‘Tis the season for all the brunches, luncheons and outdoor everything! Everyone is hibernating all winter, but come Spring, the social calendar really starts filling up! It seems like there is an end-of-the-year something every week in May.
Don’t you agree?
As a busy mom [who loves to be social :)] I’m always hunting for simple, go-to appetizer recipes that I can mentally file away under “fast & easy”, so when it’s time to host or I’m signing up for my “dish”, I have several tried and true favorites that I can whip up at any time! A long-time favorite in my family is a simple Chicken Salad recipe. It’s a 4 ingredient chicken salad you’ll want to make for every occasion.
No really, every single occasion.
Right now it seems everyone is preparing for picnics, brunches, luncheons, cookouts, outdoor concerts and more. This week alone we have Teacher Appreciation luncheons, a neighborhood happy hour and Mother’s Day Brunch!
A simple recipe that’s always a crowd-pleaser is my kind of go-to! Similar to my 5 minute cold corn fiesta dip [which is also only 5 ingredients] you need very few ingredients [4 to be exact] and it can be made in a matter of minutes! And no chopping or cutting involved!
Simply dump, dump, stir, serve. Yes, it’s that easy!
Here is how to make my Simple 4 Ingredient Chicken Salad…
It is so easy and so yummy! Take notes, but you won’t need to take many. It’s a breeze!
4 INGREDIENT CHICKEN SALAD INGREDIENTS:
- 3 10 0z. cans premium white chunk chicken breast [or 3-4 cooked & shredded boneless, skinless chicken breasts or a Rotisserie chicken]
- 1 cup miracle whip [I use light]
- 1 cup sour cream [I also use light sour cream]
- 1 pkg Knorr vegetable recipe mix
4 INGREDIENT CHICKEN SALAD DIRECTIONS:
- Rinse & strain the canned chicken [I use Swanson or Kirkland brand from Costco]. If you’re using fresh chicken breasts, bring them to a roaring boil and then cook on stove-top for 10-15 minutes on medium heat. Once cooked through, strain the breasts and use hand mixer to shred the chicken. You can also use a rotisserie chicken and pull apart pieces to use.
- Next, put the chicken in a mixing bowl and continue to shred it using two forks. Then add in the miracle whip, sour cream and vegetable recipe mix.
- Use a spatula or spoon to mix thoroughly until evenly combined. You can add a dash of salt and pepper while mixing if you wish.
- Refrigerate at least an hour before serving or make the day before and refrigerate overnight.
- When you’re ready to serve, transfer the 4 ingredient chicken salad to a serving bowl or platter and sprinkle chopped green onions on top as a garnish to add some color and make it pretty! But totally not necessary since we just talked about not cutting or chopping anything 🙂
- Serve with crackers or on top of a greens salad and enjoy!
HOW TO SERVE THE 4 INGREDIENT CHICKEN SALAD?:
With:
- pretzel crisps
- wheat thins
- pita chips
- Triscuits
- any cracker
On top of:
- bread
- King Hawaiian rolls
- slider buns
- pretzel buns
- lettuce salad
Chicken salad is one of those things can quickly go from simple to labor-intensive. Chopped celery, apples, grapes, nuts, raisins, etc. are yummy additions, but when you don’t have the time to get out the cutting board and knife, you can stick with a simple recipe that has loads of flavor and appeals to the masses!
white ruffle dip bowl || gold flatware
WHEN YOU’LL WANT TO MAKE & SERVE THE 4 INGREDIENT CHICKEN SALAD?
I’m not kidding when I say I make this recipe a minimum of 10 times per year. It’s probably more like 10 times a season because I whip it up almost every time my parents or in-laws are coming to town for the weekend, as well as for the kid’s birthday parties or any parties in general. Our neighborhood hosts a weekly Flamingo Friday party in the Summer and this easy chicken salad recipe is always in the rotation!
You can buy a 12 pack of the vegetable recipe mix and keep the extra packets in the pantry. I love to keep them on-hand for last-minute hosting!
Ideas for when to serve a simple chicken salad:
- Memorial Day weekend
- 4th of July
- Labor Day weekend
- Teacher Appreciation Luncheon
- Mother’s Day Brunch
- pool party
- outdoor concert
- park picnic
- End-of-year picnic
- graduation party
- neighborhood party
- backyard BBQ
- Football Tailgating
- dinner party
- happy hour
- girl’s night / girl’s weekend
Is it just me or does May seem like it’s super packed with allllll the activities and events! We’re in a constant state of hustle around here 7 days a week! If you’re hosting or attending any Spring and Summer events, this easy chicken salad recipe is definitely something you can close your eyes and whip together when you’re a complete zombie mom!
You really can’t mess it up!
Don’t forget to pin for later!
Click here for the rest of my appetizers and other simple recipes! All of them are great for easy entertaining 🙂
