If you’re looking for the ultimate chicken salad recipe, you’ve found it! This Air Fryer Chicken Salad is tender, flavorful and incredibly easy to make. With juicy air-fried chicken, crunchy celery and red onion, all combined with creamy Miracle Whip dressing, this best ever chicken salad is sure to become your go-to.
Why You Should Make This Chicken Salad Recipe
- Perfectly Juicy Chicken: Cooking the chicken in the air fryer ensures it’s moist and full of flavor.
- Quick and Easy: This chicken salad can be whipped up in no time.
- Versatile: Perfect for sandwiches, wraps or on its own. This is the BEST chicken salad recipe EVER!
Ingredients
- Bone-in Chicken Breasts: Substitute with boneless chicken breasts or chicken tenders, or use rotisserie chicken.
- Seasonings: Easily use your favorite blend.
- Celery: Substitute with diced cucumber or bell pepper.
- Red Onion: Substitute with green onions.
- Miracle Whip: Substitute with mayonnaise, or a combination of yogurt and mayo.
- Additions: Add dried fruit, nuts, seeds, apples, grapes, herbs, avocado and/or hard-boiled eggs.
Why Grind the Chicken?
Grinding the chicken instead of shredding it creates a finer texture, allowing the ingredients to blend more smoothly and evenly, resulting in a creamier, more cohesive chicken salad.
This method also helps distribute the flavors more uniformly throughout the chicken salad, and makes it easier to spread.
How to Make Air Fryer Chicken Salad
- Air fry the seasoned chicken at 380°F (193°C) for 25-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).
- While the chicken is in the air fryer, mince the celery and red onion. Place on paper towels to extract excess water.
- Once fully cooked, remove the chicken and allow it to rest for a few minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the bone. Place into a food processor and pulse until ground.
- Add the ground chicken to a bowl with the celery and red onion. Gradually incorporate the Miracle Whip until you achieve the desired consistency.
- Chill in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.
Alternative Cooking Methods
There are several alternative cooking methods available if you prefer not to use an air fryer:
- Oven-Baked: Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Place the seasoned chicken on a baking sheet and cook for 35-40 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Poached Chicken: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the chicken breasts and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked.
- Rotisserie Chicken: For an even quicker option, use a good-quality rotisserie chicken. Simply remove the meat from the bones and pulse it in a food processor until ground.
How to Serve and Store Air Fryer Chicken Salad
- Serve on whole grain bread, rolls, bagels or croissants, for a hearty sandwich.
- Enjoy on a bed of mixed greens or a slice of tomato, for a light lunch.
- Use as a filling for wraps or pita pockets.
- Pair with crackers for a quick snack.
- Make tea sandwiches for a party, bridal or baby shower.
Storing Leftovers
- Store leftover chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- If this air fryer chicken salad becomes dry, add a bit more Miracle Whip to freshen it up before serving.
More Creamy Salads to Love
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Air Fryer Chicken Salad
- Total Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes
- Yield: 8 to 10 servings 1x
Description
If you’re looking for the ultimate chicken salad recipe, you’ve found it! This Air Fryer Chicken Salad is tender, flavorful and incredibly easy to make. With juicy air-fried chicken, crunchy celery and red onion, all combined with creamy Miracle Whip dressing, this best ever chicken salad is sure to become your go-to.
Ingredients
- 3 bone-in chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 stalks celery plus leaves, minced
- 1/4 cup red onion, minced
- 1 3/4 cup Miracle Whip
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry. Coat each piece with olive oil and season both sides with the salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Place into a preheated air fryer at 380°F (193°C) for 25-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).
- While the chicken is in the air fryer, mince the celery and red onion. Place on paper towels to extract excess water.
- Once fully cooked, remove the chicken and allow it to rest for a few minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the bone. Place into a food processor and pulse until ground.
- Add the ground chicken to a bowl with the celery and red onion.
- Gradually incorporate the Miracle Whip, until you achieve the desired consistency.
- Taste for salt.
- Chill in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.
- ENJOY!
Notes
- Try not to focus on time as much as temperature when cooking the chicken. Larger pieces of chicken may take longer to air fry. It’s best to judge by using a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is at a safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
- Easily use a rotisserie chicken instead of cooking your own.
- Season the chicken with your favorite seasoning blend prior to air frying.
- Mince the celery and red onion as tiny as your can.
- Be sure to place on paper towels to extract any excess water. This will ensure your chicken salad does not become watery.
- After removing the chicken from the bone, carefully inspect the chicken to ensure there are no bones before grinding.
- Use a food processor to finely grind the chicken.
- Alternatively, shred the chicken instead of grinding.
- Slowly incorporate the Miracle Whip. You may not use it all, or may need a touch more than the recipe calls for.
- Taste for salt before serving.
- Be sure to chill the chicken salad for at least an hour.
- This recipe makes a lot of chicken salad, cut the ingredients in half for a smaller serving.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Chill Time: 60 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Meal Prep
- Method: Easy
- Cuisine: American
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WELCOME! My name is Melissa Latin aka. Charlotte Fashion Plate. Happy to meet you! I am more than just recipes. I love fashion and style too! Most importantly, I love my Family (my Hubby and my Fur Babies). My Husband (aka my “Kitchen Bitch”) means the world to me. He’s pretty damn cool too. Not only is he one of the nicest guys you will ever meet, he also has had a lengthy career in professional hockey. Not only winning two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the early ’90’s, but most recently winning the Calder Cup with the Charlotte Checkers, amongst many other accolades. If you live in Charlotte and play hockey, or have a family member who plays, be sure to contact him!
Our life has changed dramatically in the past few years with the passing of our two goldendoodles, Vegas and Viva. We were lucky enough to have Vegas for five years (totally wish it was longer). Most recently, losing our Viva to a brain tumor in July of 2020. We welcomed our mini goldendoodle 7, almost seven years ago. We just added the amazing Hazel! Of course, I am always posting tons and tons of photos! Be sure to check out my recipe for Pet Bone Broth! This broth is super rich in nutrients and will provide your pet with a multitude of health benefits!
In addition, I’m so very excited to announce I have published my first e-book and paperback, “Mastering Thanksgiving – A Guide to Perfecting Your Thanksgiving Dinner.” Your support would mean the world to me.
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ower using Hawaiian buns. Also, makes for a perfect appetizer, lunch, or dinner! ENJOY!
LET’S GET SOCIAL!
I am more than just recipes. I love fashion and style too! Most importantly, I love my Family (my Hubby and my Fur Babies). My Husband (aka my “Kitchen Bitch”) means the world to me. He’s pretty damn cool too. Not only is he one of the nicest guys you will ever meet, he also has had a lengthy career in professional hockey. Not only winning two Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the early ’90’s, but most recently winning the Calder Cup with the Charlotte Checkers, amongst many other accolades. If you live in Charlotte and play hockey, or have a family member who plays, be sure to contact him. He is known as one of the best skate sharpeners in the world!
Our life has changed dramatically in the past few years with the passing of our two goldendoodles, Vegas and Viva. We were lucky enough to have Vegas for five years (totally wish it was longer). Most recently, losing our Viva to a brain tumor in July of 2020. We welcomed our mini goldendoodle 7, almost seven years ago. We just added the amazing Hazel! Of course, I am always posting tons and tons of photos! Be sure to check out my recipe for Pet Bone Broth! This broth is super rich in nutrients and will provide your pet with a multitude of health benefits!
Be sure to follow me on social media! I’m always talking food, fashion, and family! I also love sharing some of my favorite Amazon Finds too. Click here to check out my Amazon page! Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Pinterest!
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