Homemade Chicken Salad With Dill Pickles

This homemade chicken salad with dill pickles is so easy to make and tastes just like the shredded chicken salad recipe from your favorite deli.

Whenever our family heads to New York City, we like to try a new deli. While my husband judges the deli by their pastrami and corned beef, I look straight to the chicken and tuna salad.

While the rest of my family are not crazy about these salads, I love them, and since I don't want to eat the whole bowl myself, I rarely make homemade chicken salad.

When I invited a few friends over for lunch today, I jumped at the chance to make this shredded chicken salad recipe. My family might not eat this but my friends gladly will.

Ingredients Needed for Shredded Chicken Salad

Most of the ingredients in this homemade chicken salad are pretty straightforward, but I do have a few secret ingredients–pickles and honey. That might sound weird to you, but chicken salad with dill pickles has a delicious crunch and the honey adds a touch of sweetness.

• Chicken – Use rotisserie chicken, pre-cooked chicken breasts or leftover slow cooker chicken and this recipe can be made in under 15 minutes. Need an easy way to shred chicken? Toss cooked chicken into your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and give it a few go arounds stopping when the chicken is shredded to your liking.
• Celery – I like to finely dice the celery but leaving slightly bigger chunks will add even more crunch to this salad.
• Sweet Red Peppers – Diced sweet red peppers add a nice flavor to the salad that sets it apart from other homemade chicken salads. You could also chop up roasted red peppers.
• Dried Dill – Dried dill is a wonderful addition that adds a brightness to the dish. If you have fresh dill, you will eant to use about 1 tablespoon.
• Dill Pickle – Chop up one dill pickle and toss it into the salad. The tangy flavor and crunch makes this a chicken salad you won't soon forget.
• Mayo – I used light mayo but you could use regular mayo if you prefer.
• Vinegar – Using seasoned rice vinegar is an easy way to boost the sweet, salty and tangy elements of a dish all at once.
• Honey – I've tried this recipe with and without the honey and both taste great but the honey just adds something that makes you want to come back for more.
• Salt & Pepper – Can you make a savory recipe without salt and pepper? Probably, but why would you?

How to Serve this Homemade Chicken Salad

• As a Slider –  I like to serve this chicken salad on mini egg knot or potato rolls.  Sweet Hawaiian rolls would be tasty as well. Food always tastes better when served in small bites.
• With Crackers – Spoon a bit of salad onto some buttery crackers for a light lunch, snack or appetizer.
• On a Sandwich – Pile homemade chicken salad onto fresh bread for a tasty sandwich. Add lettuce and tomato to round out the flavors.
• As a Salad – There is something so refreshing about a big scoop of chicken salad served on a bed of chopped lettuce. I like to use an ice cream scoop so it has that deli/diner look to the dish.

More Chicken Salad Recipes

• Rainbow Greek Chicken Salad
• Chicken, Mango and Avocado Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
• Buffalo Chicken Salad from Everyday Maven

Homemade chicken salad has always been comfort food to me. There is something about the creamy and crunchy texture that makes me love it so much.  It is also super simple to make. Try it! You'll like it.

If you like this chicken salad with dill pickles, please leave a 5-star rating.

RECIPE

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Homemade Chicken Salad With Dill Pickles

This chicken salad is perfect on crackers, a sandwich or a bed of lettuce.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Total Time10 minutes mins

Course: Chicken salad

Cuisine: salad

Keyword: chicken salad with dill pickles, homemade chicken salad, shredded chicken salad recipe

Servings: 4

Calories: 391kcal

Author: Jersey Girl Cooks (Lisa Grant)

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked chicken shredded
• 1 stalk celery finely diced
• ⅓ cup diced sweet red peppers
• 1 teaspoon dried dill
• 1 large dill pickle finely chopped
• ½ cup mayonnaise I used light
• 1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 TBS honey
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Put all ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Mix well and refrigerate at least an hour before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 391kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 554mg | Potassium: 317mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 531IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg

First Published October 2013; Updated September 2021

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