Lemon Basil Chicken Salad

I love this Lemon Basil Chicken Salad. It’s something quick that I can keep in the fridge for an easy lunch during the weekdays. I tried a few times to recreate the Chicken Salad Chick Lauryn’s Lemon Basil recipe, and I think I’ve finally figured it out! The Lemon Basil is by-far my favorite item from their menu. If you love anything lemon basil, you’ll definitely want to try this chicken salad out.

Equipment You’ll Need

You won’t need a lot of equipment to make this lemon basil chicken salad chick copycat recipe. The main piece of equipment that I used is my food processor. I like the one I have below. I believe it’s 8 cups. Then you’ll need a zester or the small side of a cheese grater to zest your lemon. I also like a lemon juicer so that I’m not picking seeds out of my recipes forever. It just helps on time.

Other than that, you won’t need too much of anything! Once made, I transferred my chicken salad to an airtight container for storing in the fridge. This recipe will store easily in the fridge for up to a week.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Like I said before, this recipe is so much like the lemon basil Chicken Salad Chick recipe. It’s so delicious and easy to make at with not a lot of ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need below…

Chicken Breast:

I boiled about 2.5 pounds of chicken breast strips then shredded them and used this as my chicken. You can use whichever kind of chicken you’d like. However, I would recommend using only white meat. Dark meat may change the overall flavor of the chicken salad.

Fresh Basil:

I bought two little 1-ounce containers of fresh basil and used about 1 and a half of them. I put the basil into the food processor first. Once added in. It equals to be about 3 tablespoons worth.

Celery:

I like celery in all of my chicken salads. I feel like it adds a bit of a fresh, sweet flavor. It also adds in a little crunch.

Pecans:

The pecan adds in that fat and nutty rich flavor to the chicken salad.

Lemon:

I used the juice of two whole lemons, and the zest of half of a lemon for this recipe. I had to play with this a few times to get the perfect lemon amount.

Mayonnaise:

Of course, mayonnaise! It ties it all together. I like Duke’s mayonnaise, but you use whatever one you like. You can even use a lower-fat option as well.

Seasonings:

For seasonings, I kept it simple. Salt, pepper garlic salt. Just enough to compliment the flavors that are already there.

Step by Step How to Make This Lemon Basil Chicken Salad

Step 1

Boil your chicken breast meat in a large pot. Boil for around 20-30 minutes until fully cooked. Remove from water and shred. Set aside and let cool.

Step 2

Add your fresh basil to your food processor with your s-shaped flat blade. Chop on high until basil if fully minced. Then add in your stick of celery, pecans, lemon juice and zest. Chop on high until all comes together in a minced-like paste.

Step 3

Add your chicken, mayonnaise and seasonings to your food processor. Keep mixing on high. You may have to pause and break up large pieces of the chicken. Keep chopping on high until it all comes together. If it seems dry, add in more mayo one teaspoon at a time. Remove from food processor and store in an airtight container for up to one week. Serve on a salad, sandwich or with crackers. Enjoy!

Before you go!

Please let me know if you tried this chicken salad. What did you think? Do you have any other requests for Chicken Salad Chick copycat recipes? Please let me know here or in the comments below! I’d love to hear from you!