Hot Chicken Salad

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This creamy Southern chicken casserole (a.k.a a hot chicken salad) includes tender chicken, celery, and boiled eggs baked with a crunchy potato chip topping.

Spoonful of hot chicken salad.

I’m bringing you a little treasure today in the form of my Granny Jordan’s old-fashioned Southern chicken casserole recipe. Back in the day, this baked chicken salad was regularly seen at lunch, brunch, dinner, potlucks, church picnics, and tailgating parties. It’s typically served as a savory dip-style casserole with bread or Ritz crackers for dipping, but more on that below. 

This is such a quick and easy hot chicken salad recipe. All we need to do is mix our ingredients together, which are mayo, cream of chicken soup, shredded chicken, celery, onion, and boiled eggs. We add this to a casserole dish, top it with lots of crunchy and salty potato chips, and bake! That’s it! It will be ready in just 20 minutes. 

This chicken casserole is so creamy, thanks to the mayo and cream of chicken soup. But it’s also super flavorful and texturized, as you have the crunch of the celery and potato chips combined with the tender chicken and eggs. Basically, it’s a taste sensation and you need to bake it immediately. Yes, really!

Labeled ingredients for hot chicken salad.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Ritz crackers and lettuce (for serving)
  • Mayo
  • Onion
  • Boiled eggs
  • Celery
  • Chicken
  • Cream of chicken soup
  • Potato chips

How to Make Hot Chicken Salad

Chop up boiled eggs.

Chop up your boiled eggs…

Chop up celery and onion.

As well as your celery and onion.

Add chopped ingredients to a mixing bowl.

Chuck all of those ingredients into a large bowl.

Add chicken, soup, and mayo to mixing bowl.

Then add the cream of chicken soup, cooked chicken, and mayonnaise.

Mix ingredients together.

Give it a good stir and it’ll look a little bit like this.

Spread mixture in a casserole dish.

Spread the chicken mixture into an 8×8 casserole dish.

Top casserole with crushed potato chips.

Top with crushed potato chips.

Baked hot chicken salad.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes and your hot chicken salad is ready to serve. How easy was that?

Hot chicken salad served on lettuce with Ritz crackers.

Serve hot on a bed of lettuce with Ritz crackers.

Hot chicken salad on a Ritz cracker.

I also have to admit I love to serve this baked chicken salad cold like this Southern chicken salad for sandwiches.

It’s delicious either way. Enjoy!

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat them in the microwave, oven, or air fryer. I don’t recommend freezing the casserole as creamy sauces don’t thaw well.

Recipe Notes

Here are some variations to make this hot chicken salad recipe work for you:

  • Add 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese. You can mix this into the chicken casserole or add it on top along with the potato chips. Alternatively, add cheddar cheese to the casserole and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.
  • For extra flavor, add 1 jar of diced pimientos (drained).
  • For extra crunch, add 1 cup of sliced/slivered almonds.
  • Use any kind of cooked chicken, like rotisserie chicken, canned chicken, or shredded boneless skinless chicken breast.
  • Add more veggies, like 1 can of water chestnuts, 1 cup of chopped red bell pepper, or 1 cup of sliced mushrooms.
  • Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or green onion.
  • Add diced cooked bacon for added flavor.
  • Substitute the potato chips for toasted breadcrumbs, french fried onions, or crushed cornflakes.
  • Add a tablespoon of bottled or fresh lemon juice for a pleasant tang.

Recipe FAQs

How do you serve a hot chicken salad?

I like to serve my hot chicken salad casserole on a bed of lettuce with Ritz crackers, cornbread, homemade buttermilk biscuits, or bread. But it also tastes delicious as a main dish with cooked rice and a side of fresh green beans.

Check out these other chicken casserole recipes:

Tex Mex Chicken Casserole

Chicken Tortilla Casserole (Cooked in the Microwave)

Cheesy Chicken and Corn Casserole

Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Casserole With Rice

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Chicken Divan Casserole

Baked hot chicken salad.

Hot Chicken Salad

This creamy Southern chicken casserole (a.k.a a hot chicken salad) includes tender chicken, celery, and boiled eggs baked with a crunchy potato chip topping.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: casserole, chicken, salad
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 1 cooked chicken
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • 2 chopped boiled eggs
  • 3/4 cup diced celery
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1/3 cup cracker crumbs (optional)
  • 1 cup potato chips
  • Ritz crackers and lettuce for serving (optional)

Instructions

  • Mix chicken, mayo, soup, eggs, celery, onion, and cracker crumbs in a medium bowl.
    1 cooked chicken, 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 1 can cream of chicken soup, 2 chopped boiled eggs, 3/4 cup diced celery, 1/2 onion, diced, 1/3 cup cracker crumbs (optional)
  • Spread into an 8x8 baking dish and top with crushed potato chips.
    1 cup potato chips
  • Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
  • Serve hot or cold over a bed of lettuce with Ritz crackers.
    Ritz crackers and lettuce for serving (optional)
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113 Comments

  1. While looking for another reciep on your site, ran accross this, what a great memory, her graduation picture is beautiful a lady beautiful inside and out. Reciep sound good also
    true Southern Ladies ( even those who have never been to the South) never served a dish that they did not know their guests would enjoy

  2. I just saw the archived coffee chat this morning where you spoke of your mother as being oh so organized and you being the opposite. [and the prank of sitting on her freshly made bed!!]With this story here of what you so carefully preserved over a year of your life from granny Jordan, I doubt that you are as disorganized as your mama accused you of being….but I laugh and laugh over the last comb she bought was when you moved out. Oh my Christy. you are a treasure. Even the lengths you go to showing how to make the wonderful recipes you post….my oh my!! And the S.T.O.P. your enacted when you might not have found your mascara….ROFL again! Meanwhile chicken salad is my go to for oneg meals to share on Shabbat and I can’t wait to make this one also. Happy summer salads to us!! 🙂

  3. I love the story behind your grandmother’s chicken casserole/salad. I need a cold chicken salad to take to a church dinner this weekend and was wondering if the potato chips stay crisp when the casserole is chilled or do they need to be added just before serving?

  4. Christy,
    This is so sweet and reminds me of my own grandmother so much! We have many of her handwritten recipes that are precious. As a matter of fact my grandmother’s graduation photo looks almost identical to your grandmother’s. They must have been from the same generation and we are all from Atlanta, too! Love your posts all the time.

  5. Christy,
    There is a craft where you can copy and iron this treasured recipe onto a dish towel. I don’t know the technique but feel sure someone reading this will.

  6. You and your recipes are a blessing to me and my family. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve choked up, or even shed tears, reading what could have been a simple recipe, but you’ve made it into so much more. I’m a mom of young children, and when I am reminded of my childhood from your dishes or pictures or your own memories, you make me realize that my own children are paying attention to me now. I am grateful for that. God bless you and your family!

  7. This is a recipe similar to the one that was served at my bridesmaid’s luncheon…and has been a staple in my kitchen for years. Leave out the crackers, and add 1/2 T lemon juice. Top with crushed potato chips–make an amazing difference! You can also add slivered almonds. Serve with rice–it’s a terrific combo!

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