Packed with so many great ingredients, this chicken salad sandwich could easily be called Pantry Sandwich! Delicious dinner or lunch option for any day of the week, your next easy meal will be ready in less than 15 minutes.
There are just those days (or weeks or months) where we need easy food that can be made quickly with a few ingredients we pull out of our pantry. This is the perfect recipe for those times. Who doesn’t love a good chicken salad sandwich?
One of the things I love about this recipe is that there aren’t any ingredients that can’t be replaced with something else. See the ingredients below as mere recommendations. I listed out substitution options in the Recipe Notes below.
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST CHICKEN SALAD RECIPE
Throw the following ingredients into a medium bowl:
- 12.5-oz. can chunk chicken, drained, pieces broken apart with a fork
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup pecans, chopped
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries (like Craisins)
- 1/4 cup green olives, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Mix well and pile it between two pieces of bread along with some fresh lettuce or spinach.
RECIPE NOTES
- Use meat from a Rotisserie chicken instead of from a can or shred cooked chicken breasts.
- Substitute the pecans for walnuts, pine nuts or sesame seeds! Or omit entirely if you’re not a nut kinda guy or gal.
- Use a light mayo for a less dense sandwich, or replace mayo with plain Greek yogurt.
- Substitute the green olives for black olives or even chopped pickles! Capers would taste amazing, too.
- Chicken can easily be replace with canned salmon or tuna.
- Any dried fruit will work great in this sandwich.
- 1/4 cup chopped celery can be added, if desired.
- Add a few squirts of lemon juice for extra freshness.
- If you’re feeling indulgent, pour some Ranch salad dressing over the top before placing the top piece of bread in place.
USES FOR ROTISSERIE CHICKEN MEAT
If you use meat from a Rotisserie chicken to make this recipe and have leftovers, there are endless possibilities for ways to use it up. I love loading up on Rotisseries chickens (or I just make my own!) because I never lack ideas for how to eat the succulent meat. Here are just a few ideas to get you started!
- Shred the chicken and add it to your next wrap or salad.
- Add it to your next batch of chicken noodle soup!
- Use it in chicken enchiladas or this yummy chicken enchilada bake.
- CHICKEN BURRITO BOWLS! Chipotle style!
- Throw it into some cheesy quesadillas.
OTHER DELICIOUS SALAD RECIPES
- Best Chopped Salad This chopped salad is packed with delicious ingredients including candied pecans, red onions, avocado, tomatoes and more!
- Edamame Tomato Corn Salad Edamame Tomato Corn Salad is my favorite salad recipe of ALL TIME. This delicious salad is a crowd-pleaser, enjoyed any time of the year. Bring this to a party and it will be devoured immediately!
- Loaded Veggie Salad This versatile Loaded Veggie Salad is EASY to make and it is packed with healthy ingredients, such as chickpeas, black beans, tomatoes and avocados. It is a delicious lunch, wrap filling, party side or even a topping for chicken!
- Quinoa Edamame Salad Quinoa Edamame Salad is great for parties and can be served in throw-away cups for serving ease. Also great as a salad to have in the fridge. It is packed with fresh fruit and veggies.
- Crunchy Bok Choy Salad This crunchy, veggie-packed Bok Choy Salad is a great dish to bring to parties. Prepare this one just before serving. It will quickly become a salad favorite!
Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Ingredients
- 12.5 oz. chunk chicken drained, pieces broken apart with a fork
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup pecans chopped
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup green olives chopped
- 8 slices white bread or wheat
- 1 cup iceberg lettuce or spinach
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, mayonnaise, pecans, raisins, cranberries and green olives. Mix well.
- Divide the mixture four ways and place each serving on a slice of bread. Top with lettuce and another slice of bread.
Notes
- Use meat from a Rotisserie chicken instead of from a can or shred cooked chicken breasts.
- Substitute the pecans for walnuts, pine nuts or sesame seeds! Or omit entirely if you’re not a nut kinda guy or gal.
- Use a light mayo for a less dense sandwich, or replace mayo with plain Greek yogurt.
- Substitute the green olives for black olives or even chopped pickles! Capers would taste amazing, too.
- Chicken can easily be replace with canned salmon or tuna.
- Any dried fruit will work great in this sandwich.
- 1/4 cup chopped celery can be added, if desired.
- Add a few squirts of lemon juice for extra freshness.
- If you’re feeling indulgent, pour some Ranch salad dressing over the top before placing the top piece of bread in place.
This recipe for chicken salad looks delicious and sounds great with sour dough and spinach. We're doing a blog hop today all about deli salads if you want to hop with us: http://www.favedietsblog.com/the-healthy-hop-may-edition/
Thanks!
Blair
I made chicken salad today and it was awesome. I used canned chicken (white meat) celery, red grapes, craisins infused with pomegranate jucie,Mayo, sour cream and honey. Mixed together and sprinkled with toasted almonds. Served on a bed of lettuce for dinner.
Your son sounds a lot like my daughter!! Raisins, chocolate and candy would be her dream birthday lunch! Happy Birthday to the little guy!
However, your lunch is more to my taste, looks just perfect! Nicely done!!
I love dried fruit in chicken salad – but never thought about olives – and it sounds amazing. I usually just toss in an extra breast when I make chicken just to have leftovers for salad – it freezes well and is less work than deboning a rotisserie bird.
This looks yummy! I am book marking this to make when it's too hot to use the oven. I think the rotisserie chicken idea sounds great. I bet shredded leftover grilled chicken would be tasty too! Thanks for sharing the recipe.