This post may contain affiliate links, view our disclosure.
If you’re wondering what goes with chicken salad sandwiches, look no further for tons of delicious ideas for side dishes! With everything from hot and cold side dishes, to leafy green salads, bean salads, soups, and more, there are tons of ideas for what to serve with chicken salad sandwiches.
I love a good chicken salad sandwich! It’s a quick and easy lunch or dinner with minimal effort. And to make it a heartier meal or to add a little variety, you can serve it up with your favorite side dish.
When you want to keep it on the lighter side, go with a veggie salad or leafy green salad.
For a more filling meal, pair chicken salad sandwiches with pasta salads, potato salads, and warm vegetable side dishes.
Another option is to dish up your sammie along with a cup of soup for a classic combination.
Whether you’re meal prepping lunches for the week, whipping up a quick weeknight dinner, or planning a potluck-style luncheon, you really can’t go wrong with any of these sides!
Vegetable Salads
When you’re throwing together a sandwich, sometimes you want to add a little crunch on the side. A refreshing raw vegetable salad fits the bill perfectly. Other times you might have some veggies lying around that you can roast and add to a salad. Either way, you can’t go wrong!
As far as dressings go, vinaigrette is a good option here. The sweet and tangy flavor provides delicious contrast to savory, creamy chicken salad.
Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad with Feta and Pine Nuts
This Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad recipe is nutrient-dense, easy to make, and full of flavor with sundried tomato vinaigrette, feta, pine nuts, and fresh basil. It pairs well as a side dish with just about anything you can grill up, and it’s satisfying enough to stand alone as a main dish. And you can customize it to suit your tastes or what you have on hand!
Cucumber Onion Salad is an easy side dish for sandwiches, burgers, or any summertime meal. It's cool and refreshing and simple to make with minimal ingredients.
Packed full of fresh flavors, this Mediterranean Cucumber Tomato Salad makes a quick, easy, and delicious side for any table. Juicy tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and fresh herbs are all topped with a tangy dressing that's as healthy as it is refreshing!
If you love avocado and vegetables together then this easy summer salad might be your new favorite! Delicious and refreshing, it's packed with healthy nutrients and ready in just 5 minutes. Eat it alone as light meal, or pair it with a sandwich!
A leafy green salad is always a good pairing with a protein-rich chicken salad sandwich when you want to keep the meal lighter. For the perfect lunch, pick a green salad with a flavor profile that complements the ingredients in your chicken salad. For example, savory or spicy chicken salad is delicious served with a crunchy green salad with a sweet component, such as fruit or candied nuts.
Copycat Outback Steakhouse Blue Cheese Chopped Salad Recipe
Copycat Outback Steakhouse Blue Cheese Pecan Chopped Salad combines crunchy vegetables with cinnamon candied nuts and blue cheese crumbles for a flavor-packed salad that will keep you coming back for more.
This easy, nutritious Pomegranate Arugula Salad is bursting with delicious flavors from peppery arugula, sweet crisp apples, and crunchy pecans. This salad is perfect with any main course for dinner or sandwich for lunch!
This is simple, yet flavor and nutrition-packed salad with chives, radish, and crisp butter lettuce. It pairs well with any sandwich for a light lunch!
Tossed in a Chili Lime Dressing, this Quinoa Kale Salad is loaded with fresh veggies, mouthwatering flavor, and tons of crunch. It's a satisfying side dish for a sandwich!
Bean salads are nutrient-dense, and they’re a good source of protein and fiber. This means they can be a great option for a heartier meal like dinner.
For protein-rich lunch, I love a cup of bean salad + half of a chicken salad sandwich. Packed with flavor and nutrition, this lunch keeps me going until dinnertime. And bonus, bean salads keep well in the fridge, so this is a good choice for meal prep!
Mediterranean Bean Salad Recipe
In this healthy Mediterranean bean salad recipe, savory herbs, tangy lemon, and fresh vegetables brighten the flavor of canned butter beans, and feta cheese and kalamata olives pack a punch!
Arugula Quinoa Bean Salad with Orange Tahini Dressing
This Arugula Quinoa Bean Salad with Orange Tahini Dressing is a restaurant-quality salad! It's filled with a variety of textures and flavors from arugula, crispy quinoa, navy beans, feta cheese, and walnuts. It's the perfect accompaniment to a sandwich!
In this 10-minute za'atar and mint butter bean salad, creamy, mild-flavored butter beans pair perfectly with crunchy bell pepper, savory za'atar, and fresh herbs.
This speedy Kidney Bean Salad is an updated spin on a beloved recipe served for more than 30 years at an iconic Ohio restaurant owned by Nick Anthe. It's a terrific side dish, nestled along with a delicious chicken salad sandwich!
