Chicken salad made with bacon, celery, and green onions – An easy recipe that’s bursting with flavor.
For the perfect picnic basket fillers, pack up this recipe with Tuna Salad, and fresh-baked bread!
Deliciously Easy Chicken Salad Recipe
Sometimes the best recipes are the simplest. This recipe uses only five ingredients, but packs a punch in flavor! Perfect for packed lunch or picnics, this recipe will become a fast favorite.
Why This Recipe Works
- The salty bacon pairs well with the tangy creaminess of the mayonnaise and the pungent flavor of the green onions.
- The addition of the celery adds fresh flavor and crunchy texture.
- It’s super simple to prepare and makes a great option for using leftover chicken.
This salad is the perfect lunch any day of the week, and its the perfect choice for a picnic, party food, or brunch.Â
Perfect Keto Chicken Salad
If you’re following a keto meal plan this salad is perfect for a quick and easy, low carb lunch! Just wrap it in some lettuce or serve it with cucumber or celery sticks!
Step By Step Instructions
Start with cooking your bacon
For Perfect Bacon
- Start with a cold pan:Â Â Add the bacon to a cold pan before turning on the heat.
- Don’t worry about crowding the pan. Bacon will shrink as it cooks, just don’t overlap too much.
- Cook on medium-high heat. Bacon cooks fairly quickly and can go from being brown to burned rapidly. Cooking the bacon overheat that’s too high also causes the grease to get too hot and smoke up the room.
While the bacon cooks, shred the cooked chicken into bite sized pieces.
Once crisp, transfer the bacon to paper towels to absorb any excess grease and cool down.
Dice the celery into small pieces.
Slice the green onions/scallions into rounds.
Add the chicken, green onions, celery, and mayonnaise to a bowl.
Once the bacon is cooled, mix it in and taste for seasoning before serving.
Serve in a sandwich or top your favorite salad greens. Enjoy every last bite. 🙂
Erren’s Top Tips
- If you don’t have ready-made chicken, the best, easiest and quickest way to get moist, easily shredded chicken for a salad is to poach it. If you’re not sure how to do it, check out this great article on The Spruce Eats.
- Not a fan of celery, but still want to add a crunchy texture? Try adding fennel or English cucumber.
- For a lower fat option, use low-fat mayonnaise or a mixture of mayonnaise and non-fat Greek yogurt. You can also buy lean bacon that’s trimmed of fat.
Picnic Food Safety in Warmer Weather:Â
To prevent bacteria in food from rapidly growing, picnic food has to be kept at certain temperatures.  The key is to not allow your food to sit unrefrigerated for more than 2 hours, or if the outdoor temperature is higher than 90° F, limit the time to one hour.
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Let’s Make
Best Ever Chicken Salad
Tender chicken loaded with bacon, celery, and green onions, then coated with a mayonnaise dressing. This recipe is sure to become your new favorite.
Prep10 minutes
Total10 minutes
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Instructions
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In a skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove from the pan and blot to remove extra fat. Set aside to cool completely.
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Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, taste for seasoning, and add more salt as needed. If the mixture is drier than you prefer, you can also add more mayonnaise mix well, and refrigerate until serving.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 366 (18%)| Carbohydrates: 4g (1%)| Protein: 14g (28%)| Fat: 33g (51%)| Saturated Fat: 4g (25%)| Cholesterol: 39mg (13%)| Sodium: 104mg (5%)| Potassium: 260mg (7%)| Fiber: 3g (13%)| Sugar: 1g (1%)| Vitamin A: 155IU (3%)| Vitamin C: 1.5mg (2%)| Calcium: 34mg (3%)| Iron: 1.4mg (8%)
Nutritional Data Disclaimer
This recipe was originally published in June of 2018, but was republished with new photos, tips and FAQs in July of 2020.
