This chicken salad croissant is the perfect combination of creamy, crunchy and savory.
We’re doing a simple chicken salad recipe with crunchy celery and spooning it into a flaky, buttery croissant with some added crispiness from green leaf lettuce.
This recipe is easy enough for a quick lunch but special enough for a brunch, baby shower or wedding shower.
Why We Love This Recipe
- Easy to make: This recipe comes together quickly with simple ingredients you can find at any grocery store.
- Perfect for entertaining: Chicken salad croissants are a great choice for a baby shower, bridal shower, brunch, elegant or casual get-togethers.
- Make-ahead friendly: The homemade chicken salad can be prepared ahead of time, making this a perfect option for a quick lunch.
- Easy to customize: You can easily put your own twist on the chicken mixture with different herbs, fruit, nuts or seasonings.
- Great for leftovers: This is a great way to use leftover chicken.
- No complicated cooking: Using rotisserie chicken makes this one of the easiest small batch recipes for busy days.
Ingredients
- Rotisserie chicken. Use either the breast or the full bird, whatever your preference. I love dark meat so I use both.
- Mayonnaise
- Sour cream
- Celery
- Green leaf lettuce
- Dijon mustard
- Fresh parsley
- Salt
- Pepper
- Croissants
How to Make Chicken Salad Croissants
Prep your Ingredients
Start by chopping the chicken, celery and parsley so that everything is ready to fold into the dressing.
Make the Chicken Salad
In a mixing bowl, whisk the mayo, sour cream, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Then, gently fold in the chopped chicken, celery and parsley.
Assemble the Sandwiches
Slice the croissants in half, but not all the way through. Then, place a leaf of lettuce into each croissant and spoon in some chicken salad.
Variations
Add fruit: Red grapes, chopped green apple, dried cranberries, or a combination adds a delicious sweet dimension to this basic chicken salad recipe. Try my California Chicken Salad for just grapes and my Best Ever Chicken Salad if you like both grapes and apples.
Add nuts: Pecans add a nice crunch, and walnuts, sliced almonds or cashews work beautifully too. Try my California Chicken Salad if you like nuts.
Use Greek yogurt: Replace some of the mayonnaise or sour cream with plain Greek yogurt for a lighter chicken salad with plenty of creamy texture.
Vary the herbs: Fresh dill, chives or tarragon can add variations of fresh flavor. Try my Best Ever Chicken Salad if you like tarragon.
Make it tangier: Add a little lemon juice or extra Dijon mustard to give the chicken salad a stronger tangy flavor.
Use another type of chicken: Chicken thighs work especially well if you prefer dark meat. You can also use baked chicken breasts, poached chicken or leftover roast chicken.
Change the bread: Croissants are my favorite way to serve this chicken salad, but you can also use brioche buns, sandwich bread or lettuce cups.
Add veggies: Thinly sliced tomato slices, cucumber or even quick pickled red onion can add additional freshness and crunch.
Serving Suggestions
Light lunch or dinner: Middle schoolers and high schoolers love these croissant sandwiches for lunch! At home, serve them with a simple salad, fresh fruit or potato chips.
Brunch: Serve this chicken salad on mini croissants alongside fresh berries, pastries, egg salad or a tuna salad sandwich platter.
Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
The chicken salad can be made up to a day ahead, making this a great sandwich recipe for entertaining.
Prepare the chicken salad according to the recipe card, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate until you’re ready to use it.
For the best results, wait to assemble the chicken salad croissants until shortly before serving. Keeping the chicken salad separate from the croissants helps prevent the flaky croissants from becoming soggy.
If you’re serving these at a party, you can prepare the chicken salad the night before and assemble the sandwiches a few hours before serving.
Store leftover chicken salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last several more days.
How Do I Keep a Chicken Salad Croissant From Getting Soggy?
The key to preventing soggy chicken salad croissants is keeping moisture away from the croissant for as long as possible:
Assemble just before serving. Store the chicken salad separately and fill the croissants shortly before serving.
Use a moisture barrier. A layer of lettuce between the croissant and chicken salad can help protect the pastry from some of the moisture.
Don’t overdo the dressing. The chicken salad should be creamy, but it shouldn’t be swimming in dressing.
Use fresh croissants. Fresh, crisp croissants hold up much better than croissants that have already become soft.
Do I Have to Use Rotisserie Chicken?
Nope! While rotisserie chicken is my favorite shortcut for this recipe, it definitely isn’t required.
Rotisserie chicken is convenient because the chicken is already cooked, tender and flavorful. It’s a great option when you want to make a quick lunch without cooking chicken from scratch.
However, you can use any cooked chicken you have available. Leftover chicken, baked chicken breasts or chicken thighs all work well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely. Any cooked chicken will work, including leftover chicken, baked chicken breast or chicken thighs. Rotisserie chicken is just a convenient shortcut.
Yes. Miracle Whip can be used in place of mayonnaise. Keep in mind that it has a sweeter and tangier flavor, so your finished chicken salad will taste slightly different.
Yes. Plain Greek yogurt is an easy swap for sour cream and can be used as part of the creamy chicken salad dressing.
This depends on the size of your croissants. For standard croissants, about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of chicken salad per sandwich is a good starting point. For mini croissants, use about 1/4 cup per sandwich.
The exact number of servings will depend on the size of the croissants and how generously you fill them.
I don’t recommend freezing chicken salad made with mayonnaise or sour cream. The texture of the dressing can change after freezing and thawing, and ingredients like celery can become watery.
For best results, prepare the chicken salad fresh and keep it refrigerated in an airtight container.
Yes, but for the best texture, make the chicken salad ahead of time and assemble the sandwiches shortly before serving. This will keep the croissants crisp and flaky.
When you make this chicken salad croissant recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!
For more sandwich recipes, try these:
Chicken Salad Croissant
Ingredients
- 4 cups chopped rotisserie chicken
- 6 croissants
- 1 cup celery diced
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp. fresh parsley chopped
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- green leaf lettuce optional
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.
- Fold in the chopped chicken, diced celery and chopped parsley.
- Spoon the chicken salad into the croissants. Add green leaf lettuce if preferred.
I love chicken salad on croissants. I added some chopped pecans and some cut up red seeless grapes to the mix and it was delicious. Even my kids liked them. Said to use bread again on these sandwiches.
Hi Mamie,
The fruit and nuts are a great addition! So glad you and the kids liked the recipe! 🙂