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Cooking With Anadi
12K subscribers · shredded chicken, jalapeño heat, and creamy mustard mayo
Chicken Salad is an American classic that’s served at picnics or is a quick option to take to lunch for school or work. When you’ve got leftover veggies and chicken laying around, what do you do? Make a chicken salad! All you do is mix and serve, it can be done in under five minutes! A no-brainer right! Chicken salad lovers not only love the convenience of it, but of course the flavors it brings! The classic is awesome because of that crunch factor! It’s It's not mushy but crunchy goodness!
So then, if the classic is so good, why am I making this an even better recipe? Why do I think that this sandwich recipe is better than the classic you probably grew up with? Am I biased? Yeah, probably! But if you keep reading, perhaps you’ll give this recipe a try!
Better Than the Classic Sandwich?
Calling this a better sandwich is a bold statement on my part, but there’s a reason behind this name! I’ve made some classic sandwiches with chicken salad for lunches and to be quite honest haven’t enjoyed them very much! Why is this sandwich better than the traditional? Well, in my opinion, for a few reasons!
- I don’t like raw celery. It’s so strong! When I follow recipes for the classic, I just can’t stand that flavor. The crunch is good, but jeeze, the taste is so strong! No thank you!
- I don’t like raw onions. Again, they’re very strong! I see why we need them, but I just don’t like raw onions! Back in India, my family would have raw onion on the side with many dishes, such as with Masaledar Chana Dal, or yellow split pea soup. I was the only one who didn’t have the raw onion on the side! What can I say, it’s just not for me.
Those are the two main reasons why I don’t like the traditional sandwiches, though I know they are probably one of the most important ingredients! That’s okay, although we’re not going to use raw onions or celery in this recipe, this will still be extremely flavorful and crunchy! We’re just going to modify the classic my way!
To maintain that chicken salad-ness we know and love, I’m going to substitute the raw celery with celery salt. You’ve still got the essence of the celery there but it’s much milder! Additionally, I’m going to use green onion, and to keep the crunch factor in there, I’m adding grated carrots and a bit of chopped jalapeño pepper. For some awesome flavor, we’ll be using smoked applewood mustard! If you don’t have this, you can use regular Dijon mustard (I recommend organic!) or any Dijon mustard of your choice!
Tools Needed
Ingredients
Let’s go over what we need to make this! Remember, all measurements can be found in the detailed PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD at the bottom of this post!
- Sliced bread of choice. Here I’m using country round bread, which has been my recent favorite! Other options I recommend are sourdough, rye or ciabatta.
- Chicken breast to make Simple Poached Chicken, or pre-cooked chicken. You can use leftover chicken from last night’s dinner, use some leftover rotisserie chicken you picked up from the store, or make the poached chicken fresh and then shred it for the sandwich.
- Condiments. Here we’re using sour cream, mustard, and mayonnaise. You could even make your own mayonnaise if you wanted to! The mustard I’m using is BBQ smoked Applewood mustard. I’m LOVING this mustard lately! Otherwise, any Dijon mustard will work!
- Herbs. I’m using green onions. This will add a nice tanginess and a bit of crunch that is usually found from using diced red onion!
- Jalapeño. For the crunch factor and to add a little bit of heat!
- Carrots. Shredded. Our main source crunchiness here, replacing the chopped celery and chopped onion that are traditionally used!
- Greens. I’m using a spring mix here, but you can use spinach if you’d like!
- Spices. A pinch of celery salt. This will replace the raw celery that’s not going in this recipe, but will still have that classic chicken salad flair!
- Seasoning. I’m using salt and pepper to taste.
How to Make This Chicken Salad Sandwich Recipe
- If using raw chicken, poach your chicken, as described in my Simple Poached Chicken recipe. If your chicken is already cooked, skip to the next step.
- With the help of two forks, shred the chicken and add to a large bowl.
- Add rest of the prepared ingredients, jalapeño, carrots, green onions, mayo, sour cream, mustard, salt and pepper. Add celery salt if using as well.
- Mix thoroughly to combine and taste to adjust for seasoning.
- Evenly spread the mixture on one slice of bread and top with half the portion of greens mix. Top with another slice of bread and press down lightly.
- Slice sandwich in half and serve right away, or chill in refrigerator to serve later.
Is This Chicken Sandwich Recipe Healthy?▼
I don’t know why not! While I am using sour cream and mayonnaise, I’m not using too much of either. I’m just using enough to add creaminess to our chicken mixture. You can lighten it up by using reduced fat sour cream and mayonnaise. The mayonnaise I’m using is actually reduced fat! I personally like full fat sour cream because I find it has the best texture and reduced fat sour cream is a bit more liquidy. However, if you are adamant of cutting down the calories, then by all means use the reduced fat sour cream! If you want to omit the fat from the mayonnaise altogether, then substitute with plain Greek yogurt. Plain Greek yogurt has no sugar and is high in protein, so it will increase the satiety of the sandwich.
