The Best Chicken Salad – Grandma Betty’s Chicken Salad Recipe

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Grandma Betty’s Chicken Salad Recipe in my opinion is the best Chicken Salad ever! With green grapes and pineapple for sweetness and celery and slivered almonds for crunchiness, you’ll jazz up a rotisserie chicken in the most delicious way possible.

Grandma Betty's Chicken Salad Recipe in my opinion is the best Chicken Salad ever! With green grapes and pineapple for sweetness and celery and slivered almonds for crunchiness, you'll jazz up a rotisserie chicken in the most delicious way possible.

Grandma Betty’s Chicken Salad Recipe

There are literally thousands of recipes for chicken salad out there. I think the best version comes from Grandma Betty.

Now Grandma Betty isn’t my grandma, but she was a wonderful grandmother (and mother) to our family friends, Jackie, Dana and Cara.

Grandma Betty was a great cook, and she left quite a legacy of delicious and easy recipes.

This chicken salad gets the perfect amount of sweetness from green grapes and pineapple tidbits, plus it has the perfect amount of crunch from celery and slivered almonds.

Serve the best chicken salad on its own or with bread, croissants or even on top of lettuce.

Chicken Salad (no eggs, no mustard)

I particularly like this easy chicken salad recipe without mustard and without eggs. The chicken is the highlight of the show with the other ingredients adding just a hint of sweetness and a hint of crunch.

It is also a nice creamy version of this classic dish that is always a hit at a special lunch or brunch. Do you want to know why? Grandma Betty had a little secret. This chicken salad uses mayo AND sour cream.

A spoonful of the best chicken salad ever won’t be enough!

Chicken Salad Ingredients

Cooked Chicken, cubed

Celery, chopped

Green, Seedless Grapes, halved

Pineapple Tidbits, drained

Slivered Almonds, toasted

Mayonnaise

Sour Cream

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The best chicken salad can be served several different ways including as a sandwich using a croissant.

How to serve chicken salad?

Chicken salad is so versatile that it can be eaten in so many different ways. It could absolutely be eaten all by itself with a fork, or try one of these other fun ways:

  • Croissants
  • Crackers
  • Pita Chips
  • Mini Buns or Hawaiian Buns
  • Lettuce Wraps or Lettuce Cups
  • Rolled up in tortillas and cut into pinwheels
  • Chicken salad sandwich with toasted pumpernickel or rye bread
  • English Muffin
  • Toasted Bread Points
Serve the best chicken salad at bridal or baby showers, at a fancy brunch or for a quick weekday lunch or dinner option.

What kind of chicken works best in chicken salad?

My personal favorite type of chicken to use is rotisserie chicken. Grab a moist, flavorful chicken next time you’re at the grocery store or Costco (for extra savings). Remove the skin and bones from the rotisserie chicken, and then cut the chicken into cubes.  Use both the white and the dark meat for more flavor.

With that being said, you could also use poached chicken, shredded chicken, canned chicken, grilled chicken, etc. However, I think rotisserie chicken gives the best flavor and texture to chicken salad.

We love serving our best chicken salad in a croissant.

How to Make Classic Chicken Salad without eggs

Step by Step Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, combine cubed, cooked chicken, chopped celery, toasted slivered almonds, drained pineapple tidbits, mayonnaise and sour cream.
  2. If dry, add a bit more sour cream and/or mayonnaise.
  3. Serve immediately or refrigerate to let the flavors marinate together.

Storage Instructions

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

For the full ingredient amounts and recipe steps for chicken salad without mustard, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post. 

This best chicken salad is extra creamy because the recipe includes both mayonnaise and sour cream.

Recipe FAQs

  • Rotisserie chicken is the easiest, most flavorful chicken for Grandma’s Chicken Salad recipe. Remove the skin and bones, and cube both the white and dark meat
  • If the green grapes are extra big, cut into thirds or quarters.
  • To toast the slivered almonds, add to a dry skillet over medium high heat, stir until lightly browned.
  • Eat with a fork, on a croissant, on a sandwich, crackers or anyway you please.
  • Can’t find pineapple tidbits? Cut pineapple chunks into smaller pieces.
  • If the chicken salad seems dry, add a little more mayo or sour cream to your desired creaminess.
  • This is the perfect recipe for bridal showers, baby showers, Easter, or just a plain day at home.
  • Check out our Amazon Store for some of our favorite pantry essentials.
The best chicken salad in our opinion is this recipe which includes mayonnaise, sour cream, green grapes and celery.

