This post includes affiliate links. If you make a purchase through a link on our website, Hollywood Beat magazine may receive an affiliate commission.

Recipe and photos by Erica Gamboa

Easy Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

An easy and delicious chicken salad using leftover store bought rotisserie chicken. A perfect combination of textures and flavors from a medley of ingredients that just work so well together. From the crunch of the walnuts, the sweetness of the grapes, to the tart bite of the cranberries, and creaminess of the homemade poppy seed dressing, it’s delightful. Easy enough to make for a quick lunch, a picnic, potluck, or entertaining at home.

Servings: 6

PREP TIME: 20 minutes + CHILL TIME: 1 hour = TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 20 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

A Quick and Satisfying Meal

The truth is, there are days when I do not feel like or have the time to turn on the stove. This recipe came in handy on a day when I was busy focusing on other parts of the house besides the kitchen. I do spend most of my existence and I do love it but my husband did say to me one day. “I think you’ve spend enough time in here, how about we unpack the rest of the house?” He was right, it was time to move on to other things but we must eat! I needed a quick and easy meal but I was craving something good but fast.

Why Rotisserie Chicken?

I bought two rotisserie chickens at the grocery store the day before to make green enchiladas and I only used one. The thing about rotisserie chicken or any leftover chicken for that matter; is that you can find endless ways to use it. Rotisserie chicken is already seasoned perfectly and sold in a variety of different flavors to choose from. It lends itself to being the perfect base for any recipe and is a great ingredient to have in your refrigerator at all times for days such as this. Yes, the days where you just don’t have the time or the energy to make an elaborate meal, or maybe on days when you need to clean the fridge out before trash day.

From the Pantry to the Fridge

Everything but the kitchen sink went into this recipe, from the pantry to the fridge, I left no ingredient unturned. I only wish I had some apples or celery on hand, which would’ve been amazing in this salad. But we do the best with what we’ve got, right? And the Lord blessed this salad with everything it needed to be delicious and satisfying.

I hope you’ll give this a try and tweak it to your liking, use all your favorite ingredients or what you have on hand; I’m sure it will be delicious!

Happy eating from my kitchen to yours!

Preparation Tips

Another great thing about using rotisserie chicken is that its juicy and moist even days after. I don’t know about you but I can easily over cook chicken, it’s one of those things that I will pray over before I put it in the oven, chicken and turkey, I need all the divine intervention I can get. But with this recipe, the worry and stress is all taken off your shoulders. I prefer to use rotisserie chicken for this recipe, not only for the ease and convenience but for the flavor and juicy, tender meat.

Using rotisserie chicken in the recipe ensures juicy, tender meat without the worry and stress of overcooking. It offers ease, convenience, and flavorful results.

Of course you can poach or roast your own chicken, my recommendation is to use chicken breast for this recipe, dark meat is delicious but I find that the breast makes for a prettier presentation, especially if you’re serving these on crackers or as an appetizer for guest.

Make Your Dressing in a Separate Bowl

Another tip I have for you is to make your dressing in a separate bowl. This helps mix all of your ingredients until well blended and balanced. I know many of us grew up watching our mothers make picnic salads and cold salads all in one bowl, putting all the ingredients together and mixing it up. But I assure you, making the dressing in a separate bowl is the way to go with this Easy Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing.

Whisking the dressing together first, ensures the silkiness and creaminess that you look for in a dressing. It emulsifies and it also gives you an opportunity to adjust the seasonings before adding them to the rest of the ingredients. Remember you can always add but you can’t take away, so this is a great tip.

Plan Ahead

Making this the night before if you have time to plan ahead is also a great way to save time and it allows the chicken salad to absorb all of the delicious dressing for an even better flavor.

Add-ins

Add apples or celery or both for an added sweetness and crunch. These two ingredients will take this to another level. It’s Waldorf Chicken Salad meets Napa Chicken Salad and it’s absolutely delicious.

Easy Leftover Rotisserie Chicken Salad with Poppy Seed Dressing

BY ERICA GAMBOA

Rotisserie-Chicken-Salad-with-Poppy-Seed-Dressing2 — Photo: Erica Gambo

PRINT

Servings: 6 | Difficulty: Easy

PREP TIME: 20 minutes + CHILL TIME: 1 Hour = TOTAL TIME: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Ingredients:

SHOP RECIPE INGREDIENTS FOR HOME DELIVERY

Instacart

1 store brought rotisserie chicken, breast meat, shredded or roughly chopped. (Use of dark meat is optional.)
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 cup seedless grapes, green or red, washed and sliced in half
2 tbsp green onion, thinly sliced
1 cup of mayo
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
1 tsp sugar
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

For the dressing:

In a medium bowl combine mayo, dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, poppy seeds, and sugar.
Whisk until creamy and well combined.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add a pinch more sugar if you desire a sweeter dressing.
Set aside to chill in the ridge while you prep the rest of the ingredients.

Assemble the salad:

Add chicken, walnuts, cranberries, grapes, and green onions to a large bowl.
Add the chilled poppy seed dressing and gently fold it into the ingredients. Be mindful not to break up the grapes, take your time and gently combine until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Place the chicken salad in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.

Notes & Suggestions:

Serving the Rotisserie Chicken Salad:

For an easy but special presentation, I like to serve this salad on crackers. Any crackers of your choice will work well. But if you are serving this salad for a gathering or as an appetizer, try to use a cracker that is good for entertaining. There is actually a specific type of cracker assortment sold at most grocery stores, they are called entertainment crackers.

Below is a list of some of my favorite crackers to use for entertaining:

Multigrain
Sesame Seed
Everything Bagel Crisps
Water Cracker
Poppy Seed
Rosemary
Croccantini
Cracked Pepper
Vegetable
Wheat
Crostini

Sandwiches:

I also love this salad in a sandwich. This would be great with any kind of bread but my favorite is putting this salad in a mini croissant. This is the perfect serving for a picnic, tea party, or on a platter for a potluck.

A toasty slice of sourdough bread is also one of my favorite ways to enjoy this salad. It would make a delicious open faced sandwich or topping on toast.

Make ahead and store:

This salad is one of those things that taste even better the longer it sits. This is why it makes a great plan ahead meal, great for parties, picnics, a potluck, and lunches. It stores well and keeps fresh and delicious for a few days in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving

Calories per serving: 427

Servings: 6