Chicken Salad with Honey Mustard & Bacon

This chicken salad with honey mustard and bacon is one of those recipes you’ll want to make over and over again. It’s creamy, sweet, tangy, and has that salty crunch from the bacon that makes every bite so good.

The honey mustard dressing is made from scratch and it only takes about a minute to whisk together. It’s way better than anything you’d get from a bottle.

I love how versatile this recipe is. You can serve it on croissants, on toasted bread, or wrapped in lettuce leaves if you want something lighter.

It’s a great option for meal prep, lunch boxes, or a quick dinner when you don’t feel like spending a lot of time in the kitchen.

Let me show you how to make it step by step.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

The Honey Mustard Dressing Is Incredible – The sweet honey and tangy double-mustard combo creates a dressing that is way better than plain mayo.

Bacon Makes Everything Better – Crispy crumbled bacon adds a smoky crunch that takes this chicken salad to a whole new level.

Perfect Balance of Flavors – Every bite gives you creamy and tangy and sweet and savory all at once without any single flavor taking over.

Ingredients

• 3 cups Cooked Chicken Breast, diced
• 6 slices Bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/3 cup Mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp Honey
• 2 tbsp Yellow Mustard
• 1 tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/3 cup Celery, finely diced
• 1/4 cup Red Onion, finely diced
• 2 tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Directions

Step 1

Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat, flipping occasionally, until crispy on both sides, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and let cool completely before crumbling.

Step 2

In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, honey, yellow mustard, dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar until the dressing is smooth and glossy.

Step 3

Season with salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust the honey or mustard to get your perfect balance of sweet and tangy.

Step 4

Add the diced cooked chicken breast and toss until every piece is evenly coated in the honey mustard dressing.

Step 5

Fold in the diced celery, red onion, and crumbled bacon. Stir gently until everything is well combined and evenly distributed.

Step 6

Sprinkle in the chopped fresh parsley and fold it through one final time.

Step 7

Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve on croissants, on toasted sourdough, or wrapped in large lettuce leaves.

Pro Tips

Use Poached or Roasted Chicken

The best chicken salad starts with how you cook the chicken. Poaching chicken breasts in gently simmering salted water keeps them super moist and tender, which is exactly what you want here. About 15 minutes in barely bubbling water does the trick.

If you prefer more flavor, roast the chicken breasts at 400°F with a little oil, salt, and pepper. Just make sure you let the chicken cool completely before dicing it so it doesn’t warm up the dressing and make everything greasy.

Avoid using chicken that’s been overcooked or dried out. Dry chicken won’t absorb the honey mustard dressing the same way, and you’ll notice it in every bite.

Mix the Dressing Before Adding Anything Else

Whisk the mayo, honey, both mustards, and apple cider vinegar together on their own first before the chicken goes in. This way you can taste and adjust the balance without anything getting in the way.

If you like it sweeter, add a little more honey. If you want more tang, bump up the vinegar or Dijon. It’s way easier to fine-tune the flavor when it’s just the dressing in the bowl.

Once the chicken and other ingredients are mixed in, the flavors become harder to judge because everything dilutes the dressing a bit.

Get the Bacon Really Crispy

You want the bacon on the crispier side for this recipe. If it’s soft or chewy, it’ll lose its texture once it sits in the dressing and just become limp and rubbery.

Extra-crispy bacon holds its crunch even after being folded into the chicken salad. When it cools, it should snap cleanly when you break it in half – that’s how you know it’s crispy enough.

Also, crumble the bacon into small pieces, roughly the same size as your diced chicken. This way you get a little bit of bacon in every bite instead of big uneven chunks.

Related Recipes

• High Protein Chicken Caesar Wrap
• High Protein Chicken Lettuce Wraps
• High Protein Greek Chicken Bowl
• High Protein Garlic Butter Chicken Bites
• Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken Dip

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I don’t have Dijon mustard – can I just use more yellow mustard?

You can, but the flavor will be a little different. Dijon mustard has a sharper, more complex taste compared to yellow mustard, and it gives the dressing that extra layer of depth.

If you only have yellow mustard, just use an extra tablespoon to replace the Dijon. The salad will still taste great – it will just lean a bit more toward that classic ballpark mustard flavor rather than having the tangy sophistication that Dijon brings.