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Herbed Chicken Salad Sandwich Recipe
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I love reworking leftover chicken into chicken salad. Especially serving the chicken salad piled onto a sandwich! To be as economical as possible I buy a whole chicken and make dry-brined roasted chicken it then eat it for dinner, turn leftover bones into homemade chicken stock and use the leftover meat for this chicken salad. A whole chicken costs around $10 and you can use it three separate ways.
For this chicken salad sandwich recipe I add mayonnaise, a bit of dijon for flavoring, lemon for acid and plenty of chopped fresh herbs. I pile it all onto slices of sourdough bread with butter lettuce, lightly pickled cucumber and a handful of kettle cooked potato chips for a satisfying crunch. I find chicken breast meat works best for chicken salad because it is lean and pairs well with the fat from the mayo. While I love these homemade lightly pickled pickles you can swap your favorite store-bought pickles as well. If you are more of a tuna salad fan, I recommend my lemony tuna salad sandwich.
Table of contents
Key Ingredients In This Recipe
- Chicken – This recipe calls for shredded cooked chicken and is a great way to use up leftover chicken from roasted chicken recipes or you can use a store-bought rotisserie chicken. I like to roast a chicken then eat the leg meat and save the shred the white meat from the breast for this recipe and give it a rough chop for the best texture.
- Mayonnaise – This is a mayo-based chicken salad.
- Dijon – Dijon mustard is made from finely ground mustard seeds. It has a spicier flavor than whole grain mustard and is used to boost the flavor in this recipe by adding a bit of acidity.
- Lemon – The chicken salad needs a bit of acid to brighten the salad and balance the fat from the mayonnaise.
- Herbs – I use a combination of chives, tarragon and parsley to add a fresh element to the chicken salad. Tarragon herb has a subtle sweet, licorice flavor. Fresh tarragon has a much better flavor and is more aromatic though dried tarragon can be used if fresh is unavailable.
- Bread – I recommend using slices of homemade sourdough bread for this sandwich but any of your favorite breads will do. I opt not to toast the bread.
- Lettuce – Butter lettuce (which includes Boston and Bibb lettuce) has tender, thin leaves that are almost silky in texture.
- Pickles – I use a mandolin to thinly and evenly slice Persian cucumbers and quickly pickle them in a mixture of vinegar, water, salt, sugar, peppercorns and garlic. I add some ice to rapidly cool down the brine. This variety of cucumber has thinner skin than regular cucumbers and are only about 6-inches long. They’re seedless and stay firm and crunchy after light pickling.
- Chips – I add kettle cooked chips to my sandwich for a bit of crunch! Kettle cooked means the chips are cooked in batches in a large kettle. This slower process of frying results in a golden brown and crunchier potato chip.
How to Make This Herbed Chicken Salad Sandwich Recipe
Step 1: Make the quick pickles.
In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, ½ cup of water, sugar, salt and peppercorns to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from heat, separate the cucumbers and add to an airtight container then pour the vinegar mixture over the top. Add ½ cup of ice to rapidly cool the pickles for use. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks and drain before using.
Step 2: Combine chicken salad.
In a large mixing bowl mix together the shredded chicken, mayonnaise shallot, lemon zest and lemon juice until fully incorporated, being sure to leave the chicken in chunks for texture. Stir in the tarragon, chives and parsley until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 3: Chill chicken salad.
Refrigerate until ready to use, letting the chicken salad sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Step 4: Assemble sandwich and serve.
Arrange butter lettuce leaves on the top of the bottom slices of bread. Top with scoops of the chicken salad then top with the quick pickles and potato chips. Close the sandwiches then cut in half and serve.
Tips and Tricks for This Recipe
Swaps and substitutions
- Swap your favorite bread, pita or even a split croissant for the sourdough bread in this sandwich.
- Pile on other favorites like avocado slices or tomato to this sandwich.
- For a pop of sweetness and fruity crunch swap the chips for halved grapes.
- To lighten the sandwich swap the mayonnaise for a full-fat Greek yogurt.
- Store-bought pickles can also be used in place of the homemade quick pickles.
Other uses for chicken salad
- Serve as a salad.
- As a wrap (either in a wrap or lettuce wraps for a low-carb option).
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this herbed chicken salad recipe, give these a try:
Herbed Chicken Salad Sandwich
Rate this Recipe
Ingredients:
For the quick pickles:
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 3 medium persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
For the chicken salad:
- 1 pound shredded chicken, roughly chopped
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup minced shallot
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
- 2 tablespoons chopped chives
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
For assembly:
- 4 slices sourdough bread
- Butter lettuce leaves
- 2 cups kettle-cooked potato chips
Instructions:
For the quick pickles:
- In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar, ½ cup of water, sugar, salt and peppercorns to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve.
- Remove from heat, separate the cucumbers and add to an airtight container then pour the vinegar mixture over the top. Add ½ cup of ice to rapidly cool the pickles for use. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks and drain before using.
For the chicken salad:
- In a large mixing bowl mix together the shredded chicken, mayonnaise shallot, lemon zest and lemon juice until fully incorporated, being sure to leave the chicken in chunks for texture. Stir in the tarragon, chives and parsley until combined. Season with salt and pepper.
- Refrigerate until ready to use, letting the chicken salad sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
For assembly:
- Arrange butter lettuce leaves on the top of the bottom slices of bread. Top with scoops of the chicken salad then top with the quick pickles and potato chips. Close the sandwiches then cut in half and serve.
Nutrition:
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Thank you so much Susan!
This is my favorite chicken salad recipe and a weekly event in my house! I’m 50/50 lazy or intense in the kitchen—I make sourdough and usually have quick pickles on hand, but there’s always one day of the week where all I can muster is picking up a Costco rotisserie. This recipe is the perfect “in between” meal for us and works as a great base for substitutions too—I’ve swapped dill for parsley, fresh thyme for tarragon (basically whatever herbs I have on hand) and it SLAPS every time.
Thanks Kylie!
That makes me SO happy to hear! I absolutely know what you mean about being 50/50 lazy or intense!! Sometimes you just need a quick dinner and truly nothing beats this on some homemade sourdough!! And so happy to hear a mix of herbs work well! Thanks for sharing!!
I’ve been on the hunt for the best chicken salad in town, hitting up every NYC deli, bagel shop, cafe, etc.. Decided to try some recipes to create at home and this one might’ve secured the top spot. The mayo to chicken ratio is perfect and the lemon is an unexpected / refreshing pairing! It was a fun twist on a classic. This will be in rotation at all summer picnics!
I’m so happy that this recipe is at the top of your list!! Hope you enjoy it all summer long!