Classic coleslaw and slaw salads are of texture and crunch, and make a great side dish for just about any type of sandwich or wrap. If you want to get in some extra veggies, but you want something just a little different than a regular salad, make a slaw!
Crunchy Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe
With toasted ramen noodles, crunchy nuts, two kinds of cabbage, and a sweet and savory dressing, this Ramen Noodle Salad recipe is easy to make, pairs well with anything you can grill up, and is perfect for potlucks!
Detox Beet Salad Recipe with Pomegranate Vinaigrette
In this crunchy, flavor-packed beet salad recipe, we pair naturally sweet, antioxidant-rich, anti-inflammatory beets with carrot, parsley, pumpkin seeds, and an easy homemade pomegranate vinaigrette!
Creamy Coleslaw fits the bill perfectly when you're looking for a great all-purpose classic side dish. With celery seed, horseradish, and dill, this recipe is a unique spin on traditional slaw. It's savory, sweet, crunchy, creamy, and absolutey delicious!
This fresh homemade coleslaw is quick and easy to prepare, featuring a blend of shredded cabbage, carrots, onion, and celery. Tossed with a creamy mayo-based dressing with a hint of wasabi, it's a crisp and refreshing side dish that's a perfect pairing with chicken salad sandwiches.
If you’re looking for a more filling side dish, pasta salads are a good option. Many of these keep well for several days in the fridge, so they’re perfect to keep on hand to make mealtime a breeze.
And if you’re planning a potluck or party with chicken salad sandwiches, whip up at least one pasta salad to put on the buffet table!
Tortellini Pasta Salad Recipe
This tortellini pasta salad recipe features a few simple ingredients that pack a punch of flavor: cheese tortellini, turkey pepperoni, sweet cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and the best quick and easy homemade Italian dressing!
Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad Recipe (Elote Pasta Salad)
With a creamy, tangy dressing, sweet corn, salty cheese, and bright herbs, this Mexican street corn pasta salad recipe packs all the flavors of elote into a summer side dish.
This Caesar Pasta Salad recipe is super simple, easy, and comes together quickly. It’s full of fresh veggies and chewy pasta, and is dressed with a creamy Caesar dressing. It makes a hearty and satisfying side dish or light meal any day of the week!
With lettuce, tomato, cooked chicken, crispy bacon, tender pasta, gorgonzola cheese, and a flavor-packed creamy vinaigrette, this easy copycat Portillo's chopped salad will become a summer favorite at your house!
Hawaiian Pasta Salad is budget-friendly and delicious! It’s the perfect way to enjoy a taste of the tropics any time. Keep it stashed in your fridge during the summer for a quick lunch side dish paired with sandwiches, hot dogs, or burgers.
This one is for the pickle lovers! This Dill Pickle Pasta Salad is a classic cold pasta salad with a tangy twist. Quick and easy to make, it’s perfect for backyard barbecues, summer picnics, and potlucks.
Potato salad is another hearty side dish option. And if I’m being honest, I prefer potato salads to pasta salads!
One of the best things about potato salad is how versatile it is. Hot or cold, creamy or tangy, herby or spicy. You can pick a recipe that goes well your favorite chicken salad.
Salad Olivier Recipe (Russian Potato Salad)
Salad Olivier, a classic Russian potato salad recipe, features simple ingredients that come together seamlessly: creamy mayo-based dressing, hearty potato, peas and carrots, tangy pickles, sweet onion, bright herbs, chicken or other meat, and hard-boiled egg. It's a great side dish for just about anything!
This simple, yet tasty Austrian Potato Salad is quick and easy to make. It has a zippy, flavorful sauce and savory onion flavor. And it's served warm, which makes it a hearty side dish.
No Mayo Potato Salad is packed with flavor! It's a light side dish that's perfect for summer meals. This recipe uses fresh herbs and a delicious dressing that brings the whole dish to life without the heavy mayo. Serve it along with grilled vegetables, meat, fish, or sandwiches.
Herby Crispy Potato and White Bean Salad is a beautiful summertime side dish. This is an upgraded potato salad; instead of mayo, here we use a fresh olive oil vinaigrette, tons of fresh herbs, hearty white beans, and sweet tomatoes.
Creamy Loaded Ranch Potato Salad is an easy side dish that works well for for lunch, dinner, potlucks, and barbecues! It’s quick to make with minimal ingredients, and features a delicious dressing with bacon and cheese. It's always a crowd-pleaser!
A great way to elevate any sandwich into a hearty meal is to serve it along with a warm vegetable side dish, such as fries or corn on the cob. With minimal effort, this transforms a simple sandwich into a filling dinner the whole family will enjoy!
Microwave Corn on the Cob
Microwave corn on the cob is the BEST way to cook fresh corn! The corn steams in the husks and locks in the moisture, resulting in juicy, flavorful corn that’s quick and easy to make with minimal effort. And bonus, after corn is microwaved the husks and silk just slip off!
