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This is the best chicken salad recipe and it’s loaded with pickles, onions, pecans, and juicy chicken! It makes a great low carb chicken salad if you serve it in a lettuce wrap or just eat it with a fork!
I have a confession to make.
I’m not a huge chicken lover.
I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love the idea of chicken. It’s a great source of lean protein. It’s healthy, it’s relatively easy to cook, and it’s not terribly expensive.
Buttttttt, there’s just something about raw chicken that seriously grosses me out. It’s embarrassing to admit that, but it’s the truth!
I mean, I still cook it, of course. But the fact is that my most favorite way to cook and eat chicken is shredded. You may have noticed that the vast majority of chicken recipes on this blog featured already cooked shredded chicken breast. That’s because it’s EASY, I like the texture, and I always have bags of shredded chicken on hand in my freezer thanks to the best way to shred chicken. (Seriously, go click that link. It’s the best kitchen hack ever!)
I am also not above just buying a rotisserie chicken and doctoring it up into homemade goodness. No shame in my game, friends.
Anyway, lately I’ve been shredding chicken in the Instant Pot. I just cook chicken breasts on high pressure for 15 minutes in a cup of broth and then let the pressure release naturally. Super moist chicken comes out of that pressure cooker. It’s amazing!
This chicken salad is loaded with goodies! Boiled eggs, pickles, pecans, onions. I’m kinda wondering how it’d be to replace the regular boiled eggs with my pickled egg recipe? Weird or amazing?
That’s how I made my shredded chicken for this low carb chicken salad. I
This chicken salad is seriously loaded with flavor and packs in so much crunchy goodness. I mostly just eat this with a fork, but it’s also really good in a lettuce wrap if that’s more your style.
Of course, when I’m not watching my carbs, this is pretty divine inside a couple slices of white bread. And yes, I totally dip Ritz crackers in this stuff every chance I get. It makes for a fun and filling lunch!
I hope you give this one a try and let me know what you think. Personally, I think it’s the best chicken salad recipe out there! I might be a little biased though. 🙂
More cold salads to try:
Egg Salad Recipe: This egg salad packs in some bacon and cheddar and it’s always a hit!
Cucumber Salad: It’s fresh, creamy, crunchy, and amazing.
Tuna Pasta Salad: Make this for your next potluck!!
Buffalo Chicken Salad: Chicken salad with a little kick!
Loaded Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 2 boiled eggs chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped dill pickles
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup diced yellow onion
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add everything to a medium mixing bowl and stir well to combine.
- Serve as a dip for chips, spread on bread for a sandwich, or keep it low carb and enjoy in a lettuce wrap or on a fork.
Stacie Anderson says
I’m not a dill pickle fan either. I’ve subbed Bread n Butter pickles in many recipes & they work out great! I like sweet pickles of course…but there’s just something about Bread n Butters I love. I miss my aunt’s home-jarred Bread n Butters SO much! I’ve seen tuna salad, potato salad, ham salad recipes that call for dills & it sounds terrible to me. BnBs or Sweets only! ?
Try Bread n Butter pickles next time something calls for dill…hope you enjoy them! ????
Another Kreamer says
I want your recipe please that look so Good.
Karly says
Hi Annette. You scrolled right past the recipe to reach the comment section.
joanne lawrie says
Just make this salad and its amazing, i didnt use dill pickle as dont like them so I cut up some jalapenos, I had it over a baked potato and my husband made a sandwich. Will def be a regular
Karly says
Sounds delicious with jalapenos!
Kathleen says
I bet this would be amazing with green onions, too!
Thank you for the easy, appetizing, “regular ingredients” low carb recipes!
Karly says
Green onion would be a great addition! 🙂
Scott Vestal says
Could you use Sweet Relish in place of the dill pickles. I am not a pickle fan at all. I can handle bread and butter …but no dill. I love your blog and recipes. I hope you can enlighten me
Karly says
Yep, use whatever type of relish you like best. 🙂
Darrell M Crumpton says
Whats the serving size
Karly says
This recipe should serve 4. 🙂
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Kim says
Has any one tried to make this ahead and freeze?
Kathleen says
I’d be afraid the eggs and mayo would make it watery, but it’s an interesting idea!.
Amy says
Oh my gosh!!! It is great to read someone feels the same way about raw chicken. I have discovered FROZEN chicken tenderloins by Tysons. I put them frozen in the oven or microwave and voila – cooked chicken skipping the icky stage!
Wendi Spraker says
Karly,
So glad you are able to overcome the chicken “eh”‘s and come up with this chicken salad! Nothing is better than boiled eggs, mayo and pickles! Put them all together in a chicken salad! YUM! I’m gonna have to give this chicken salad a go – thanks for sharing!!!
Neha Mathur says
This looks so good.
Karly says
Thanks! 🙂
Sue says
gonna make this for sure and will use pepitas as a lower carb option in place of pecans, tho pecans are making my mouth water as I think of this recipe, LOL
Linda says
So think of this as low carb potato salad. It sounds delicious to me. I haven’t bought a loaf of white bread since I was diagnosed with diabetes. But I can have 5-6 Ritz crackers. And they would be perfect with this. Thanks for the idea.
Wishes for tasty dishes,
Linda
Dawn @ Words Of Deliciousness says
This chicken salad looks amazing. I really like the pecans in the salad, I would not have thought of adding them. I would love it in a sandwich or with crackers both ways sound delicious.
Karly says
They give it a great texture!
Stephanie says
It’s sooo FUNNY to hear your take on chicken Karly because I feel the same way, I feel like chicken is… “eh” unless it’s pretty dolled up… and I’m glad that we’ve both just said it out loud! I did just check out your shredded chicken post though and will be saving that, my friend does it the same way when she makes her buffalo chicken dip and it always turns out AMAZING. My husband would DIE for this chicken salad too so I’ll be pinning it for sure! Have a great Wednesday, friend!
Pat Wheeler says
Chicken used to taste “like chicken”. Now days, most of the chicken you buy is just three or four months out of the egg. They have bred the taste right out of the chicken in favor of faster, plumper, more profitable results. It’s a shame. Chicken breasts have become the number one ingredient that relies totally on something else to give it any flavor at all.
That being said, it is people like Karly who are finding ways to add flavor back into chicken and I, for one, am grateful.
Thanks a million Karly from someone who remembers what chicken used to taste like 🙂