Dill Pickle Chicken Salad Recipe

This dill pickle chicken salad starts with chicken breast brined in leftover pickle juice, seasoned, and roasted, then finely chopped in the food processor with celery, red onion, and crunchy dill pickles. Tossed in a creamy mayo and Greek yogurt dressing.

If you love bold pickle flavor, this dill pickle chicken salad recipe is going to be your new go-to lunch. It starts with chicken breasts soaked in dill pickle brine before roasting, which works the flavor in from the inside out rather than just adding pickles on top. The result is a creamy, crunchy, high protein chicken salad that works on sandwiches, in lettuce wraps, or scooped straight from the bowl with crackers.

This is also a great recipe for meal prep. It keeps well in the fridge for several days, the flavor gets better as it sits, and you can use leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken breast to skip the brining step entirely when you need something fast.

Looking for more fun chicken salad recipes? Try this grilled curry chicken salad or my Greek chicken salad recipes.

Why This Recipe Works

• Brining the chicken in pickle brine before cooking infuses the meat with dill pickle flavor, not just the dressing. While you can definitely skip this step when you’re in a time crunch, I do think it’s worth doing to add more layers of flavor.
• Pulsing the chicken and vegetables together in a food processor creates a uniform, scoopable texture that holds together perfectly on bread or crackers. I find this to be the perfect texture compared to shredding and chopping.
• The creamy dressing uses a mix of mayo and plain Greek yogurt, which adds a slight tang and keeps it from feeling too heavy. I also like using only Greek yogurt as well when looking to have fewer calories.
• Crispy bacon and crunchy dill pickles add texture in every bite without making the salad watery. I like adding these in after the mixture is processed, so they don’t get too small.

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the Dill Pickle Chicken:

• Chicken breasts: The base of this recipe. Bone-in or boneless both work, but boneless skinless chicken breasts are the easiest to shred and pulse. If you want to use chicken thighs, dark meat works just as well here and tends to stay juicier. Leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken breast is a great shortcut if you want to skip the brining and roasting step altogether. Use what works best!
• Dill pickle brine: Use the leftover brine straight from the pickle jar. No need to make anything from scratch. This is the key to getting that dill pickle flavor built into the chicken itself.
• Garlic powder, onion powder, celery salt, and black pepper: A simple dry rub that seasons the exterior of the chicken before roasting. The celery salt adds a subtle savory note that complements the brine. If you’re not cooking your own chicken, use some of the rub in the food processor to add some additional seasoning.

The Chicken Salad:

• Celery stalks: Adds crunch and a fresh, mild flavor. Chop them roughly before they go into the food processor.
• Garlic and Red onion: A half red onion gives the salad a bit of sharpness. You can swap in sweet onion if you want something milder, or use green onions for a lighter flavor.
• Dill pickles: Use crunchy dill pickles for the best texture. This is not the place for sweet pickles or pickle relish, since their flavor profiles are completely different. Chop them roughly before pulsing. Be mindful of pickles that are watery (anything that has a lot of seeds) so the chicken salad doesn’t get soggy.
• Dill: I find dried dill packs a more intense flavor but fresh dill is also great here (or a combo of both).
• Cooked bacon: Cook your bacon until extra crispy so it holds up once folded into the salad. Add it after pulsing so it keeps its texture.

For the Dressing:

• Mayo: The creamy base of the dressing. Use your preferred brand.
• Plain Greek yogurt: Adds creaminess and a slight tang without making the dressing too heavy. Make sure you are using plain, unsweetened Greek yogurt.
• Extra pickle brine: A tablespoon of dill pickle juice stirred into the dressing ties everything together and adds an extra layer of pickle flavor without adding more solid pieces of pickle.
• Spices: Salt, black pepper, dried dill, and chives round out the flavor for the dressing. You may need additional seasoning once everything is combined, so be sure to taste test and adjust.

How to Make Dill Pickle Chicken Salad

Step 1 — Brine the Chicken

Place your chicken breasts in a zip-top bag or a shallow airtight container. Pour one cup of dill pickle brine over the chicken, seal it up, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. The longer the chicken sits in the brine, the more dill pickle flavor it absorbs. If you are short on time, even a 2-hour brine makes a difference.

Step 2 — Season and Cook

I love pan searing my chicken in a cast iron because it gets a nice seared and browned outside (this lends a lot of flavor) and takes about 8-10 minutes of total cook time. Combine all the seasonings for the chicken and then sear it in a small amount of olive oil or avocado oil over medium-high heat.

After 4-5 minutes, flip the chicken and continue cooking until the internal temperature reaches 165 F. Let it rest and fully cook to room temperature (or pop it into the fridge to make your chicken salad for later). You want the chicken to be fully cooled before food processing.

Step 3 — Make the Dressing

While the chicken rests, add the mayo, plain Greek yogurt, seasonings, and one tablespoon of dill pickle brine to a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Set aside. This should not be a super thin consistency.

Step 4 — Pulse in the Food Processor

Cut the cooled chicken into rough chunks. Add to a food processor along with the roughly chopped dill pickles, celery, garlic, and red onion. Pulse 8 to 12 times until everything is finely chopped and the mixture comes together into a cohesive, scoopable texture. Stop and check frequently. You want it uniform, not a puree. Over-processing happens fast.

Step 5 — Combine and Finish

Transfer the chicken mixture into the bowl with the dressing. Add the crumbled crispy bacon and fresh dill, and stir everything together. Taste and adjust with salt, black pepper, or an extra splash of extra pickle juice if you want more tang. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Tips for the Best Pickle Chicken Salad

Don’t skip patting the chicken dry. Moisture left on the surface of the chicken after brining will prevent it from getting any color in the oven. Dry chicken roasts better and has a better texture once it’s chopped.

Use cooked chicken that is fully cooled. Warm chicken will over-process in the food processor and turn pasty. Let it rest fully, or refrigerate it for 15 to 20 minutes before pulsing if you are in a hurry.

Pulse, don’t blend. The food processor method is what gives this easy chicken salad recipe its scoopable, cohesive texture. Short pulses give you control. Running it continuously will turn it into a paste quickly.

Adjust the dressing after mixing. The salt level in pickle brine varies by brand, so always taste the finished salad before adding more salt. If it needs more punch, reach for extra pickle brine before adding more salt.

Make it your own. This classic chicken salad recipe is a solid base to riff on. Hard boiled eggs are a natural addition if you like an egg salad style richness. Bell peppers and green onions are both wonderful additions if you want more crunch and color.

Storage: Keep the finished salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The flavor improves after the first few hours as everything comes together.

Serving: Enjoy it as is, on a sandwich, in a lettuce wrap, tortilla, or with my homemade lavash. It’s also wonderful with croissants, on a biscuit, or with these homemade air fryer pita chips, too. 

More Recipes To Try

Dill Pickle Ranch Dressing

Mini Lobster Rolls

Old Fashioned Ham Salad

Dill Pickle Brined Pork Chops

Authentic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad