I Bought 7 Store-Bought Chicken Salads And Ranked Them Worst To Best

Sherri Gordon/Mashed

Chicken salad is a quintessential convenience food. It can stand on its own as an easy workday lunch, a quick snack, or even rise to the occasion as a tea sandwich for a bridal party luncheon. It can also be scooped on top of a bed of leafy greens or eaten as a hearty dip with a variety of crudités or salty crackers. The options for serving it are endless. Plus, you can customize it to fit your liking with savory mix-ins like capers, diced pickles, or chopped nuts or sweet additions like cranberries, grapes, or diced apples. Even the premade varieties can be adjusted to reflect the flavor profile of your choice.

Overall, it's a hearty and refreshing protein choice that can check all the boxes and then some. But if you don't choose the right premade version for your purpose or goals, chicken salad can also be a real letdown, especially if the mixture is overly watery or acidic, or has a texture that's off-putting. That's why we set out to find the best store-bought chicken salads available.

Even though most people would agree that homemade chicken salad is often the best, sometimes life happens and you just don't have the time — or the energy — to poach chicken, shred or chop it, and mix it with just the right extras. Here are seven store-bought chicken salads ranked from worst to best, so that the hard part is done for you. All you need to do is select the one that seems to align with your taste preferences and you're all set.

Sherri Gordon/Mashed

My mother used to say, "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." That's why, I had such a hard time writing the review for this Bumble Bee Chicken Salad. From the start, I think I was most intrigued by the packaging. This chicken salad comes in a nice, bright orange box that fits easily into a bag for a snack on the go. I also appreciated that it was in an easy-to-open pull tab can complete with a little white spoon and separately packaged crackers. To me, this $2 snack would be great for traveling, camping, or even having on hand in a power outage — especially because it's shelf-stable and doesn't require refrigeration.

But unfortunately, I have nothing good to say about the flavor, texture, or appearance of this chicken salad. In fact, it didn't taste like chicken salad at all. It was very acidic and tasted more like Bumble Bee's canned tuna than canned chicken salad. I also was put off by the smell, texture, and even the color found in this small can. (I will say my dog wanted a taste of it as soon as I opened the can, but given the fact that this small can packs 360 grams of sodium that was a no-no as well). Overall, I think the concept of chicken salad on the go is excellent, but I think the company needs to upgrade the quality of this product to the level of its packaging before I purchase it again.

Sherri Gordon/Mashed

If ever there was a chicken salad too watery, this StarKist Chicken Creations Premium White Chicken Salad would be it. Again, I was excited to see a chicken salad in a pouch as an option for a quick and easy lunch on the go or to have on hand in an emergency. It is shelf-stable and could be grabbed in a pinch for a protein-forward snack. But this chicken salad was not as palatable as I would like. And, I just couldn't get past the watery texture and tuna-like smell and taste. (I am not a fan of tuna, so this was particularly off-putting for me). 

This chicken salad also has a somewhat tangy, sweet undertone and though it only contains a meager 70 calories, it is packed with sodium with over 350 milligrams in one pouch. Eating two of these to create a 150- to 200-calorie snack would put you over 700 milligrams of sodium. Overall, if you're looking for a convenient, shelf-stable way to prepare chicken salad, I would start with plain canned chicken chunks and add in your favorites rather than buying this pouch. In fact, I sometimes open a can of shredded chicken in a pinch adding in mayonnaise, dill pickle juice, hard-boiled eggs, seasonings, Parmesan cheese, and slivered almonds to create a quick and easy chicken salad.

Sherri Gordon/Mashed

As a frequent Kroger shopper, I really wanted to like this Kroger Original Chicken Salad. Not only did I appreciate the fact that it comes in a four-pack of easy-to-use, on-the-go cups, but it's also available in a 12-ounce tub, which would be useful for making sandwiches for a party or luncheon or just to have available during a busy weekend so your family members could make a quick sandwich when they're hungry. But alas, this chicken salad was a little too sweet and somewhat watery for my taste.

And while I still think it would be nice to take along on a trip for a quick and easy option, it does require refrigeration, so taking it with you as an airplane snack is likely out of the question. (Plus, the Transportation Security Administration may confiscate it anyway because it's somewhat of a liquid). That said, I think this chicken salad is a middle-of-the-road option with much better versions available elsewhere, especially if you're looking for a chicken-forward savory option that is light on the mayo and sugar and higher on the fresh ingredients like onions and celery.

Sherri Gordon/Mashed

From the start, I was equally surprised by the flavor and the texture of Reser's Rotisserie Chicken Salad. Not only does it have a solid, savory flavor that tastes like chicken — and not tuna — but, it also is light on the seasonings and sugar, making it much more palatable than some other chicken salads on this list. That said, the texture was a miss for me. The chicken in this chicken salad recipe has been so shredded that you can't even tell it's chicken. And, while this didn't affect the flavor per se, it did give it a strange mouthfeel.

