This Pesto Chicken Salad is a great spin on traditional chicken salad! It comes together with easy-to-find ingredients and the flavors combine perfectly. This chicken salad is perfect for feeding a crowd.
Chicken Salad is the perfect summer recipe. On days when you don’t want to turn on your oven, it makes a fast and refreshing dinner out on the deck. When you are invited to a potluck, it is a great recipe to serve a crowd.
This Pesto Chicken Salad is no exception. This is a great twist on my classic chicken salad recipe, with the amazing taste of pesto. If you are a pesto lover, you are going to rave over these. This salad is perfect on the croissant you see pictured, but for a lower carb option, it is great as a lettuce wrap too!
Easy peasy and perfect for summertime!
How to Make Pesto Chicken Salad
This simple chicken salad recipe with pesto comes together in just three simple steps. For the full recipe including all measurements, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Make the sauce. Combine the mayonnaise, pesto, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl.
- Mix together other ingredients. In a large bowl, mix the chicken, red pepper, tomatoes, and onion.
- Combine sauce with the main ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Chicken Salad
Pesto Sauce
Pesto is a sauce made from basil, oil, parmesan cheese, and pine nuts. It is very easy to make and if you grow your own basil, making pesto would be a great way to use it. I love using pesto in many different ways and it is the star of the show in this homemade chicken salad recipe. It is also delicious in my Italian Pesto Sliders and Chicken Pesto Pasta.
Pesto Sauce Recipe
How to Make Shredded Chicken
Making shredded chicken for this or other recipes is very simple and takes less than 20 minutes. Another great idea is to keep Frozen Shredded Chicken on hand. This recipe calls for three cups of cooked chicken, which is about one pound of chicken breasts when they are raw.
- Place the chicken in a saucepan with enough water to cover it.
- Bring the water to a boil and simmer over low heat for 4 to 10 minutes or until the chicken registers 165 degrees Fahrenheit on an instant read thermometer.
You can also use your Instant Pot to make shredded chicken or use a rotisserie chicken. Sometimes I like to buy several, shred them, and freeze them.
Freezing Cooked Chicken
How to Serve Pesto Chicken Salad
This chicken salad is so delicious on a buttery croissant with some spinach or lettuce and shredded parmesan cheese. You could also eat it with crackers or any other bread or bun for a yummy chicken salad sandwich. It would make a great wrap or for a low carb and gluten free option, a lettuce wrap like my Chicken Lettuce Wraps.
Storing Leftovers
Store any leftover chicken pesto salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. This is a great dish to take to a picnic or potluck, however, if it was left outside for more than two hours it should be tossed.
Since this recipe has mayonnaise in it, I would not recommend freezing it.
Other Great Salad Recipes
If you make this Pesto Chicken Salad recipe or any of my others, please leave a comment and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you!
Pesto Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
- 1 cup pesto or 8 oz jar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 3 cups cooked chicken shredded and cut small
- 1/2 cup roasted red pepper diced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1/2 small red onion diced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small bowl mix together the mayonnaise, pesto, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- In a large bowl mix together the remaining ingredients. Stir in the sauce and then add salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve as sandwiches or lettuce wraps. Place leftovers in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
Notes
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