It’s true that many of our best-ever recipes are casseroles. From Breakfast Casserole to Million Dollar Chicken Casserole, Southern Living readers know a thing or two about the virtues of a bake-it-and-take-it meal. Almost always, chicken reigns supreme, and that’s probably because it’s a budget-friendly protein that’s full of flavor and lends itself to all sorts of tasty meals for the whole family.

But every now and then a recipe surprises us. When we set about finding the most popular chicken recipe of all time, we expected it to be a little more cheesy, a little more bacon-y, and a lot more casserole-y. Instead, it’s punchy, zippy, and fresh. The most refreshing part? It requires a little extra elbow grease to poach chicken breasts, but it yields an impressively rich broth that’s so worth it. If you haven’t yet, now’s the time to try our Homemade Chicken Salad and enjoy it all week long.

What Makes Our Homemade Chicken Salad Special?

This homemade chicken salad is truly made-from-scratch. While it seems like it might be a little fussy, our readers have spoken: This recipe is an all-time winner for several reasons:

• Chicken breasts: This recipe calls for bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, which are cheaper than boneless, skinless chicken breasts, which makes this recipe great for folks on a budget.
• Flavorful stock: Chicken breasts are simmered gently in chicken broth and fresh thyme sprigs, which yields a flavorful fortified stock that’s perfect for another use. Save and freeze the leftover stock for soups, stews, sore throats, and more.
• The dressing is simple and fresh, and every fresh ingredient has an job: Fresh celery adds aroma and mild salinity, lemon juice offers a tangy kick, salt and pepper brings seasoning and heat, and mayo ties it all together with a silky bow that coats the mixture perfectly.
• Make it ahead: This recipe is easy to prep ahead of time, and tastes even better the next day.

Can You Use Leftover Chicken Instead?

Yes. Part of what makes this recipe so popular is actually the fact that you poach the chicken with the skin-on, in chicken broth, with fresh herbs—it adds some extra flavor and ensures a really nice, moist flavor all the way through. However, if you’re in a pinch, you can definitely omit this step and use a rotisserie chicken. Either way, consider making this recipe one day ahead of time: The flavors will old meld and intensify as they sit and marinate in the refrigerator.

What Reviewers Are Saying

Chicken salad connoisseurs at home had lots to say about the versatility and freshness of this version. One reviewer even suggested using leftovers as a base for chicken casserole—genius!

• “This is my go-to recipe for chicken salad. It is worth the effort and carries a wonderful flavor that isn’t matched by other shortcut methods.”
• “Simple and tasty on a good sandwich roll—yum”

• “This is outstanding—simple and delicious. … Cooking the bone-in, skin-on chicken in broth was well worth it.”