Our recipe for chicken salad with relish delivers creamy richness with a kick of tangy sweetness. It's delicious, easy to prep, and makes for a great high-protein/low-carb snack. In just 5 minutes, you'll go from chopping to CHOMPING!

Chicken salad makes for a great breakfast, lunch, or snack. Heck, I've even had it for dinner!
It's full of protein and low on carbs. (I provide a great net carb breakdown by ingredient near the end of the post)
Are you a salad spread type of person? If so, check out my ham salad & egg salad recipes too. They're every bit as flavorful and just as easy to make.
We love the addition of the sweet pickle relish because the sweetness and tang balances so well against the creamy richness of the mayonnaise.
This recipe is perfect when you have leftover roast chicken or just want to use up that Costco rotisserie chicken meat. It even works with packaged or canned chicken.
This salad also has great crunch from the finely diced onions and celery: they provide just the right amount of texture.
No special equipment necessary! You just need a knife and cutting board.
So stick with me: I'll walk you through everything you need to know for making the best chicken salad recipe you will ever have.
Jump to:
What's in chicken salad with relish?
Chicken salad has pretty basic ingredients. You'll notice I don't include chopped Hard Boiled Eggs, which are popular in some recipes. If that's something you like to add, be my guest!
- Cooked chicken
- Onion & Celery
- Mayonnaise
- Sweet Pickle Relish
- Fines Herbes (optional)
- Salt & Pepper
While the the herb mixture is optional, it does add that 'little something' that takes it to the next level.
The ingredients of my fines herbes are below, but feel free to experiment on your own.
How to make chicken salad with relish
Before chopping anything, set out a medium-sized bowl, cutting board, and sharp butchers knife. Have your ingredients handy as well.
Begin by chopping the chicken
Cut your cooked chicken into ~¼ inch cubed pieces, or whatever size you prefer. Once chopped, add them to your bowl.
Next, chop the veggies
Finely chop your onions and celery. The dice should be smaller than your chicken pieces.
Add the mayo, relish, seasoning and mix
Last, add in your mayonnaise, relish, herb mix and salt & pepper. Then mix thoroughly with a spoon.
Taste and adjust flavor
Now, it's time to taste and adjust any flavors you want to enhance.
Is there enough tang and sweetness? If not, add a bit more relish.
How’s the creaminess? Dollop in extra mayonnaise if you like.
Need more salt or herbs? Just add more to taste.
Flex this recipe according to your palate. There are no rules here.
How to eat chicken salad
You really can't go wrong however you decide to eat this salad. On more than one occasion, I have eaten spoonfuls right out the bowl. Just don't tell anyone. 🙂
Below are some of the more traditional ways to enjoy this salad.
In a wrap
We LOVE chicken salad in a wrap. Our favorite wraps are Olé Xtreme Wellness wraps.
These wraps are high fiber, low carb, very soft, taste great and have only 50 calories per wrap! You need to try these.
P.S. These wraps are also amazing with Phil's smoked BBQ pulled pork. Just add a slice of cheddar to it, and you're in for a treat.
I am not a health nut, but when you can use something that's this good for you, and there's no difference in taste or quality from "full figured" brands, I make that substitution.
Don't you just want to take a bite?
In a Sandwich
When we're out of wraps, we just eat this salad on a lightly toasted slices of rustic bread, Homemade Naan Bread, Or —if we want to be decadent—a croissant.
See, I told you I wasn't a health nut...have you seen how many calories are in a croissant?
As a salad topper
This salad is great on a bed of lettuce with tomatoes and grated cheddar cheese.
Although dressing isn't needed, ranch dressing works really well with this salad.
Is chicken salad healthy?
Absolutely!
It is full of protein and veggies.
The only ingredient of concern is the mayonnaise. I understand that mayonnaise is full of fat and high in calories, BUT you can make adjustments.
- Put in less mayonnaise.
- Add more relish
- Swap some mayo with mustard
- Use a low-cal mayo
Everyone's diet is different, so simply make ingredient adjustments that fit with your needs.
Is chicken salad with relish low carb?
YES, it is.
But the relish you choose will determine how low-carb it will be.
This recipe uses sweet relish, which does have a few carbs in it. But there is an easy substitution if you want to eliminate these carbs: use dill pickle relish.
Here's a breakdown of net carbs (per serving, ½ cup) which includes a comparison of sweet vs. dill pickle relish.
Ingredient | Net Carbs (Sweet) | Net Carbs (Dill) |
---|---|---|
Cooked Chicken | 0 | 0 |
Mayonnaise | .13 | .13 |
Pickle Relish | 2.5 | 0 |
Onion | .69 | .69 |
Celery | .07 | .07 |
Total Net Carbs | 3.39 g | .89 g |
When I'm watching my carbs, I eat this chicken salad in a lettuce wrap or on some low-carb bread.
Want another fantastic tasting low-carb snack? Check out our Keto Ham Salad Spread.
How long is chicken salad good in the fridge?
This depends on how long your leftover chicken has been in your fridge before making the salad.
Cooked chicken, whether in a salad or as leftovers sitting in a fridge, will last 4 days.
Example 1:
If your chicken has been sitting in the fridge for two days and you decide to make chicken salad: you now have 2 more days left to eat it up.
Example 2:
If you chop up the Costco rotisserie chicken the same day you bought it and make chicken salad, you have 4 days to eat it up.
Regardless, make sure that you store your chicken salad in a bowl with a tight-fitting lid or sealed with plastic wrap.
Other popular snacks
- Homemade Kettle Corn
- Deviled Eggs with Relish
- Michelle's Sweet & Zingy Asian Meatballs
- Mini Peppers Stuffed with Goat Cheese
- Cutting-Board Guacamole
- Pork Shrimp Wontons with Soy Ginger Dipping Sauce
Chicken salad with relish served on croissants or in wraps is also perfect for Easter brunch.
That's it! I hope you enjoy this easy, healthy snack.
Chicken Salad with Relish
This chicken salad with relish recipe delivers creamy richness with a kick of tangy sweetness. It's delicious, easy to prep, and makes for a great high-protein/low-carb snack.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken, cut into ¼ inch cubes
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ⅓ cup celery, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup onion, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoon sweet pickle relish (see Recipe Note #1)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon herb mixture (optional; see Recipe Note #2)
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix thoroughly.
- Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Notes
- If you're on a low-carb diet, simply substitute dill pickle relish: look for a brand with 0 net carbs per serving.
- Our favorite herb mix is fines herbs.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: ½ cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 240Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 311mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 11g
Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate: if you are tracking this information for medical purposes, please consult a trusted external source. Thanks!
Nancy Jacobson says
Your recipe sounds great. That will be lunch this weekend on a fishing outing with our grandson. Will let you know how they go over.
Christina Rayhill says
I like these ingredients.
Michelle says
Thank you! So do we! 😉