Easy Homemade Chicken Salad with Canned Chicken
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This easy homemade chicken salad is one of our family’s favorite quick lunches! Made with tender chicken, crunchy celery, red onion, fresh lemon juice, and a simple creamy dressing, it’s a delicious meal that comes together in just minutes. Serve it on homemade sourdough bread, buttery croissants, soft hoagie rolls, or crackers for an easy lunch everyone will love.
One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it starts with a quart of home-canned chicken. Having ready-to-eat chicken on my pantry shelves makes putting together a homemade lunch so much easier, especially on busy days when I don’t want to spend extra time in the kitchen.
And because I keep pre-chopped celery and onions in my freezer, there’s very little prep work involved!
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Salad Recipe
- Quick and easy: Just a handful of ingredients and a few minutes of mixing.
- Perfect for home-canned chicken: A great way to turn pantry staples into a satisfying meal.
- Fresh, simple flavor: Lemon juice adds a little brightness to the creamy mayonnaise dressing.
- Versatile: Serve it as a sandwich, on a hoagie roll, with crackers, or on a croissant.
- Family favorite: An easy lunch we come back to again and again.
Ingredients for Homemade Chicken Salad
You only need seven simple ingredients to make this delicious chicken salad.
- 1 quart home-canned chicken, drained: I love using my own canned chicken because it’s already cooked and ready to use.
- ¼ cup chopped celery: Adds a little freshness and crunch.
- ¼ cup chopped red onion: Gives the chicken salad a mild, slightly sweet onion flavor.
- ½ cup mayonnaise: Brings everything together with a creamy texture.
- Juice of ½ fresh lemon: Adds brightness and balances the richness of the mayonnaise.
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste: Adjust according to the saltiness of your chicken.
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper: Adds just a little seasoning without overpowering the other ingredients.
A Note About the Salt
My home-canned chicken doesn’t have any added salt, so I typically use ½ teaspoon in this recipe.
If you’re using store-bought canned chicken, rotisserie chicken, or chicken that was seasoned before cooking, you may need considerably less.
I recommend starting with a smaller amount of salt, tasting the finished chicken salad, and adding more as needed. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out!
How to Make Homemade Chicken Salad
Step 1: Prepare the Chicken
Open and drain one quart of home-canned chicken. Transfer the chicken to a medium mixing bowl and gently break it apart with a fork.
You can leave some larger pieces if you prefer a chunkier chicken salad or shred it more finely for a smoother consistency.
Step 2: Add the Vegetables
Add ¼ cup chopped celery and ¼ cup chopped red onion to the chicken.
I love keeping both of these vegetables pre-chopped in my freezer. They make this recipe even faster to prepare!
Step 3: Add the Mayonnaise and Lemon Juice
Add ½ cup mayonnaise and squeeze the juice from half a fresh lemon into the bowl.
Stir until the chicken and vegetables are evenly coated.
The lemon juice gives the chicken salad a fresh, bright flavor that complements the creamy dressing without overpowering the other ingredients.
Step 4: Season to Taste
Add the black pepper and start with a portion of the salt, adjusting as needed.
Remember, the amount of salt you need will depend on whether your chicken was salted before making the chicken salad.
Step 5: Serve and Enjoy
Serve immediately, or refrigerate until you’re ready for lunch.
This chicken salad is delicious on sourdough bread, croissants, hoagie rolls, or alongside your favorite crackers.
My Favorite Shortcut: Frozen Celery and Onions
One of the biggest time-saving tricks I’ve learned from cooking from scratch is to keep pre-chopped vegetables in the freezer.
I regularly keep chopped celery and onions on hand so they’re ready to go for soups, casseroles, and recipes like this chicken salad.
And here’s the best part: I don’t even thaw them first!
I add the frozen celery and onions directly to the chicken salad and mix everything together. They help keep the chicken salad nice and cold while adding a little crunch.
It’s one less thing to chop, one less cutting board to wash, and another way to make homemade lunches easier.
If you’re preparing the chicken salad ahead of time, keep in mind that frozen vegetables may soften slightly and release a little moisture as they thaw. I prefer adding them shortly before serving for the texture we enjoy.
What to Serve with Chicken Salad
There are so many delicious ways to enjoy homemade chicken salad.
