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“Marry Me Chicken” continues to reign supreme on the internet, and it’s easy to see why. The combination of creamy sauce, tender chicken, and bright sun-dried tomatoes creates a meal with tons of craveable flavor. It works as a casserole, a soup, and even when swapping in beans for the chicken. The next frontier? Chicken salad, of course.
It makes total sense to apply the “marry me” treatment to chicken salad—it already has a creamy element in the form of mayonnaise, so why not spike it with some salty Parm and fruity sun-dried tomatoes?
The resulting umami-forward, tangy sauce binds shredded chicken together perfectly for adding to a sandwich or scooping up with crackers or butter lettuce. A little bit of minced shallot cuts through the richness, and a splash of sherry vinegar (optional, but highly recommended!) underlines the tang from the tomatoes.
Tips for Making Marry Me Chicken Salad
- Since there’s no cooking happening here, it’s totally okay to use pre-grated cheese from the grocery store. (If you cook with pre-grated, it often won’t melt as well due to the anti-caking agents that are usually added to the tub.)
- If you do grate your own cheese, I suggest cutting it into small pieces and blitzing it in a food processor. It saves you so much time compared to grating on the itty-bitty holes of a box or rasp grater.
- You can substitute half of the mayo for yogurt for a lighter version of this salad.
- For the chicken, grab a rotisserie chicken to shred, or use any leftover cooked chicken you have on hand.
Simply Recipes / Photo by Robby Lozano / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
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1 cup mayonnaise
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1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
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1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar, optional
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2 teaspoons garlic powder
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2 teaspoons dried basil or oregano
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
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3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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1 (7-ounce) jar sliced sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
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3 cups (about 1 pound) shredded cooked chicken
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3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
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1 large shallot, finely chopped
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Fresh basil leaves, optional
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Make the sauce:
In a large bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, sherry vinegar, if using, garlic powder, basil or oregano, salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar until combined.
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Mix the salad:
Drain and chop the sun-dried tomatoes from the jar into small pieces (you should have about 1 cup). Add the chopped tomatoes to the mayonnaise mixture. Add the shredded chicken, Parmesan, and shallot and stir until well combined. Taste, season as needed, and serve garnished with basil, if desired.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
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| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 529 | Calories |
| 44g | Fat |
| 12g | Carbs |
| 22g | Protein |
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| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 6 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 529 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| 44g | 56% |
| Saturated Fat 9g | 46% |
| 90mg | 30% |
| 790mg | 34% |
| 12g | 5% |
| Dietary Fiber 3g | 9% |
| Total Sugars 1g | |
| 22g | |
| Vitamin C 30mg | 151% |
| Calcium 149mg | 11% |
| Iron 2mg | 14% |
| Potassium 686mg | 15% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
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