Pesto Chicken Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
I have a soft spot for recipes that make a store-bought rotisserie chicken feel like I had a whole lunch plan all along. This one does exactly that—with a little help from basil pesto, sun-dried tomatoes and a handful of toasted pine nuts.
Save This Recipe
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
This is a chicken salad that tastes seriously special without a lot of last-minute fuss. Shredded rotisserie chicken gets tossed cold with fresh basil pesto and savory-sweet sun-dried tomatoes, then chilled until everything melds together. It’s just as good piled onto a plate alongside a green salad as it is stuffed into a sandwich or wrap— or go lower-carb and spoon it into lettuce cups.
Why I looove this chicken salad
- It makes rotisserie chicken feel brand new. The pesto coats every shred, and the sun-dried tomatoes add bursts of savory sweetness.
- A quick chill pays off. Thirty minutes in the fridge lets the flavors mingle (but if lunch can’t wait, dig in!).
- It rolls with whatever’s in your kitchen. No sun-dried tomatoes? Halved cherry tomatoes work, too. And a squeeze of lemon just before serving perks everything up.
Pesto shortcut tip! Feel free to whip up my homemade basil pesto, or grab ½ cup store-bought jarred pesto and skip straight to the chicken salad. My homemade version makes about 1½ cups, so you’ll have extra left over… perfect in my Mediterranean Mug Omelet, for tossing with pasta or spooning over roasted veggies, a yummy frittata or ricotta pizza. It’s also delish on a sandwich or my pesto pizza toast!
Make a batch for easy weekday lunches… or bring it to your next get-together and watch it disappear. And if there’s extra pesto hanging out in your fridge, try a spoonful or two on my English Muffin Mini Pizzas next!
Pesto Chicken Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Ingredients
For the basil pesto (makes ~1½ cups)
- 3 cups basil leaves, stems removed
- ½ cup grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese
- 1 cup toasted pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds*
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, or more to taste
- ¼ cup water
- 6 to 8 tablespoons extra vigin olive oil, depending on preferred consistency
For the chicken salad
- 3 cups shredded skinless rotisserie chicken, white and/or dark meat**
- ½ cup basil pesto, homemade (above) or jarred
- ⅓ cup chopped jarred sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
- 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts, plus extra for garnish
- Fresh basil, torn, for garnish
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- Squeeze of fresh lemon juice, optional
Instructions
Make the pesto:
- Combine the basil, Parmesan, nuts, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a food processor or blender and pulse until finely chopped. Add the ¼ cup water and scrape down the sides as needed to ensure everything is well combined.
- Drizzle in the oil while you continue to pulse until everything is evenly blended — start with 6 tablespoons and check the consistency, adding an additional tablespoon at a time until it’s the texture you prefer. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Make the chicken salad:
- In a large bowl, toss the shredded chicken with the pesto until every piece is evenly coated — add an extra tablespoon or two if you want it saucier. Fold in the sun-dried tomatoes and pine nuts. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors meld and the salad chill through (or serve right away if you’re short on time — it’ll still taste great, just won’t be as cold).
- Just before serving, garnish with torn basil, extra pine nuts, and the optional red pepper flakes and squeeze of lemon juice.
Notes
- Piled onto a bed of greens
- Stuffed into a sandwich or wrap
- Scooped into lettuce cups
- Spread onto crostini or crackers
- Stuffed into a halved tomato or avocado
- Served alongside crusty bread