- On homemade sourdough bread: One of my favorite ways to turn this into a hearty, satisfying sandwich.
- On buttery croissants: The soft, flaky texture pairs beautifully with the creamy chicken salad.
- On hoagie rolls: A soft hoagie roll makes a filling, sub-style chicken salad sandwich.
- With crackers: Perfect when you want a quick lunch without making a full sandwich. This is also a great option for kids!
You could also serve chicken salad in lettuce cups or over a bed of greens for something a little different.
Why I Love Using Home-Canned Chicken
Keeping home-canned chicken in my pantry is one of the biggest conveniences in my kitchen.
Instead of having to thaw raw chicken, cook it, and wait for it to cool, I can open a jar and have fully cooked chicken ready to use in minutes.
It’s especially helpful for lunches when we’re busy and I want to get something homemade on the table without spending a lot of time preparing it.
Chicken salad is just one of the many meals I make with it!
If you’ve never canned your own chicken, I have a complete tutorial showing you how I prepare and pressure can chicken for easy meals throughout the year.
Related recipe: How to Can Chicken at Home
Can You Use Store-Bought Canned Chicken?
Absolutely!
While I typically use home-canned chicken, you can also make this recipe with store-bought canned chicken or leftover cooked chicken.
Just make sure to drain canned chicken well before mixing your ingredients.
Most importantly, pay attention to the salt content. Commercially canned chicken is often already salted, so you’ll want to adjust the seasoning accordingly.
How to Store Leftover Chicken Salad
Store leftover chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator at 40°F or below for up to 3–4 days.
Because this recipe contains cooked chicken and mayonnaise, don’t leave it sitting at room temperature for more than two hours, or one hour if the temperature is above 90°F.
For the best texture, give the chicken salad a quick stir before serving, especially if you’ve used frozen celery and onion.
I don’t recommend freezing the finished chicken salad because the mayonnaise can separate and the vegetables may become watery when thawed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make chicken salad ahead of time?
Yes! You can prepare this chicken salad ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. Just keep in mind that frozen celery and onions may release some moisture as they thaw.
Can I use fresh celery and onion instead of frozen?
Of course! Freshly chopped vegetables work wonderfully in this recipe. I just love the convenience of having them ready to use in my freezer.
Can I use bottled lemon juice instead of fresh?
Freshly squeezed lemon juice gives this chicken salad its best flavor, but bottled lemon juice will work if that’s what you have available. Start with about 1 tablespoon and adjust to taste.
How much chicken is in a quart jar?
The amount of chicken can vary depending on how the jar was packed and how much liquid it contains. For this recipe, I use one drained quart jar of my home-canned chicken.
Can I add more mayonnaise?
Definitely! If you like a creamier chicken salad, add a little more mayonnaise until you reach the consistency you prefer.
What’s the best bread for chicken salad sandwiches?
We especially enjoy homemade sourdough bread, croissants, and hoagie rolls, but any sandwich bread you love will work.
A Quick Homemade Lunch the Whole Family Loves
This homemade chicken salad is a perfect example of why I love keeping simple, ready-to-use ingredients in my pantry and freezer.
With a quart of home-canned chicken, a few basic ingredients, and vegetables I’ve already chopped and frozen, I can have a delicious homemade lunch on the table in minutes.
The fresh lemon juice gives the chicken salad just the right amount of brightness, and the combination of creamy dressing, tender chicken, and crunchy vegetables keeps everyone coming back for more.
It’s simple, satisfying, and a family favorite that we never seem to get tired of!
If you’re looking for more ways to put your home-canned chicken to use, be sure to try my Homemade Chicken Pot Pie, another family favorite that makes getting dinner on the table easier.
Easy Homemade Chicken Salad
Ingredients
Method
- Drain the canned chicken and transfer it to a medium mixing bowl. Gently break apart with a fork.
- Add the chopped celery and red onion.
- Add the mayonnaise and squeeze the juice of half a fresh lemon into the bowl. Stir until evenly combined.
- Add black pepper and salt to taste, adjusting the amount of salt based on the seasoning already in your chicken.
- Serve immediately with crackers, sourdough bread, croissants, or hoagie rolls, or refrigerate until ready to serve.
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