No-Cook Rotisserie Chicken Salad with Dill and Celery

Name: No-Cook Rotisserie Chicken Salad with Dill and Celery
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken (about 3 lbs / 1.4 kg) (1400 g cooked meat) rotisserie chicken, skin and bones removed, meat shredded, skin and bones removed, meat hand-shredded into bite-sized pieces; 3 stalks (240 g) celery stalks, thinly sliced crosswise; ⅓ cup (lightly packed) (12 g) fresh dill, finely chopped; 4 stalks (80 g) green onions (scallions), white and light green parts thinly sliced; ¾ cup (180 ml) mayonnaise; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) fresh lemon juice, freshly squeezed; to taste kosher salt; to taste freshly ground black pepper

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A fresh, herbaceous chicken salad made from store-bought rotisserie chicken, tossed with crisp celery, bright dill, and a creamy mayonnaise base. Ready in 10 minutes, it's perfect for lunch bowls, sandwiches, or served over greens.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: —
Total: 10 min
Makes: 4 servings (about 3.5 cups salad)

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Steps

Before you start

Shred the rotisserie chicken while still slightly warm—it's easier to pull apart
Have all ingredients prepped and ready before mixing
Use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store deli for best flavor and convenience

1
Shred the chicken
- Remove the rotisserie chicken from its container and place on a cutting board.
- Using two forks or your hands (cooler to handle if you let it cool for 2 minutes first), pull the meat away from the bones and skin, discarding the skin and bones.
- Shred the meat into bite-sized pieces, roughly ¾ inch; some pieces can be thicker, some thinner—you want texture, not a paste.
- Aim for about 3.5 cups (490 g) of shredded meat.
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Ready when: meat is in varied bite-sized pieces with no large chunks or chunks still attached to bone
Tip: If the chicken is too hot to handle, let it rest for 2 minutes before shredding. Don't use a food processor—it will turn the meat into a paste.
2
Prep the vegetables
- While the chicken rests slightly, slice the celery stalks thinly crosswise (¼-inch slices), creating about 1.5 cups (180 g) of prepared celery.
- Thinly slice the white and light green parts of the green onions (save the dark green tops for garnish if desired), creating about ½ cup (60 g).
- Finely chop the fresh dill to release its fragrance—aim for about ⅓ cup (12 g) packed.
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Ready when: all vegetables are uniformly sliced and chopped, dill is fragrant
Tip: Slice celery on a bias (at a 45° angle) to create more surface area and a more elegant presentation.
3
Make the dressing
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise (¾ cup / 180 ml) with the lemon juice (2 tablespoons / 30 ml).
- Stir with a fork or spoon until smooth and fully blended.
- Taste and season with a pinch of kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper.
- The dressing should taste bright and slightly tangy from the lemon, with salt bringing out the flavors.
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Ready when: dressing is creamy, smooth, and evenly combined
Tip: Don't skip the lemon juice—it cuts the richness of the mayo and brightens the entire salad.
4
Combine and toss
- Add the shredded chicken, sliced celery, sliced green onions, and chopped dill to the bowl with the dressing.
- Using a fork or wooden spoon, gently toss everything together until the chicken and vegetables are evenly coated with the creamy dressing and the dill is distributed throughout.
- Fold gently so you don't mash the chicken into smaller pieces.
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Ready when: chicken and vegetables are uniformly coated with dressing, no dry patches visible, dill is evenly distributed
Tip: Fold gently to preserve the texture of the chicken; over-mixing will create a pasty consistency.

Good to know

Tips

Shred the chicken while it's still slightly warm—warm chicken tears apart more easily than cold chicken.
Don't skip the fresh lemon juice; it's essential for cutting the richness of the mayo and making this salad taste fresh and bright.
For a grain bowl, serve 1 cup of salad over a bed of mixed greens, farro, or rice. For sandwiches, pile 1 cup into a toasted croissant or between bread slices.
If you like more herbal flavor, add an extra 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh dill just before serving.

Make ahead

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Mix gently again just before serving, and add a splash of lemon juice or a dollop of mayo if the salad has dried out.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerator: up to 2 days in an airtight container. Do not freeze. To refresh, add 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice per 1 cup of salad, then mix gently.

Substitutions

fresh dill → 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, finely chopped, or 2 tablespoons fresh parsley mixed with 1 teaspoon dried tarragon. Tarragon brings an anise-like note that works beautifully with chicken. Parsley alone will work but loses the herbal depth.
mayonnaise → ½ cup (120 ml) mayonnaise mixed with ¼ cup (60 ml) plain Greek yogurt. Reduces richness and adds tanginess. Use full-fat Greek yogurt for best results.
fresh lemon juice → 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice or 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar. Lime adds a brighter, slightly different flavor. Vinegar will be more acidic; use only 1 tablespoon.
green onions (scallions) → ½ small red onion, thinly sliced, mixed with 2 tablespoons fresh chives. Red onion adds a sharper bite and color contrast; chives echo the green onion's mild onion flavor.