This creamy chicken salad recipe is the best and a family favorite! I like to use leftover roast chicken or baked chicken breasts that have been sprinkled with basil or rosemary. Almonds and celery add a lovely crunch.

Chicken Salad Ingredients

These are the simple ingredients you'll need to make this classic chicken salad recipe:

• Chicken: You'll need cooked chicken, chopped or shredded. If you have leftover roast chicken, grilled chicken, or rotisserie chicken, chicken salad is a great way to use it all up. You can also use canned chicken to make chicken salad (drain it first), or you can cook chicken for chicken salad. Use white or dark meat, or a combination of both if you prefer.
• Mayonnaise: Creamy mayonnaise binds together all the separate ingredients for chicken salad into a satisfying mixture of flavors and textures. Use your choice of regular, reduced fat, or homemade mayonnaise. In this chicken salad recipe, the mayonnaise is enhanced with a tablespoon of lemon juice for brightness and a ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Taste the dressing before mixing it with the chicken; you may find it needs a little salt or other flavor-booster from your spice collection.
• Celery: Fresh, crisp celery adds both flavor and crunch. Be sure to chop the celery into small, uniform pieces so it's easier to eat.
• Almonds: Here's the secret ingredient that makes this chicken salad recipe stand apart. Blanched slivered almonds (available at any grocery store) are quickly pan-toasted to bring out their nutty flavor, and then added to the chicken salad mixture.

Steps to make the salad

1. Gather all ingredients.

2. Place almonds in a skillet over medium-low heat. Cook until golden brown and toasted, shaking frequently and watching carefully, as they burn easily.

3. Mix mayonnaise, lemon juice, and pepper together in a medium bowl until combined.

4. Add chicken, toasted almonds, and celery; toss until just combined.

5. Enjoy!