This Old-Fashioned Southern Chicken Salad recipe always shows up at family gatherings, church potlucks, baby showers, and summer picnics. Made with tender shredded chicken, hard-boiled eggs, sweet pickle, relish, crunchy celery, and creamy mayonnaise, this Southern chicken salad is rich, flavorful, and full of nostalgic charm.
Chicken salad is one of those dishes that you see served at almost every graduation party, baby shower, bridal shower, and get-together in the South. It is also one of those dishes that MUST be done right, especially at Black folks' gatherings, or your chicken salad will remain untouched on the food table.
We like our chicken salad pretty sweet in the south, so sweet pickle relish is a must, as is ensuring it is well-seasoned! My not-so-southern secret ingredient is coriander, which gives this chicken salad that little something extra that everyone who tries it raves about.
For more classic Southern recipes, check out our Southern Deviled Eggs and Southern Baked Beans next!
Why This Chicken Salad Is the Best
- Sweet, savory, creamy, and packed with texture.
- Made with simple pantry and refrigerator staples.
- Ideal for potluck, picnics, baby showers, and church gatherings.
- Tastes even better after chilling overnight.
- Easy to customize to your family's preferences.
Ingredients You Need To Make This Recipe
- Mayonnaise. To hold the chicken salad together and make it creamy.
- Sweet pickle relish. For the signature sweet crunch southern chicken is known for.
- Celery. For added texture and freshness.
- Sweet onion. For added texture and flavor.
- Garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt, ground coriander, dried thyme leaves, salt, and black pepper. To season the chicken salad and add depth.
- Rotisserie chicken. Store-bought rotisserie chicken really cuts down on prep time for this chicken salad. You can also use homemade roast chicken or baked chicken breasts.
- Hard-boiled eggs. For added texture and flavor.
- Brown sugar or granulated sugar. We like our chicken salad with the perfect touch of sweetness in the South. Brown sugar lends a rich, caramel-like sweetness and is my secret ingredient in chicken salad!
How To Make This Recipe
- Add ¾ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup sweet relish, celery, chopped onion, garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt, coriander, dried thyme leaves, salt, and black pepper to a large mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.
- Add the chopped chicken and hard-boiled eggs to the bowl and stir to combine. If the chicken salad is a bit dry add ¼ cup more mayonnaise. Taste the chicken salad, season with more salt and pepper to taste, and add up to ¼ cup more sweet relish if desired.
- If you like a sweeter chicken salad, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of brown or granulated sugar. Refrigerate the chicken salad for at least 2 hours up to overnight. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and smoked paprika when ready to serve.
Variations
- Chicken salad with grapes. Some Southerners may turn their noses up, but folding in 1 cup of halved grapes adds a sweet and refreshing twist!
- Pecan chicken salad. Add ½ cup chopped toasted pecans for extra crunch.
- Dill pickle chicken salad. Swapped the sweet relish for chopped dill pickles and a splash of pickle juice.
- Lightened up chicken salad. Replace part of the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt.
Make-Ahead and Storing Instructions
Southern chicken salad is one of the best make-ahead recipes because the flavors improve as it chills.
- Store leftover chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Do not leave chicken salad at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- I do not recommend freezing chicken salad since mayonnaise-based salads tend to separate when thawed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. You may roast a whole chicken or bake chicken breasts in the oven if you prefer.
Serve it on sandwich bread, croissants, crackers, lettuce, wraps, or even over a bed of greens.
Most Southerners will tell you that Duke's mayonnaise is the only mayonnaise for chicken, and I agree 100%! Duke's mayonnaise is tangy, extra rich, and creamy. You may also use Hellman's or Miracle Whip if you prefer.
Absolutely. In fact, I recommend it. The flavors have more time to meld together, making the chicken salad even more delicious.
Ashley's Tips for Success
- Finely chop the chicken for the best texture.
- Start with less mayonnaise and add more as needed.
- Chill the chicken salad for at least two hours before serving.
- Make it a day ahead whenever possible.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning after chilling since flavors mellow as they rest.
Perfect Pairings
Serve southern chicken salad with:
- Fresh sliced tomatoes
- Watermelon wedges
- Potato chips
- Pasta salad
- Fresh fruit salad
- Croissants or sandwich bread
- Southern sweet tea
- Deviled eggs
Table Talk
One of my favorite things about this Southern chicken salad is that it gets even better with time. After you mix everything together, it needs a few hours in the refrigerator for all those flavors to come together. Sure, you could eat it right away, but the wait is worth it.
This always reminds me of our walk with the Lord. Growing good fruit in our lives doesn't happen overnight. God uses time, and even seasons of waiting, to shape our character into the likeness of Christ. We can be so eager to get to the destination that we miss the valuable lessons He is teaching us along the way.
It's often said that good things take time, and I believe that's true in our spiritual journeys, too. If God gave us everything we wanted before we had the character to steward it well, the weight of those blessings could easily overwhelm us. His timing isn't meant to hold us back; it's meant to prepare us.
I love that something as simple as making a bowl of chicken salad can point us back to God's truth. As you gather around the table with the people you love, remember that God is faithfully at work in you, even when the growth feels slow. Trust the process, because He's using every season to produce something beautiful.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22-23
More Southern Recipes You Will Love!
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📖 Recipe
Southern Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ - 1 cup mayonnaise - I recommend Duke's
- ½ - ¾ cup sweet pickle relish
- 1 rib celery - finely chopped
- ½ cup sweet onion - finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon celery salt
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- Salt and cracked black pepper - to taste
- 1 rotisserie chicken - about 4 cups chicken, skin and bones removed, finely chopped or shredded
- 2 hard-boiled eggs - chopped
- 1 -2 tablespoons brown sugar - or granulated, optional
Instructions
- Add ¾ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup sweet relish, celery, chopped onion, garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt, coriander, dried thyme leaves, salt, and black pepper to a large mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.
- Add the chopped chicken and hard-boiled eggs to the bowl and stir to combine.
- If the chicken salad is a bit dry add ¼ cup more mayonnaise. Taste the chicken salad, season with more salt and pepper to taste, and add up to ¼ cup more sweet relish if desired.
- If you like a sweeter chicken salad, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of brown or granulated sugar.
- Refrigerate the chicken salad for at least 2 hours up to overnight. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and smoked paprika when ready to serve.
E Davis
I am a young mom trying different recipes and this was delicious!!
Ashley Boyd
I am so happy to hear it! Blessings to you and your family.
Jeanne
Made it. Was worried about seasonings overpowering but turned out very good. Added elbow macaroni. Will make it my recipe of choice for chicken salad.
Ashley Boyd
I am thrilled to hear the chicken salad recipe turned out well for you. Thank you for trying our recipe!