Level up your homemade chicken salad game with this easy recipe.

Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

It’s true that many of our best-ever recipes are casseroles.

But every now and then a recipe surprises us.

Homemade Chicken Salad on a white plate with lettuce leaves, tomatoes, and crackers

Credit:Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

Instead, it’s punchy, zippy, and fresh.

The most refreshing part?

What Makes Our Homemade Chicken Salad Special?

chicken boiling in pot with fresh thyme

Credit:Caitlin Bensel; Food Stylist: Torie Cox

This homemade chicken salad is truly made-from-scratch.

One reviewer even suggested using leftovers as a base for chicken casserolegenius!

Cooking the bone-in, skin-on chicken in broth was well worth it.

Cooked chicken being shredded

Credit:Caitlin Bensel/Southern Living

chicken salad with seasonings

Credit:Caitlin Bensel/Southern Living