Baked Dill Fries are crispy outside and fluffy inside! They're a perfect side dish to make for just about any meal, including sandwiches. A sandwich and fries is a match made in heaven!
Looking for an easy and unique vegetable salad recipe? Try this simple roasted vegetable salad with fresh herbs, feta, and balsamic dressing! It packs a punch of flavor and a variety of textures for a super satisfying side.
This recipe for crispy vegetable fritters is quick and easy to make, and a great way to use summer veggies! We pair these golden fritters with a creamy garlic sauce that whips up in two minutes, but your favorite ranch dressing will also do the trick. These fritters are the perfect way to get picky eaters excited about veggies!
Turn humble Brussels sprouts into crispy little bundles of roasted flavor. Both sweet and savory, they make a perfect companion to chicken salad sandwiches!
Soup and sandwiches are a classic pairing, and for good reason! A cup of soup is a wonderfully satisfying side dish. Serve your sandwiches with a chilled soup for a summer lunch, or along with a hot soup for a filling cold weather supper.
White Bean Soup
This Italian-inspired creamy White Bean Soup recipe is a hearty and satisfying chowder with white beans and vegetables. It's quick and easy enough to whip up on a weeknight!
Cold Cucumber Soup is bright and refreshing for hot summer days. Serve it as light lunch, a healthy summer appetizer, or along with a sandwich for a more filling meal.
This Tomato Soup is filled with tasty roasted tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. It couldn't be easier to make in the blender! Pair it with a chicken salad sandwich for a filling lunch or light dinner.
This Creamy Potato Soup recipe is thick, flavor-packed, pure comfort food! Eat it on its own or pair it with a salad or sandwich for a more filling meal to keep you fueled.
This simple creamy corn chowder recipe pairs the flavor of sweet corn with hearty potatoes and savory vegetables. It’s rich and satisfying but not heavy, and is perfect all year!
If you’re serving sandwiches at a potluck, luncheon, barbecue, or some kind of gathering where everyone brings a dish to pass, you’ll likely have some people who want to bring something but don’t have time to whip something up. Not to worry, they can still contribute!
These non-recipe side dishes are perfect for them. They can pop in the grocery store on the way to the party and pick something up.
Creamy Chicken Salad Recipes That Are Perfect for Sandwiches
Now that you have a few ideas for what to serve with your sandwich, let’s talk about the chicken salad itself.
I like a creamy chicken salad filling, but a creamy dressing doesn’t always have to be mayo-based (sour cream or Greek yogurt also work well). Mayo-based or not, chicken salad should never be boring!
You can use a variety of spices, herbs, fresh or dried fruit, and nuts to create a delicious chicken salad. Here are a few of my personal favorites to inspire you.
Canned Chicken Salad Recipe
This Canned Chicken Salad recipe is easy to make in less than 10 minutes! It's creamy like tuna salad and seasoned simply with seasoned salt, black pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. This version is healthier than most and replaces most of the mayo with Greek yogurt!
This curried chicken salad recipe (aka coronation chicken) features tender chicken in a creamy mayonnaise-based dressing with curry, sweet and spicy mango chutney, fruity dried apricots, and nutty almonds. It has a complex, well-balanced flavor profile, and whips up in just 10 minutes, which means it's perfect for weekday lunches!
Cranberry walnut chicken salad is packed with flavor and easy to make with leftover chicken (or turkey)! It has nutty crunch from walnuts, bursts of sweet/tart cranberries, and a savory creamy dressing.
When you’re thinking about what to serve with chicken salad sandwiches, don’t forget dessert! If you’re planning a potluck, a couple different desserts are a good idea.
You only need 5 ingredients for this chocolate date balls recipe! These healthy bite-sized treats are full of nutrition, whip up in just 15 minutes, and taste like decadent chocolate brownie bites! And they're naturally gluten free, vegan, and paleo.
With all the flavors of Black Forest cake, these chewy, decadent chocolate cherry brownies are topped with a dollop of vanilla bean buttercream and decorated with fresh cherry sauce.
This easy 1-bowl peanut butter cookies with Nutella swirl recipe features chewy peanut butter cookies with decadent Nutella ribbons. We finish them off with a sprinkle of sea salt to punch up the flavor even more!
This no bake Chocolate Éclair Cake recipe is an icebox cake with layers of vanilla pudding and graham crackers topped with rich chocolate ganache. It’s an easy dessert to whip up for a potluck or party, and it’s a good option for summertime when you don’t want to heat up the kitchen.
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
Faith spent a significant amount of time living in Syria, Jordan, and Kuwait where she immersed herself in Middle Eastern culture and cuisine. Her first cookbook is a celebration of authentic Middle Eastern recipes made approachable for home cooks.
