Vacation Chicken Salad

The Easy Chicken Salad You'll Make Every Trip

Some of our favorite vacation meals happen on a whim, with whatever is in the fridge. My friends and I have come to love this chicken salad — perfect for a poolside lunch or packing up for the beach, and easy to adapt with whatever you have on hand. Serve it over simple greens or scoop it onto potato chips, tortilla chips, or crackers.

Photo by Ellen O'Donnell

On a trip to Puerto Rico, we had almost everything for a great chicken salad — except celery. So we swapped in diced pickles instead, and honestly? We prefer it that way now.

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Ingredients

• 2–3 cups diced or shredded chicken (grilled, pan-cooked, oven-roasted, or rotisserie)

• 1 cup diced pickles or chopped celery

• ½ cup diced caramelized onion (red or yellow)

• ½ cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt

• 2 teaspoons mustard (yellow or Dijon)

• Squeeze of lemon or lime

• Salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning to taste

• Fresh herbs (optional)

  
  

Directions

To caramelize your onions, sauté diced or sliced onions in olive oil over low heat, stirring occasionally. Once softened, add a small pat of butter and a pinch of salt to help them along.

Red onions work great here, but sweet yellow onions are especially good if you can find them. Once golden, let them cool before adding to the mix.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and season to taste. Top with any fresh herbs you have on hand. Serve over light greens or on a snack plate with chips, crackers, or crudité.

Tip: A store-bought rotisserie chicken on your grocery list makes this even easier.