I’m also adding some greens to this sandwich. I used a moderate amount, but if you want to load up on the greens, then definitely go for it! I’ve also got the shredded carrots here for some additional veggie goodness. Overall, some fat from the sour cream and mayonnaise combined with vegetables and protein from the chicken, served with some bread, I’d say this can be a very balanced meal! If you want an additional nutritious boost to this sandwich, then use a whole grain or multi-grain bread. I personally prefer the taste of white bread, but that’s just me!
What to do with Leftover chicken Salad mixture▼
I find using the chicken salad in a sandwich the most satisfying way to enjoy! However, you can definitely get creative with leftovers, and I guarantee they’ll be gone in no time! Here are some ideas with how you can serve this chicken mixture:
- In a wrap.
- Get a mound of leafy greens, add some extra veggies, and toss in your chicken mixture for a healthy satisfying salad.
- On a slice of bread, then grate some mozzarella cheese on top. Melt your cheese under the broiler and you have a chicken salad grilled cheese! I actually did this with my leftovers after I made this!
- Refresh this with some BBQ sauce, and make it an entirely new sandwich or wrap.
- Add onto some pita bread for some pita pizzas.
- Cook up some pasta and mix it in for a creamy pasta salad.
Storing Leftovers
Leftover chicken salad should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for about 3-4 days.
Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!
Recipe by Anadi Misra
Upgrade your lunch game with this better chicken salad sandwich! Creamy, flavorful, and easy to make, it is the perfect quick meal that will have everyone asking for seconds.
Stovetop
Rate this recipe ✦
15 min
Prep
20 min
Cook
35 min
Total
2
sandwiches
easy
Level
Ingredients
Ingredients
Tap any quantity to scale
For the chicken salad
- jalapeño(finely chopped)
- (255 g) carrots(finely grated)
- green onions(finely chopped)
- medium chicken breast (poached) · make your own
- (33 g) mayonnaise · make your own
- (45 ml) sour cream
- (3 g) BBQ smoked applewood mustardShop →
- salt(to taste)Shop →
- pepper(to taste)Shop →
- celery salt(optional, to taste)Shop →
For the sandwich
- bread(sourdough or rustic country style recommended)
Instructions
If using raw chicken (simple poached chicken recipe)
- 1
To prepare poached chicken, add chicken in a cold pot and fill the pot with water. Add enough water to cover the chicken by at least 1 inch. Season with salt, turn heat to medium and cover with a lid
To prepare poached chicken, add chicken in a cold pot and fill the pot with water. Add enough water to cover the chicken by at least 1 inch. Season with salt, turn heat to medium and cover with a lid
- 2
Once the water starts boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and cook for 15 - 20 minutes. Remove chicken from the pot and set aside to cool slightly.
Once the water starts boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low and cook for 15 - 20 minutes. Remove chicken from the pot and set aside to cool slightly.
To prepare the chicken salad
- 1
Shred the chicken with the help of two forks and add to a large bowl.
Shred the chicken with the help of two forks and add to a large bowl.
- 2
With the help of two forks, shred the chicken and add to a large bowl.
With the help of two forks, shred the chicken and add to a large bowl.
- 3
Add rest of the prepared ingredients, jalapeño, carrots, green onions, mayo, sour cream, mustard, salt and pepper. Add celery salt if using as well.
Add rest of the prepared ingredients, jalapeño, carrots, green onions, mayo, sour cream, mustard, salt and pepper. Add celery salt if using as well.
- 4
Mix thoroughly to combine and taste to adjust for seasoning.
Mix thoroughly to combine and taste to adjust for seasoning.
To assemble the sandwich
- 1
Evenly spread the mixture on one slice of bread and top with half the portion of greens mix. Top with another slice of bread and press down lightly.
Evenly spread the mixture on one slice of bread and top with half the portion of greens mix. Top with another slice of bread and press down lightly.
- 2
Slice sandwich in half and serve right away, or chill in refrigerator to serve later.
Slice sandwich in half and serve right away, or chill in refrigerator to serve later.
Did you make this recipe? Tag @cooking.with.anadi on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingwithanadi
Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen
Recipe history
- April 16, 2026 — Reworked and refreshed for the 2026 relaunch — new photography, restructured and standardized ingredients & instructions.
Filed under
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