I kept searching for chicken pieces when eating it and decided it would make a much better chicken salad dip with sturdy accompaniments than it would a sandwich or salad filling. It just didn't have enough body to stand up to a croissant, ciabatta roll, or pretzel bun. Of course, you could upgrade this chicken salad if you wanted and use it as a base for making your own creation. For instance, leftover rotisserie chicken, nuts, or even hard-boiled eggs could change the texture of this chicken salad for the better. So, if you want a dip for your pretzels or carrot sticks that is a little different than your usual homemade ranch dressing, this Reser's Chicken Salad might be a good option. Otherwise, I would skip it if you're looking to make sandwiches.

Sherri Gordon/Mashed

This Park Street Deli Classic Chicken Salad from Aldi was a nice surprise. The packaging for this 1-pound package of chicken salad is unassuming, but the flavor of this chicken salad isn't. It had a nice, tangy taste that wasn't overpowering; and it paired well with salty crackers to offset the sweet undertones. The texture also was a tad looser than I might like and I was concerned that as it sits in the refrigerator it might become a little watery. Because of that, if you're planning to make tasty chicken salad sandwiches for guests at a luncheon or for a family gathering, I might skip this version. 

While it's definitely affordable and delicious, it's not likely to hold up well on bread for a long period of time before making it soggy. Another option is to use this chicken salad as a dip or a spread for crackers and serve it in a bowl where your guests can take what they want and still maintain the integrity of the vehicle it's used on. You may also want to buy this chicken salad the day before or the day of the event where you intend to use it to ensure you get the best quality possible.

Sherri Gordon/Mashed

Whole Foods Market Classic Chicken Salad was packed with perfectly-sized chunks of fresh chicken breast and a generous amount of celery and red onion. These characteristics made it one of the top store-bought chicken salads on the this list, especially because it tasted both hearty and fresh. The only issue was that it was somewhat lacking mayonnaise and was a little on the dry side. This meant that it didn't hold together as well on the bread. On the flip side, though, this "dryness" is a great feature if you're not a fan of mayo or you want a mixture that's not going to make your bread soggy — a key requirement if you're using it for tea sandwiches at a bridal shower or luncheon.

Overall, this chicken salad was a solid contender for first on this list, but the Kirkland chicken salad edged it out because the chicken pieces in that version were larger and juicier. That said, Whole Foods may be a more convenient option because with Amazon Prime you can have it delivered directly to your door. If you're in a bind and need chicken salad stat, this Whole Foods version can fill the need nicely for a premade chicken salad.

Sherri Gordon/Mashed

If there was such a thing as the Goldilocks of chicken salad, this Kirkland Signature Chicken Salad would be it. It not only had just the right amount of chicken to mayonnaise ratio, but the mix-ins of celery and onions added a nice, crisp flavor to the chicken salad without overpowering the chicken taste — though this version I tasted was a tad more oniony than versions I've had in the past. Given that this chicken salad is assembled at Costco, the flavor could arguably change somewhat depending on which chef or employee put it together.

Overall, this meaty version of chicken salad, complete with large chunks of chicken, is a great option for sandwiches at a luncheon or for a family gathering when you don't want to cook. As for bread pairings, it would work well on a croissant, pretzel bun, or ciabatta roll. Regular bread probably isn't strong enough to hold this heavy chicken salad, so if you prefer a bread over a roll, choose one that's sturdy like sourdough or an artisan bread. I did notice that this chicken salad tends to get watery the longer it sits in the fridge, so keep this in mind and time your purchase accordingly. Or take Costco's Rotisserie Chicken and turn it into your own version of chicken salad.

Sherri Gordon/Mashed

When evaluating the chicken salads in this roundup, I considered the flavor and texture first and then made note of usability and versatility. Overall, I was searching for the lightest, freshest tasting chicken salad with a savory flavor that wasn't overpowering. I also wanted to ensure the chicken used was moist and that the chicken salad itself was neither too wet, nor too dry.

To test each chicken salad, I tasted each with a fork without a bun or crackers initially. I wanted to be able to evaluate the flavor profile without the texture or flavor of a bread, bun, or crackers getting in the way. (If you have ever tasted gluten-free bread or crackers, you know why this is important for this gluten-free girl. Some breads taste like cardboard on a good day).

That said, I did try the chicken salad on crackers to see how it held up and if the flavor profile changed at all. I also considered the texture of the mixture and its appearance and noted whether it would make a nice sandwich, salad, snack, or dip. Interestingly, some fared better for sandwiches or go-to lunches while others would be best used as a dip. (And one I would likely never buy again). I followed each tasting with a thorough drink or two of water to ensure that the taste was gone from my palate and to guarantee the next chicken salad got a fair shake.

Overall, there are two chicken salads on this list I would use interchangeably for sandwiches and two that I would use as dips with some sprucing up. The other three, I likely won't buy again.