Cajun Chicken Salad

This chicken salad is done Louisiana-style with remoulade, Tabasco sauce, and a little Cajun spice.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated February 21, 2025
Elise Bauer
Cajun Chicken Salad
Elise Bauer

This little chicken salad went to the market. This little chicken salad stayed home. This little chicken salad took a tour through Louisiana and ran off with some cheeky spicy remoulade sauce and who knows where they'll end up?

In my belly! Or your belly if you decide to make this Cajun twist on the classic chicken salad.

It's easy enough, you can basically prep the ingredients as the chicken is poaching. I love the spicy kick that the Cajun seasoning brings to the salad. It makes for great leftovers and works well on lettuce or in a sandwich. Enjoy!

More Louisana-Style Recipes

From the Editors Of Simply Recipes

Cajun Chicken Salad

Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 4 to 6 servings

While this recipe calls for poaching raw chicken breasts, you could easily just use leftover cooked chicken.

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Ingredients

  • 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts

  • Salt

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise

  • 2 tablespoons mustard

  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

  • 2 teaspoons paprika

  • 1 teaspoon Cajun or Creole seasoning

  • 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

  • 2 large hard-boiled eggs, chopped

  • 1/2 cup chopped celery

  • 1/2 cup chopped green pepper

  • 1/4 cup chopped green onion

  • Tabasco or other hot sauce, to taste

Method

  1. Poach the chicken:

    Set a 2-quart pot of well salted water over high heat. As the water heats to a boil, cut the chicken breasts into large (2 1/2-inch) chunks. When the water boils, add the chicken. Return to a simmer, then turn off the heat, and cover the pot. Let sit for 15 minutes (time it) or more while you prepare everything else.

  2. Make the dressing, mix in the eggs and vegetables:

    In a large bowl, mix the mayo, mustard, vinegar, paprika, Cajun seasoning and horseradish together. Mix in the eggs, celery, green pepper, green onion.

  3. Dice chicken, mix with salad:

    Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken from the poaching water* and dice it. Mix it in with the remaining ingredients. Add salt and hot sauce to taste. Chill before serving.

    Serve over butter lettuce or between two pieces of bread for a sandwich.

    *The resulting poaching liquid is a light, salted chicken broth. You can save it and pour it into a cup and drink it as a light soup if you want.

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Links:

Remoulade Sauce - here on Simply Recipes

Cajun Fried Chicken - from Leite's Culinaria

Cajun Chicken Salad
Elise Bauer
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
289 Calories
19g Fat
3g Carbs
26g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 289
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g 24%
Saturated Fat 3g 17%
Cholesterol 134mg 45%
Sodium 544mg 24%
Total Carbohydrate 3g 1%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 26g
Vitamin C 11mg 55%
Calcium 37mg 3%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 330mg 7%
*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.