I tossed shredded chicken, chopped dill pickles, and sliced green onions into a creamy blend of cream cheese and dill pickle juice to make a Dill Pickle Chicken Salad that riffs on Chicken Salad With Dill Relish and hides one unexpected pantry hero.
I didn’t think pickles and cream cheese could be friends, but this Dill Pickle Chicken Salad proved me wrong. I love how the tang from dill pickles cuts through the richness of cream cheese and makes every bite pop, plus the texture of shredded chicken keeps it satisfying not weird.
I actually found a version on Kaylas Kitchen Recipes that made me curious, then saw a twist in Chicken Salad With Dill Relish that pushed me to try it at home. It’s one of those salads that sounds odd until you taste it, then you kinda want it all the time, no shame.
Ingredients
- Cooked chicken: lean protein that keeps you full good for muscle repair.
- Dill pickles: crunchy, tangy, low calorie, adds bright sour punch and sometimes probiotics.
- Cream cheese: adds creamy richness and fat, makes the salad silky but calorie dense.
- Mayonnaise: the binder that adds smooth mouthfeel, mostly fat so use it sparingly.
- Dill pickle juice: salty, sour kick that brightens flavors with tangy acidity.
- Green onions: fresh mild bite, adds crunch and a light oniony zip.
- Fresh dill: herbaceous, fragrant, light citrusy notes that pair with chicken and pickles.
- Celery seed: tiny crunch and warm celery flavor, boosts savory depth and aroma.
Ingredient Quantities
- 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded or chopped (about 1 pound)
- 1 cup dill pickles, finely chopped (about 4 medium pickles)
- 3 green onions thinly sliced (white and green parts)
- 4 oz cream cheese softened (half an 8 oz block)
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon celery seed optional
How to Make this
1. Shred or chop 3 cups cooked chicken (about 1 pound). Rotisserie works great, or use two forks to pull apart warm chicken for quicker shredding.
2. Finely chop 1 cup dill pickles (about 4 medium) and thinly slice 3 green onions, white and green parts. Save a little pickle slice for garnish if you want.
3. Soften 4 oz cream cheese: let sit 30 minutes or microwave in 10 second bursts until just soft, don’t melt it.
4. In a medium bowl beat the softened cream cheese until smooth, then stir in 1/3 cup mayonnaise and 2 tablespoons dill pickle juice until creamy. This makes the dressing base.
5. Stir in 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill if using, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon celery seed if you like that little crunchy bite. Taste and adjust seasoning now, because once it’s mixed with chicken it’s harder to fix.
6. Add the chopped pickles, sliced green onions and shredded chicken to a large mixing bowl.
7. Pour the cream cheese-pickle dressing over the chicken mixture and fold gently until everything is evenly coated. If it seems too thick add another teaspoon or two of pickle juice or a splash of mayo.
8. Chill at least 30 minutes so flavors meld. You can serve right away in a pinch, but it’s way better after chilling.
9. Serve on bread, croissants, in lettuce cups or with crackers. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge 3 to 4 days. If the salad firms up cold, let it sit a few minutes or stir before serving.
Equipment Needed
1. Cutting board, for pickles and onions, and to shred chicken on
2. Chef’s knife, sharp is better for quick chopping
3. Two forks or meat claws to shred the warm chicken, works fast
4. Medium and large mixing bowls, one for the dressing one for the chicken mix
5. Hand mixer or whisk and sturdy spoon to beat the cream cheese smooth
6. Rubber spatula to fold the dressing into the chicken without tearing it up
7. Measuring cups and spoons for mayo, pickle juice and seasonings
8. Airtight container for chilling and storing leftovers
FAQ
Dill Pickle Chicken Salad Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Cream cheese (4 oz): swap with 1/3 to 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt for a tangy, lighter texture, or use 4 oz sour cream if you want similar richness. If you use Greek yogurt, chill it first so the salad isn’t too loose, it’ll still be creamy.
- Mayonnaise (1/3 cup): replace with 1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt to cut fat and add tang, or use avocado mayo same amount for a similar mouthfeel and milder flavor. Both keep the salad nicely cohesive.
- Dill pickles (1 cup): use cornichons or finely chopped bread-and-butter pickles for a different sweet-tart balance, or substitute with 1 cup chopped cucumber plus an extra 1 tablespoon pickle juice if you want a fresher crunch but keep the tang.
