Make leftover chicken a star with this tasty chicken salad. Filled with chopped bell peppers, red onions, celery and fresh cilantro, this chicken salad is bursting with flavor.
Whip this quick salad together in less than 15 minutes and you have yourself a delicious lunch or light dinner.
Chicken salad with leftover chicken
Finding a delicious recipe to use up leftover chicken is such an amazing thing. This chicken salad is extra delicious and you’ll find yourself cooking up some chicken just to make this salad.
This chicken salad has a light dressing and you control how much of the dressing gets added to the salad. If you like it a little dry, add a bit less or if you like it a bit creamier, add a bit more dressing.
Any leftover chicken works in this chicken salad. Try using leftover beer can chicken, oven baked chicken thighs, grilled lemon chicken or beer basted grilled chicken.
Key ingredients
- Chicken – cooked and chopped
- Veggies – bell peppers, celery and red onions
- Bacon – cooked crisp and chopped
- Cilantro – chopped
- Lemon – zest and juice
Step by step directions
- Add chopped chicken, bell peppers, celery, onions, bacon and cilantro to a large bowl. Toss all ingredients together
- In a separate bowl, combine dressing ingredients
- Add half the dressing to the salad. Toss to coat. Add a bit more dressing, depending on your taste.
- Add additional salt and pepper if needed
recipe tips
- Try to cut all the veggies about the same size
- Don’t add all the dressing at once. Start with half the dressing and then continue adding until it to your desired consistency
- Use any remaining dressing as a spread on bread or a tortilla wrap
- Store salad covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days
Variations and substitutions
- Use cooked turkey in place of the chicken
- Replace red onion with chopped scallions
- Substitute cilantro for freshly chopped parsley
- Add pepperoncini peppers for a little extra spice
serving suggestions
Eat this tasty salad in several different ways
- Add to a tortilla wrap
- Make into a sandwich
- Eat plain or on crackers
- Hollow out a tomato and stuff with this chicken salad
- Eat on a leaf of lettuce
Recipe FAQs
When stored covered in the refrigerator, this salad will be good for up to four days.
Use your favorite type of mayonnaise in this salad. Any type will work, regular, light or Miracle Whip.
More great chicken salad recipes
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Try all my delicious salad recipes!
chicken salad
Chunks of Chicken mixed with celery, peppers and bacon and a light dressing.
Prevent your screen from going dark
Instructions
Place all salad ingredients in a large bowl
Mix dressing ingredients together
Add half the dressing to the salad mixture. Toss to coat. Add a bit more dressing until it’s the consistency you like.
Ratings
- Try to cut all the veggies about the same size
- Don’t add all the dressing at once. Start with half the dressing and then continue adding until it to your desired consistency
- Use any remaining dressing as a spread on bread or a tortilla wrap
- Store salad covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days
- Use cooked turkey in place of the chicken
- Replace red onion with chopped scallions
- Substitute cilantro for freshly chopped parsley
- Add pepperoncini peppers for a little extra spice
- Add to a tortilla wrap
- Make into a sandwich
- Eat plain or on crackers
- Hollow out a tomato and stuff with this chicken salad
- Eat on a leaf of lettuce
Nutrition Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
calories: 365caloriesCarbohydrates: 4gprotein: 4gFat: 37gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 444mgPotassium: 192mgfiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1143UIVitamin C: 40mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg
This recipe was originally posted in January 2015. The photos, text and recipe have all been updated with additional information.
