Our Dill Pickle Chicken Salad is a delightful twist on a classic chicken salad, combining tender pieces of chicken with the bold flavors of dill herbs, pickles and pickle juice.
Prepare this 10-minute no cook recipe with 6 simple ingredients, and creamy, salty and tangy pickle chicken salad as for lunch, quick dinner or snack.
Pickle Chicken Salad
I have a thing for no cook protein salads because they are so easy to make and so delicious. There’s Turkey Cranberry Salad, Tuna Egg Salad… and I’m now loving this Dill Pickle Chicken Salad!
Dill pickle chicken salad is a new favorite lunch. I make a big batch and keep it in the refrigerator and eat on it for days. It is so versatile I use it to make a variety of things:
- stuff pickle chicken salad between two slices of bread (or fancy bread like croissants, bagels etc) and make it into a sandwich
- top it on salads for extra protein
- eat it with crackers or chips – I snack on this all day!
I make my pickle chicken salad using cooked chicken for convenience. I either use canned chicken, shred up rotisserie chicken, or even cut up or shred up leftover chicken breast. It’s a great way to repurpose leftover chicken.
This Dill Pickle Chicken Salad is flavored with mayonnaise, diced pickles, and the biggest flavor burst of them all: pickle juice. Don’t skip the juice because that is where you get those big flavors.
Pickle chicken salad is the perfect combination of convenience and taste. If you are a fan of tangy pickles, this is totally your gem!
Feel free to use other types of pickles – I sometimes make this using bread and butter pickles which is sweeter, or even add some of my favorite relishes to it. But if you like salty flavors, dill pickles is the way to go.
It’s creamy, it’s tangy, it has a salty bite with a crunch. It’s just kinda addictive!
Ingredients
Dill Pickle Chicken Salad requires only six ingredients! Here’s what you’ll need:
- cooked chicken – I typically use canned chicken (make sure to drain excess liquid). You can also use shredded or chopped up fresh cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken. Turkey can be used as a substitute as well. It’s a great way to use up leftover chicken and turkey.
- dill pickle – diced into small pieces for that burst of salty flavors
- pickles juice – those briny, salty and vinegary juice surrounding dill pickle is actually the secret to an extra burst of flavor in our dill pickle chicken salad (talk about the taste of pickle concentrate!). A little goes a long way!
- mayonnaise – we will be using mayonnaise as the creamy base for the salad.
- mustard – I like to add a touch of mustard to balance out the creamy flavors. Yellow, dijon or any kind you have at hand would work!
- dill – fresh dill is used as the primary seasoning. You can use dried dill seasoning if you don’t have fresh dill as a substitute.
- salt (optional) – dill pickle chicken salad does not always need additional salt. Typically, between the pickles and pickle juice, there is enough salt, but add salt to taste at the end if needed.
How to make dill pickle chicken salad
Making Dill Pickle Chicken Salad is quick and easy!
First, drain the canned chicken. Remove all the juice in it and pat dry if needed.
If using rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken, remove skin and bones and shred chicken.
Prepare the ingredients by dicing the pickles into small pieces, and chop the dill into fine pieces if using the fresh version.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all the main ingredients: drained canned chicken, diced pickles, pickle juice, mayo and dill.
Mix it all up!
At the end, taste to see if additional salt is needed to flavor dill pickle chicken salad to your liking. Many times, salt is not needed.
For best taste, you can let the dill pickle chicken salad sit for an hour before serving so that the flavors are combined together.
Chilling the chicken salad for a hour or so also works great, especially if you want to serve chicken salad cold.
Serving Dill Pickle Chicken Salad
One of the best things about Dill Pickle Chicken Salad is its versatility. Here are a few of my favorite way of serving it:
- Serve it on a bed of greens to add even more vegetables and fiber into this meal. A simple lettuce works great with it.
- Spread it between sandwich bread, toast, croissant or bagel to make a light and delicious lunch!
- Pair it with crackers or chips for a fun twist. Regardless of how you choose to enjoy it, Dill Pickle Chicken Salad offers a delightful contrast of creamy and tangy flavors with each bite.
Storage
Dill Pickle Chicken Salad stores very well because pickles and pickle juice help preserve freshness.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Tips and Tricks
- Drain liquid from canned chicken: canned chicken will have a lot of moisture.- make sure to drain excess liquid before mixing it up with the rest of the ingredients.
- Herbs add a great deal of flavor: note that herbs really do a lot to increase flavor. Fresh herbs are always better but in a pinch, use dried dill and they work just fine.
- Make a large portion: make enough for a few meals, it makes your life so much easier when you have a few meals already sitting in the refrigerator. And chicken dill pickle salad keeps pretty well for a few days.
- Adjust saltiness: there may be a lot of salt in the salad because of the pickles, pickle juice and salt. Adjust to taste.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Simply cook and shred chicken breast or use rotisserie chicken for added convenience and flavor.
Yes! Pickles come in different shapes and forms – cube, spear, slice, relishes…etc. Feel free to use any of those and cut them into small chunks. For the best salty flavor, I find that dill pickles work best in this recipe.
If you don’t have dill on hand, try using fresh parsley, chives, or thyme for a different flavor profile.
Absolutely! Add cooked bacon, fruits such as grapes or apples, or nuts such as chopped almonds or pecans for a delicious variation.
Yes! If you’re looking to cut down on calories or prefer a different taste, feel free to substitute plain Greek yogurt for mayonnaise. The texture and flavor will be slightly different, but overall will still be tasty.
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More Quick Lunch Ideas
Dill Pickle Chicken Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 20 oz canned chicken or shredded rotisserie chicken
- 2 dill pickles diced
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tbsp dill pickle juice
- 1 tsp dill fresh (chopped) or dried
- salt to taste, if needed
Instructions
- Drain liquid from canned chicken.
- Add dill pickles, mayonnaise, mustard, fill pickle juice and dill to a mixing bowl.
- Using a spatula, mix to evenly combine.
- Taste and add salt if needed.
- Optional: Let chicken salad sit for a hour so the flavors have a chance to combine.
- Serve chilled or room temperature. Enjoy!
Made it for lunch and it was crazy good.
So glad to hear that you enjoyed this recipe!