BLT Chicken Salad

chicken salad inside a bowl with tomatoes, bacon, and chicken

If you love the classic flavors of a BLT sandwich - then you're going to love this BLT Chicken Salad. packed with tender juicy chicken chunks, crispy bacon, sweet tomatoes, all tossed in a creamy and tangy dressing.

Course Dinner, Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword blt chicken salad, chicken salad recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Total Time 25

Servings (3/4 cup each)

Calories 300kcal

Author Jessica - Together as Family

Equipment

Citrus Juicer

Ingredients

3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
8 slices bacon (cooked until super crispy & chopped)
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons finely diced celery
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt (less or more to taste)
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
lettuce cups, tortilla wraps, toasted sandwich bread, slider rolls, croissants, crackers, vegetable sticks for serving the chicken salad

Instructions

Add the rotisserie chicken, chopped bacon, halved grape tomatoes, finely chopped chives, and diced celery into a large bowl. Stir to combine everything together.
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, 8 slices bacon, 1 cup halved grape tomatoes, 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives, 2 tablespoons finely diced celery
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, kosher salt, and black pepper util smooth and fully combined.
2/3 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture. Gently stir everything together with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, until evenly coated with the dressing.
^{* Mix just until combined, and gently, so the tomatoes stay intact and don't 'bleed' into the chicken salad.}
The chicken salad can be served and eaten right away, but for best results, cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 1-2 hours before serving.
^{*I prefer chilling the salad because it gives time for the flavor to blend and for the salad to chill.}
Serve inside crisp romaine lettuce leaves, lettuce cups, croissants, slider rolls, toasted sandwich bread (my favorite!), tortilla wrap or lettuce wrap, or eat it as is. Enjoy!

Notes

I recommend chilling the chicken salad for at least 1 hour before serving; or for up to 2 hours. You don't want to chill it for longer than that because the dressing does get soaked up, with results in the chicken salad not being as creamy. For best results, taste, and chilled texture, place the blt chicken salad in the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.
Nutrition information does not include a bun, bread, croissant, etc. That will vary depending on what you use.
Rotisserie chicken works beautifully here because it is already seasoned and very tender, which keeps the salad flavorful without needing a lot of extra ingredients.
Crispy bacon is so important for the the best texture! If the bacon is soft, it will disappear into the salad instead of giving those classic blt flavors with that super crispy bacon. I always recommend cooking the bacon strips for longer than normal to ensure you end up with ultra super crispy bacon.
A small splash of fresh lemon juice brightens the whole salad and balances the richness of the mayonnaise.
For a healthy blt chicken salad, or if you want a protein boost you can use half plain Greek yogurt + half mayonnaise. I don't recommend using all Greek yogurt as it will significantly change the final taste of the chicken salad.
If you want an extra layer and punch of flavor, whisk 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard into the dressing. Another option is to add finely diced red onion to the chicken mixture. Onions are not a classic BLT ingredient, but some people like onions in chicken salad.
Serve this blt chicken salad on toasted sandwich bread, inside buttery croissant, with crackers, vegetable sticks, lettuce leaves or lettuce cups, on slider buns or brioche buns, or eat it as is.

Nutrition