve with: Crackers, veggies, bread or pita bread, or in a wrap.
Serving Suggestions
This chicken salad works in just about any format. Stuff it into pita or between two slices of good bread for a classic sandwich — or skip the bread and serve it in lettuce wraps for something lighter. A snack plate is another great option: pile it alongside raw veggies, crackers, and fresh fruit for a lunch that feels a little more laid back. It’s also great served over leafy greens as a big salad with crackers or toast on the side. And if you’re in full meal prep mode, pair it with dense bean salad or cowboy caviar for a week of lunches that are actually worth looking forward to.
About the Author
Emily Dingmann is a recipe developer and founder of My Everyday Table, where she helps busy families take the stress out of weeknight dinners. With a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition and almost 20 years of experience, Emily specializes in simple, nourishing recipes and weekly meal plans that actually work for everyday life. She’s a Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor who believes delicious food and good nutrition go hand in hand.
Get started: Weeknight Dinners Guide | Weekly Meal Plans | About Emily
Food styling and photography by Loren Runion.
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This was so full of flavor and tasty!