Chicken Salad with Dill Pickles
This Chicken Salad with Dill Pickles is creamy, tangy, and crunchy with cooked chicken, chopped dill pickles, pickle juice, bacon, cheddar, celery, red onion, fresh dill, and a mayo-Greek yogurt dressing. Serve it in sandwiches, lettuce wraps, bowls, or with crackers for an easy lunch or meal-prep recipe.
Servings: 6
Calories:
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken shredded or diced
- ½ cup dill pickles finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons pickle juice
- ½ cup celery finely chopped
- ¼ cup red onion finely chopped
- ¼ cup cooked bacon chopped (about 4-5 slices)
- ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- A sprinkle of fresh-cut dill
For the dressing:
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- A sprinkle of salt and black pepper
For the extra crunch:
- ¼ cup chopped toasted almonds
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
Instructions
- Make the dressing: in a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, Greek yogiurt, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper until smooth, creamy and flecked with herby goodness.
- Add the pickle juice, the tangy base: stir in the pickle juice-it ties everything together and gives that signature zip.
- Build the salad: add the chicken, pickles, celery, red onion, bacon, cheddar cheese, and fresh dill.
- Mix it up: Stir until everything is creamy and evenly coated.
- Add the crunch last: fold in your crunchy add-ins right before serving so they stay crisp.
- Taste and tweak: want more tang? Add a splash more pickle juice. More richness? A little extra mayo does the trick.
- Chill (recommended). Let it rest in the fridge for 30-60 minutes to let all those flavors come together.
Notes
Drain the pickles well: This keeps the chicken salad creamy instead of watery.
Chop everything small: Small pieces of chicken, pickles, celery, and onion give you balanced bites.
Use pickle juice carefully: Add the recipe amount first, then adjust after chilling if you want more tang.
Add crunchy toppings last: Fold in almonds and sunflower seeds right before serving so they stay crisp.
Chill before serving: Letting the salad rest for 30 to 60 minutes helps the flavors come together.
Refresh after chilling: Stir well, then add a small spoonful of mayo or Greek yogurt if it needs more creaminess.
Chop everything small: Small pieces of chicken, pickles, celery, and onion give you balanced bites.
Use pickle juice carefully: Add the recipe amount first, then adjust after chilling if you want more tang.
Add crunchy toppings last: Fold in almonds and sunflower seeds right before serving so they stay crisp.
Chill before serving: Letting the salad rest for 30 to 60 minutes helps the flavors come together.
Refresh after chilling: Stir well, then add a small spoonful of mayo or Greek yogurt if it needs more creaminess.
