This Hot Chicken Salad recipe makes an easy, delicious meal! Chicken, celery, sour cream, and cheese baked with buttery cracker topping. Perfect for serving for a family meal, luncheons, and potlucks! It is always a crowd favorite.
Chicken salad is always a favorite and this easy hot chicken salad is a family favorite recipe for sure. Creamy chicken with crunchy bits of celery and a delicious buttery cracker topping, it’s hard to believe it’s ready so quickly. But it disappears just about as fast, if not faster!
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- How to Make Hot Chicken Salad Recipe
- Ingredients for Hot Chicken Salad Recipe
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- Storage Tips
- More Chicken Salad Recipes
- What to Serve with Hot Chicken Salad
- Hot Chicken Salad Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy recipe. This recipe comes together quickly and bakes in the oven until golden and bubbly.
- Comforting chicken salad recipe. Chicken salad is always delicious, but this hot chicken salad is warm and comforting. Great anytime!
- Make ahead and freezer-friendly. Great for meal prep to serve during a busy week or to take friends and family for a meal.
How to Make Hot Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients for Hot Chicken Salad Recipe
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
- Chicken– This recipe uses cooked chicken. I love to use my shredded chicken recipe or even leftover baked chicken. You can also use rotisserie chicken, homemade or store-bought.
- Celery– Diced celery adds crunch to this hot chicken salad recipe.
- Salt – I use kosher salt. I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. If you substitute with Morton’s Kosher salt, fine sea salt, or table salt, you will only need half the amount of the salt called for in the recipe.
- Pepper – Black pepper adds flavor to this recipe.
- Lemon juice – Brightens this chicken salad.
- Sour cream – Makes the chicken salad creamy and delicious. You can also substitute with partial or all Greek yogurt if you like.
- Mayonnaise – Like the sour cream, the mayonnaise adds to the creaminess of the hot chicken salad.
- Cheddar cheese – Shredded cheddar cheese is delicious in this recipe.
- Ritz crackers – Crushed buttery crackers are added to the top of this hot chicken salad and then baked for a delicious topping!
- Butter – added to the top of the Ritz cracker topping for baking.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Mix the ingredients. Add all ingredients except the crackers and butter to a large mixing bowl.
Pour into baking dish. Spread the mixture into a baking dish.
Add topping and butter. Distribute the cracker crumbs and butter on top of the casserole.
Bake. Bake in a 350º F oven until golden brown and heated throughout about 20 minutes.
Serve.
Storage Tips
Make ahead. Cool and wrap tightly. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat and serve.
Freeze. Prepare and spread it into a freezer-safe baking dish. Wrap tightly with freezer-safe wrap and store in the freezer for up to 4 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and add the cracker crumbs and butter before baking.
More Chicken Salad Recipes
- Chicken Salad with Grapes
- Avocado Chicken Salad
- Fiesta Chicken Salad
- Rosemary Chicken Salad
- Classic Chicken Salad
What to Serve with Hot Chicken Salad
Serve with fruit like grapes or apple slices or another salad like broccoli salad or fruit salad.
Here’s my Hot Chicken Salad recipe. I hope you love it as much as we do.
Hot Chicken Salad Recipe
Robyn Stone
5 from 9 votes
This Hot Chicken Salad recipe makes an easy, delicious meal! Chicken, celery, sour cream, and cheese baked with buttery cracker topping.
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 8
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
- 1 sleeve Ritz crackers
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350º F.
Mix together all ingredients except butter crackers and butter. Pour into a baking dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Spread evenly.
Crush butter crackers and spread over top of chicken salad mixture. Top with pats of butter.
Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes until lightly browned and heated throughout.
Notes
To make ahead. Cool and wrap tightly. Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat and serve.
To freeze. Prepare hot chicken salad mixture and spread it into a freezer-safe baking dish. Wrap tightly with freezer-safe wrap and store in the freezer for up to 4 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and add the cracker crumbs and butter before baking.
Nutrition
Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 549mg | Potassium: 234mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 449IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 178mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Categorized as:30 Minutes or Less Recipes, All Recipes, Casseroles, Chicken Recipes, Dinner Recipes, Freezer Friendly Recipes, Freezer Meal Recipes, Lunch, Make-ahead Recipes, One Dish Meal Recipes, Salad Recipes, Simple Recipes
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About Robyn
Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.
Read more about Robyn
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