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20 Spectacular Chicken Salads for Summer Potlucks & Make-Ahead Lunches

Faith DurandSenior Vice President of Content
Faith DurandSenior Vice President of Content
Faith is the SVP of Content at Apartment Therapy Media and former Editor-in-Chief of The Kitchn. She is the author of three cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning, The Kitchn Cookbook. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and two daughters.
published Jun 11, 2025
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overhead shot of chopped chicken salad with sesame dressing in a large serving bowl
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter

When summer food asks a question, chicken salad is probably the answer. Need a crowd-pleasing potluck dish? Sesame chicken salad (I promise this one is even better than Cheesecake Factory’s). Make-ahead lunch for a busy day? Cowboy chicken salad. Kid-friendly, three-ingredient dinner — maybe after a trip to Costco? Three-ingredient Costco chicken salad wraps, baby. 

Chicken salad is the cool MVP of all kinds of family meals: Monday dinners, raucous potlucks, and protein-packed lunches eaten in peaceful silence all by yourself. Here are 20 recipes that prove it, with a list curated by Cubby and recipes hosted at our sister site The Kitchn, where every recipe is tested in a home kitchen by people who know what it’s like to do their own dishes. 

1 / 20
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Barrett Washburne
Cowboy Chicken Salad Recipe
Saddle-up for this Southwestern take on chicken salad.
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2 / 20
Credit: Kimberley Hasselbrink
Roast Chicken and 3-Rice Salad

This recipe also offers one of the hallmarks of a great lunch recipe: its ability to take leftovers and transform them into something new.

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3 / 20
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Kelli Foster
Chicken Caesar Salad Recipe
The homemade dressing and juicy strips of chicken are really what make this a hit.
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4 / 20
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe ; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter
Chicken Salad Recipe
Grapes shouldn’t work, but they really, really do.
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5 / 20
Credit: Joe Lingeman
Cold Sesame Chicken and Noodle Salad
This crowd-pleasing chilled noodle salad brings bright and savory flavors to the potluck along with chicken and a rich sesame ginger dressing.
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6 / 20
Credit: Christine Han
Zucchini Buffalo Chicken Salad

We’re going trendy with this salad and embracing playful spiralized zucchini noodles, aka “zoodles,” and pairing them with poached chicken breast, a creamy blue cheese dressing, and Buffalo-flavored croutons.

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7 / 20
Credit: Joe Lingeman
Crispy Chicken Caesar Orzo Salad
This crispy chicken Caesar orzo salad is a dinner salad for pasta lovers as much as it is for anyone who wants a generous dose of greens.
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8 / 20
Credit: Joe Lingeman
Chopped BBQ Chicken Salad
With chunks of BBQ chicken, crisp corn, crunchy cabbage, and a tangy ranch dressing, this chopped salad is in a league all its own.
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9 / 20
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter
Chopped Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing Recipe
It’s all about the wonton strips.
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10 / 20
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter
Cucumber Chicken Salad
This perfect make-ahead salad is bound to become an instant classic.
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11 / 20
Credit: Christine Han/Kitchn; Food Stylist: CC Buckley/Kitchn
Chicken Shawarma Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
Dinner salads filled with colorful vegetables, topped with shawarma-spiced chicken, and finished with creamy tahini dressing.
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12 / 20
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter
3-Ingredient Costco Chicken Caesar Salad Wraps
There’s nothing a Costco rotisserie chicken can’t do.
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13 / 20
Credit: Faith Durand
Yogurt & Dill Chicken Salad
The simplest chicken salad is the best! Start with precooked chicken and you only need dill, shallots, yogurt & mayo for this lighter chicken salad.
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14 / 20
Credit: Maria Siriano
The Best Pesto Chicken Salad
Juicy, shredded chicken is tossed with a creamy combo of fresh pesto and mayo, and studded with sundried tomatoes for extra richness.
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15 / 20
Credit: Kristina Vanni
Curried Chicken Salad Recipe
A few hints of sweetness turn this classic curried chicken salad into a winner that you can stuff into bread or eat as lettuce wraps.
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16 / 20
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter
Chicken Club Chopped Salad Recipe
Chop chop! Lunch is already made.
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17 / 20
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe ; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter
Easy Chicken Shawarma Salad Recipe
This is the best way to use leftover chicken.
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18 / 20
Credit: Emma Christensen
BBQ Chicken Cobb Salad

This version is loaded with zesty barbecue chicken, black beans, and cheddar Jack cheese for a Southwestern spin on the American classic.

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19 / 20
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Food Styling: Rachel Perlmutter
Sticky Chicken Salad Recipe
The best way to eat Buffalo glazed chicken? On this salad.
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20 / 20
Credit: Joe Lingeman
Chicken and Soba Noodle Salad with Red Curry-Almond Dressing
A cold soba salad tossed in a lively and nutty two-ingredient dressing.
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