Hot Chicken Salad

JUMP TO RECIPE

This Hot Chicken Salad is a twist on the classic in that it’s baked! Use store-bought rotisserie chicken for ease or leftover chicken from the night before. It’ll be an addition to the dinner rotation for sure!

Being from the South, we happen to be chicken salad experts, in fact our viral Southern Chicken Salad is one of the most loved recipes on our site! Let us introduce you to our Hot Chicken Salad that is baked in the oven. It’s more like a casserole with classic chicken salad flavors. It’s a recipe passed down through our family for years and years.

Save The Recipe!

Add your email below and we’ll send it straight to your inbox+ you’ll receive all our newest recipes!

This warm chicken salad is both foolproof and easy to make, just stir the ingredients together and bake until bubbling in under an hour. Even our pickiest family member has grown to love this delicious chicken dish. Make sure you also try our Cucumber Chicken Salad and Classic Chicken Salad.

Table of Contents

Why You’ll love this recipe

Fun Crunch: The crunch from potato sticks and almonds adds a fun texture. Just a warm, cheesy, crunchy dish that’s hard to resist!
Easy to Make: Quick to put together for busy nights or last-minute plans.
Make-Ahead Friendly: Perfect to prepare in advance and bake later.
Crowd-Pleaser: Family and friends are certain to give a double thumbs up!

ingredients

Scroll Down to the Bottom of this Post for Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Printable Recipe Card

Shredded cooked seasoned chicken: We love to use store-bought rotisserie chicken for this or leftover chicken from the night before.
Finely diced celery: Adds nice crunch and fresh veggie flavor.
Condensed cream of celery soup: Gives the creaminess to the chicken salad.
Mayonnaise: A required ingredient in any chicken salad in our opinion.
Lemon juice: Adds nice acid to bring out all of the delicious flavors.
Garlic powder: Infuses a hint of garlic flavor.
Onion powder: Provides a little bit of onion sweetness in every bite.
Slivered almonds: Adds a nutty crunch.
Shredded cheddar cheese: Gives a cheesy flavor that’s unique to this hot chicken salad recipe.
Water chestnuts: More crunch added in every bite.
Potato Stix or Crushed plain potato chips: Adds saltiness and texture to the top.

Tools You’ll Need

how to make hot chicken salad

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 13×9-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
To a large mixing bowl, add diced celery, cream of celery soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoning salt or salt and pepper, 1/2 cup of the almonds, 8 ounces of the cheddar cheese, and water chestnuts. Mix well until all ingredients are evenly combined.

Fold in the shredded chicken.

Transfer the mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread out evenly.
Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the top, followed by the remaining almonds and potato stix or chips.

Bake uncovered for 28-32 minutes, until bubbly and golden. Rest for a few minutes before serving.

expert tips

Use store-bought rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken for this recipe. It’s the best for using up roasted chicken from dinner the night before.
Bake uncovered to keep the topping crunchy. This is key to this hot chicken salad recipe. The best part is the almond and potato chip topping, so bake it without foil on top to keep it nice and crispy.
Shred your own cheddar cheese if possible. This way the chicken salad has that perfect gooey texture. Pre-shredded cheese can have a coating on it that prevents it from melting nicely.
Homemade condensed soup. You can use my homemade cream of mushroom soup or make cream of celery from scratch. Simply melt 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Sauté 1 finely diced celery rib for 1 minute. Stir in 1/4 cup all-purpose flour and cook until the mixture bubbles. Whisk in 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock and 1/2 cup milk until smooth. Stir periodically until the mixture thickens to a sauce consistency, Stir in 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Storage

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave for a few minutes until warmed through.

We don’t recommend freezing hot chicken salad as it can change texture once it thaws. Prepping the recipe in advance works well. Mix everything to combine and keep in the fridge. Bake when ready to serve.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is hot chicken salad?

It’s a twist on the classic cold recipe that is baked until bubbling and warm. We add cheese and cream of celery soup to the classic recipe for a creamy casserole texture.

What is best to serve with hot chicken salad?

We like to serve it with a couple vegetable side dishes.

Can I make hot chicken salad in advance?

Yes, you can assemble the base mixture in the baking dish and store it in the fridge. Then add the toppings and bake it until bubbling and golden brown right before you are ready to enjoy.

more delicious chicken recipes

Print Recipe Rate this Recipe Pin Recipe

5 from 1 vote