This easy smoked chicken salad is full of flavor and perfect for lunch, dinner, or a snack. Made with our smoked spatchcock chicken recipe and simple ingredients, it’s creamy, smoky, and so good! Try it on crackers, croissants, or in a sandwich.
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We love this smoked chicken salad! It’s our favorite way to use up leftover smoked chicken! We actually have two smoked chicken recipes on the blog that work great for this: our smoked beer can chicken and our smoked spatchcock chicken. Both give the salad tons of flavor. You can even use leftover smoked turkey if that’s what you have on hand!
If you like this recipe, don’t miss our spicy tuna salad—it’s another quick and tasty lunch idea we love!
What we love about this recipe
- Smoky flavor: We use leftover smoked chicken, which gives the salad a rich, savory taste. Use our smoked beer can chicken or smoked spatchcock chicken for the best results.
- Soul Food Seasoning: Our special seasoning mix adds extra flavor and makes it stand out.
- Southern: This recipe has the perfect balance of smoky, creamy, and crunchy flavors, with a bit of Southern flair!
Quick Tip: This recipe is best with leftover smoked chicken! Let it cool completely before chopping for the juiciest, easiest mix. And don’t toss that skin—crisp it up in a skillet and mix it in for a tasty crunch!
Ingredients
- Smoked Chicken – We recommend using our smoked chicken recipe for the best flavor! It's perfect for chicken salad. If you have leftovers, this is a great way to use them up. Rotisserie or grilled chicken works too, it just won’t have the same smoky flavor.
- Red Onion – Adds a nice crunch and a little bite. If raw onion is too strong for your taste, soak the diced onion in cold water for 5-10 minutes to mellow it out.
- Celery – Gives your chicken salad some fresh crunch. Be sure to dice it small so it blends in well with the other ingredients.
- Mayonnaise – Makes everything creamy. Use your favorite brand—Duke’s is always a good choice in our kitchen!
- Dijon Mustard – Adds a little tang. You can swap it with regular yellow mustard if that's what you have.
- Soul Food Seasoning – If you’re using our smoked chicken recipe and it was seasoned well, you might not need to add much (or any) extra seasoning. But if you’re using plain, rotisserie, or grilled chicken, go ahead and sprinkle some in to boost the flavor. Start with a little, taste it, and add more if needed.
How to Make Smoked Chicken Salad
Step 1: Chop smoked chicken and place in a mixing bowl.
Step 2: Add red onion, celery, mayo, and mustard.
Step 3: Sprinkle in the Soul Food Seasoning.
Step 4: Mix everything together until it's well combined. If it looks too dry, add a little more mayo or mustard.
Step 5: Taste it and add more seasoning if you need to. Chill for 30 minutes before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Let the Chicken Cool: If you’re using leftover chicken, let it cool down before you pull and chop it.
- Crisp the Skin: If you’re using whole, skin-on chicken, don’t toss the skin! You can take it off, crisp it up in a skillet, and chop it into small pieces. Mixing the crispy skin into the salad will add a nice crunch!
- Chop the Chicken Small: For the best texture, chop the chicken into small, bite-sized pieces. This helps everything mix better and makes every bite taste yummy.
- Taste and Adjust: Always taste your chicken salad before serving. If it needs more mayo or mustard, go ahead and add it. Don’t forget to add Soul Food Seasoning if you think it needs a little extra flavor!
- Chill for Better Flavor: If you have time, let your chicken salad sit in the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving. This helps the flavors blend together and makes it taste even better!
What to Serve
There are so many fun ways to serve smoked chicken salad!
- For something simple, serve it on a platter with fresh lettuce and some crispy crackers on the side—perfect for scooping. You can also make lettuce wraps, using the crisp lettuce leaves instead of bread for a lighter option.
- If you want something a little fancier, slice some French bread, toast it, and make crispy crostinis. Or, for a filling lunch, spread the chicken salad between soft croissants or make club sandwiches with lettuce, tomato, and crispy bacon.
- If you love warm sandwiches, try a chicken salad melt. Just spread the chicken salad on bread, add some cheese, and pop it in the oven until it’s golden and melty.
Storage Instructions
- Store your smoked chicken salad in an airtight container in the fridge. It will stay fresh for 3 to 4 days.
- If you used leftover chicken, make sure you count from the day the chicken was first cooked—not the day you made the salad. For example, if your smoked chicken was cooked two days ago, the chicken salad will be good for 1 to 2 more days.
Commonly Asked Questions
Smoked chicken salad is usually eaten cold. It’s perfect for a quick lunch or snack, and it’s even better if you let it chill in the fridge for a little while before serving.
You can also use smoked chicken, grilled chicken, rotisserie chicken, or even poached chicken for chicken salad. Just make sure to season it how you want.
Pickles or relish, hard-boiled eggs, or apples and grapes go good in smoked chicken salad.
📖 Recipe
Smoked Chicken Salad Recipe
Equipment
- Chef's knife
- Cutting board
- Medium Sized Mixing Bowl
- Rubber Spatula
Ingredients
- 2 cups leftover smoked chicken chopped
- ¼ cup red onion diced
- ¼ cup celery diced
- ¼ cup mayonnaise plus more as needed
- 1 ½ tablespoons dijon mustard
- soul food seasoning to taste
Instructions
- Mix the chicken, onion, celery, mayo, and mustard in a medium sized mixing bowl until well incorporated.
- Adjust the mayo and mustard amounts as needed.
- Season the chicken salad with the Soul Food Seasoning if using and fold until well incorporated. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Chill for 30 minutes before serving.
Shaunna says
I made this recipe using boneless skinless chicken thighs I had leftover. It tasted really good! I can only imagine how it would have turned out if I used smoked chicken. Saving this in my recipe box to make it again.