- Dill pickle juice (2 tbsp): replace with 1 tablespoon lemon juice plus a pinch of salt, or 1 tablespoon white vinegar diluted with 1 tablespoon water, to mimic the acidity if you don’t have pickle brine on hand.
Pro Tips
1) Soften the cream cheese fully before you mix, don’t melt it, just soft so it whips smooth. If the salad ends up too stiff add a teaspoon or two of pickle juice or mayo, if it’s too loose chill it and it firms back up.
2) Taste as you go, cause pickles and mayo vary a lot, you might not need all the salt listed. Add pickle juice slowly, you can always add more but you cant take it out.
3) Use rotisserie or warm chicken and pull it apart with forks for better texture, but if you make it ahead shred, let it chill and then fold the dressing in right before serving so it stays fluffier.
4) Let it rest in the fridge at least 30 minutes so flavors meld, and if leftovers get too firm just sit at room temp a few minutes and stir, or serve on a soft roll or lettuce cup to contrast the tang.
Dill Pickle Chicken Salad Recipe
I tossed shredded chicken, chopped dill pickles, and sliced green onions into a creamy blend of cream cheese and dill pickle juice to make a Dill Pickle Chicken Salad that riffs on Chicken Salad With Dill Relish and hides one unexpected pantry hero.
4
servings
424
kcal
Equipment: 1. Cutting board, for pickles and onions, and to shred chicken on
2. Chef’s knife, sharp is better for quick chopping
3. Two forks or meat claws to shred the warm chicken, works fast
4. Medium and large mixing bowls, one for the dressing one for the chicken mix
5. Hand mixer or whisk and sturdy spoon to beat the cream cheese smooth
6. Rubber spatula to fold the dressing into the chicken without tearing it up
7. Measuring cups and spoons for mayo, pickle juice and seasonings
8. Airtight container for chilling and storing leftovers
Ingredients
-
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded or chopped (about 1 pound)
-
1 cup dill pickles, finely chopped (about 4 medium pickles)
-
3 green onions thinly sliced (white and green parts)
-
4 oz cream cheese softened (half an 8 oz block)
-
1/3 cup mayonnaise
-
2 tablespoons dill pickle juice
-
1 tablespoon fresh dill chopped, optional
-
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
-
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
-
1/4 teaspoon celery seed optional
Directions
- Shred or chop 3 cups cooked chicken (about 1 pound). Rotisserie works great, or use two forks to pull apart warm chicken for quicker shredding.
- Finely chop 1 cup dill pickles (about 4 medium) and thinly slice 3 green onions, white and green parts. Save a little pickle slice for garnish if you want.
- Soften 4 oz cream cheese: let sit 30 minutes or microwave in 10 second bursts until just soft, don’t melt it.
- In a medium bowl beat the softened cream cheese until smooth, then stir in 1/3 cup mayonnaise and 2 tablespoons dill pickle juice until creamy. This makes the dressing base.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill if using, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon celery seed if you like that little crunchy bite. Taste and adjust seasoning now, because once it's mixed with chicken it’s harder to fix.
- Add the chopped pickles, sliced green onions and shredded chicken to a large mixing bowl.
- Pour the cream cheese-pickle dressing over the chicken mixture and fold gently until everything is evenly coated. If it seems too thick add another teaspoon or two of pickle juice or a splash of mayo.
- Chill at least 30 minutes so flavors meld. You can serve right away in a pinch, but it's way better after chilling.
- Serve on bread, croissants, in lettuce cups or with crackers. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge 3 to 4 days. If the salad firms up cold, let it sit a few minutes or stir before serving.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 218g
- Total number of serves: 4
- Calories: 424kcal
- Fat: 28.4g
- Saturated Fat: 9.2g
- Trans Fat: 0.08g
- Polyunsaturated: 2.5g
- Monounsaturated: 7.5g
- Cholesterol: 127mg
- Sodium: 900mg
- Potassium: 373mg
- Carbohydrates: 3g
- Fiber: 0.8g
- Sugar: 1g
- Protein: 37.5g
- Vitamin A: 152IU
- Vitamin C: 2.8mg
- Calcium: 52mg
- Iron: 1.4mg