Costco Chicken Salad Recipe (Copycat)

Make a homemade version of Costo’s chicken salad. Made with fresh and flavorful ingredients, you can feel good about serving this recipe to your family and friends.

I am one of Costco’s biggest fans, and I absolutely love their chicken salad. It just tastes so good compared to other recipes.

My son requested his birthday, and I thought it would be fun to make at home. I looked at the ingredients on the package for the salad, and I think I made a pretty spot on copycat recipe.

Ingredients

• Rotisserie chicken (1/2 bird)
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup mayo
• 4 stalks celery, chopped finely
• 1/3 cup sweet onion, chopped finely
• Salt 1 teaspoon 
• Sugar 1 teaspoon 
• 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Parsley
• White vinegar – 1 tbsp 

Instructions

1. Remove chicken from the bones – remove the skin as well (not great in this salad)
2. You will use about 1/2 of the chicken from a Costco rotisserie chicken. You want to chop it up finely – I used a food chopper, and it worked great.
3. Chop celery and sweet onion very finely – again, I used a food chopper.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, salt, sugar, lemon juice, parsley, and vinegar.
5. Combine chicken, celery, and onion in a large bowl.
6. Fold in the dressing and combine together.
7. Refrigerate a few hours for best results!

It is a super simple recipe and takes very little effort on your part to receive a great reward. So don’t wait any longer, get started on your new favorite chicken salad recipe right away!

Can this chicken salad be frozen?

Chicken salad can be frozen, but there are a few things you should consider. When you freeze chicken salad, often times the mayo will separate and will change the flavor and texture. Also, if you have left your chicken salad out at room temperature, then you should put it in the refrigerator and you shouldn’t freeze it.

How to Store Leftovers

Refrigerate the leftover chicken salad as soon as possible after serving. Transfer the chicken salad to an airtight container. This helps prevent the absorption of odors from the refrigerator and minimizes exposure to air, which can lead to the drying out of the salad. Consume the leftover chicken salad within 3-4 days.

If the salad has been sitting at room temperature for more than 2 hours (or 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F or 32°C), it’s best to discard it to avoid the risk of foodborne illness. While chicken salad can be frozen, the texture of some ingredients (especially vegetables and mayonnaise-based dressings) may change upon thawing. It’s generally recommended to consume chicken salad fresh from the refrigerator.

How did you chop the chicken so finely?

The secret to the Costco chicken salad is having the chicken being pretty finely chopped. You could certainly do this with a knife, but I’m going to share my secret weapon.

The food chopper. I also used this to finely chop the celery and onion, and I promise, it’s what makes the difference with this salad. The consistency was SPOT ON.

How long is chicken salad good for?

With this homemade recipe, the chicken salad will last for about three to five days when properly stored in the refrigerator. The good thing is that everyone will like this meal so much, that you probably won’t have to worry about how you should store it for too long!

What should be served with chicken salad?

Chicken salad is a great meal on its own, but there are other foods that compliment a good chicken salad. Chicken salad is a savory meal, so pairing something that is light and refreshing, like a fruit or vegetable platter, is a good way to go. You could serve with Costco mac and cheese to really round out the meal!

If you aren’t making a chicken salad sandwich, but you still want bread with your meal, you can have a baguette on the side to give you your daily dose of gluten. And if you want to pair something with your chicken salad that wasn’t mentioned, go ahead and do it!