Easy Chicken Salad without Celery

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Healthy and delicious chicken salad without celery. Quick to make and full of flavor. 

Chicken salad is a classic recipe and this one is with a twist! Traditional chicken salad recipes use crisp celery for a sweet crunch. This version is made without celery. So no matter if you have a celery allergy, don’t like the taste, or just ran out of celery, here is how you can still make some delicious and healthy chicken salad. 

Free from: wheat, gluten, dairy, casein, eggs (optional), fish, shellfish, soy, sesame, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, corn, celery, and more

This recipe is healthy, quick, and perfect any time of the year! I love to make it with leftover chicken to stretch out another meal. 

Make it for lunch or dinner with some side dishes like a summer street corn salad or a delicious lemon pasta salad! Both of those are celery free as well. 

Ingredients 

You only need a few simple ingredients for this easy chicken salad recipe! This is how my family likes to eat it, but there are so many variations (see them all below). Plus, there are a few things to swap out for the celery. 

• Chicken – I like to use a rotisserie chicken for a quick and easy meal, or any left over chicken from the day before. 
• Mayonnaise – The creamy binder to keep it all together! If you need an egg free version, that would also work just fine. 
• Dijon Mustard – This gives the salad a tang that is unexpected as well as a depth of flavor I love. If you don’t have dijon, honey mustard would also work.
• Red Onion – I prefer red onions in general both for the color it gives as well as flavor. 
• Fennel – This is our secret ingredient in place of celery! A whole fennel bulb chopped up tastes amazing and gives a bright flavor that celery could never equal. See below for other variations as well. 
• Dried Cranberries – I love love love cranberries with chicken! 
• Parsley – One of my favorite fresh herbs to add to this for flavor. 
• Salt and Pepper

Allergy Substitutions 

If avoiding celery due to an allergy, use fennel or green apples in this chicken salad. Fennel is not celery and shouldn’t cause a reaction. 

If avoiding mustard, omit the dijon mustard and add a splash of apple cider vinegar to the salad. 

Vegan or egg-free mayo can be used in this recipe with no change to the overall flavor. 

Best Chicken to Use 

There are a few types of chicken that you can use in this salad. My personal favorite is leftover from the night before, or a cold rotisserie chicken from the store. But here are a few ways you can use chicken in this recipe. 

• Poached – To poach chicken breasts or chicken thighs, place the chicken in a large pan on the stove and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F. Let it chill before slicing into the salad. 
• Baked – To bake chicken breasts or thighs, place the chicken in an oven safe baking dish and brush with olive oil or melted butter and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Cover and bake at 450F for 20 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165F. Let it chill before slicing into the chicken salad. 
• Rotisserie – My favorite method! Simply purchase a cold rotisserie chicken from the store and use right away for a quick meal. You can also use leftover rotisserie chicken if you purchased it and want to use it the next day.

You can use a whole chicken in this recipe as well. The recipe calls for about 3 cups of cooked chicken, so no matter if you like white or dark meat, this recipe will work.

Instructions 

For the full instructions with measurements and recipe details, see the recipe card below! 

What’s awesome about this recipe is there are really only three steps to this meal: chop, mix, and chill! 

Start by chopping all your ingredients and adding them to a large bowl. Chop the chicken into small pieces, about ½ – inch pieces. You can also shred the chicken if you prefer that texture. 

Next, dice up the fennel bulb (use only the bulb part and discard the green stems), red onions, and roughly chop the fresh parsley. Add them to the bowl as well. 

Now add the mayo of your choice, dijon mustard, dried cranberries, and salt and pepper to taste. 

Give this a good mix, making sure to coat each ingredient in the mayo mix. Taste for seasonings and add more if needed. 

Finally, while you can enjoy this right away, chicken salad tastes best when chilled. Let it rest, covered, in the fridge for about an hour before serving. 

Chicken Salad Variations 

There are so many ways to mix this chicken salad recipe and customize it to what you have in your pantry or what flavors you love the most! Here are a few ideas for a great addition.

• Mix up the fruit. Cranberries are my favorite but you could also try the traditional sliced red and green grapes, or dried cherries. 
• Mix up the onions. Try green onions or sweet onions in place of red.
• Mix up the celery substitution. If you can’t find fennel, or just don’t enjoy it, try this salad with diced apples. Green tart apples would be amazing, but I also think a McIntosh or a sweet Fuji would be good as well. 
• Mix up the Mayo. Don’t have any mayo? Try this recipe with your favorite plain greek yogurt for a creamy and tangy twist! You could also use sour cream with a sprinkle of sugar. 

Serving Ideas 

There are just as many ways of serving this salad as there are variations of ingredients. Here are a few ideas for you to try. 

Sandwiches are a classic when served with green leaf lettuce and a few slices of tomatoes. For a gluten free option, check out this gluten free sandwich bread. 

Wraps also are a quick and easy way to enjoy this. I like to use a wrap when packing this for lunch. 

Serve a big scoop of this on top of a bed of lettuce greens for a salad. Try spinach or arugula!

Lettuce wraps are also a delicious gluten free option. Try butter leaves or green or red leaf lettuce. 

How to Store 

Fridge: Chicken salad is best in the first few days that you make it. Keep any leftover chicken salad stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days while enjoying. If packing it for lunch, make sure to keep an ice cooler with it so that the mayo doesn’t warm up. If it gets room temperature you should not eat this.

Freezer: This recipe can not be frozen. 

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