Recipe Variations

  • Substitute chopped pecans for almonds.
  • Replace grapes with dried cranberries.
  • Add a squirt of Dijon mustard.
  • Replace sour cream with Greek yogurt.
  • Add fresh herbs such as fresh dill, chives or parsley.
  • Use diced apples instead of pineapple.
  • Diced tomatoes and fresh basil seasoned with black pepper is a tasty version.

Vintage Salad Recipes

Fancy Chicken Salad 

This Fancy Chicken Salad is extra special with a touch of crunch from pecans, sweet pickles and celery and a hint of sweetness from canned cherries.  The ingredients are surprising, and the flavor is delicious. 

Old Fashioned Bologna Salad

3 Ingredient Chicken Salad

This 3 Ingredient Chicken Salad is a great option for an easy workday lunch to fix as a sandwich or put on crackers. You will not be able to stop eating this simple salad with canned chicken, hard boiled eggs and mayonnaise.

4 Ingredient Egg Salad Without Mayo

4 Ingredient Egg Salad Without Mayo consists of eggs, relish, mustard and cream of chicken soup. 4 simple ingredients that can be made into a quick, delicious dinner or snack.

Bologna Salad

This Bologna Salad features just four ingredients and is perfect for a snack with crackers, spread on toast or as a sandwich with a slice of cheese and some lettuce.

What to Make with Rotisserie Chicken?

We love using rotisserie chicken in our recipes and we’ve shared many of those throughout the years. Here are just a few of our favorites.

We also pulled together a post featuring recipes using canned chicken. All of these can also use rotisserie chicken as well.

Grandma Betty’s Chicken Salad Recipe – The Best Chicken Salad

Grandma Betty's Chicken Salad Recipe in my opinion is the best Chicken Salad ever!  With green grapes and pineapple for sweetness and celery and slivered almonds for crunchiness, you'll jazz up a rotisserie chicken in the most delicious way possible.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course: Entree, Main Course, Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chicken salad without eggs, chicken salad without mustard, creamy chicken salad, grandma’s chicken salad recipe, the best chicken salad
Servings: 12 servings
Author: Barbara

Ingredients

  • 4 cups cooked, cubed chicken
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup green grapes, halved
  • 1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained
  • 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sour cream

Instructions

  • Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
    Grandma Betty's Chicken Salad Recipe in my opinion is the best Chicken Salad ever!  With green grapes and pineapple for sweetness and celery and slivered almonds for crunchiness, you'll jazz up a rotisserie chicken in the most delicious way possible.
  • If the chicken salad seems dry, add a little bit more mayo and/or sour cream to desired creaminess.
    Grandma Betty's Chicken Salad Recipe in my opinion is the best Chicken Salad ever!  With green grapes and pineapple for sweetness and celery and slivered almonds for crunchiness, you'll jazz up a rotisserie chicken in the most delicious way possible.
  • Serve immediately, or refrigerate for a couple hours to let the flavors meld.
  • Eat as is, on a sandwich, croissant, crackers, etc.
    Grandma Betty's Chicken Salad Recipe in my opinion is the best Chicken Salad ever!  With green grapes and pineapple for sweetness and celery and slivered almonds for crunchiness, you'll jazz up a rotisserie chicken in the most delicious way possible.

Notes

  • Rotisserie chicken is the easiest, most flavorful chicken for Grandma’s Chicken Salad recipe.  Remove the skin and bones, and cube both the white and dark meat
  • If the green grapes are extra big, cut into thirds or quarters.
  • To toast the slivered almonds, add to a dry skillet over medium high heat, stir until lightly browned.
  • Eat classic chicken salad with a fork, on a croissant, on a sandwich, crackers or anyway you please.
  • Can’t find pineapple tidbits? Cut pineapple chunks into smaller pieces. 
  • If the chicken salad seems dry, add a little more mayo or sour cream to your desired creaminess.
  • This is the perfect chicken salad recipe for bridal showers, baby showers, Easter, or just a plain day at home.
  • Love chicken salad but short on time? This this super easy Chicken Salad (with canned chicken)
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Grandma Betty’s Perfect Chicken Salad is the best chicken salad in our opinion.

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