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Retired Menu Classic & Official Recipe

Chick fil A Chicken Salad Sandwich

Remembering the beloved Chicken Salad Sandwich retired in September 2017 — plus the step-by-step official copycat recipe to recreate this legendary classic at home.

Jump to RecipeWhy Discontinued?Current Salads Menu

Why Did Chick-fil-A Discontinue the Chicken Salad?

The Chicken Salad Sandwich was one of the earliest items created by Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy. For decades, it was prepared in every restaurant kitchen by shredding leftover cooked chicken breasts and combining them with mayonnaise, sweet relish, and celery.

On September 30, 2017, Chick-fil-A officially retired the chicken salad sandwich and catering trays nationwide. The decision was made to reduce menu complexity, speed up drive-thru times, and make kitchen space for lighter entrées like the Spicy Southwest Salad and the Chick-fil-A Cool Wrap.

Official Copycat

The Official Chick-fil-A Chicken Salad Recipe

Recreate the exact restaurant flavor using these simple pantry staples:

Ingredients

  • Cooked Chicken Breast (or cooled Chick-fil-A Filets)4 cups (shredded / finely chopped)
  • Celery (finely diced)1/3 cup
  • Mayonnaise (Duke’s or Hellmann’s)1/3 cup
  • Sweet Pickle Relish1/4 cup
  • Hard-Boiled Eggs (finely chopped, optional)2 large eggs
  • Salt & Black PepperTo taste
  • Wheatberry Bread or Brioche BunsFor serving
  • Green Leaf Lettuce & Tomato SlicesFor serving

Instructions

  1. 1
    Prepare the Chicken:

    Use fully cooked, cooled chicken breasts (boiled, baked, or leftover Chick-fil-A grilled/original filets). Shred or finely chop in a food processor by pulsing 4–5 times until finely textured.

  2. 2
    Dice the Veggies & Eggs:

    Finely dice celery and hard-boiled eggs so they blend evenly throughout the salad without large chunks.

  3. 3
    Mix Ingredients:

    In a medium mixing bowl, combine chopped chicken, celery, sweet pickle relish, mayonnaise, and hard-boiled eggs. Stir until creamy and uniformly blended.

  4. 4
    Season & Chill:

    Add salt and black pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to marry.

  5. 5
    Assemble & Serve:

    Scoop generously onto toasted wheatberry bread with green leaf lettuce and sliced tomatoes, or serve in a chilled lettuce cup.

Chicken Salad Sandwich FAQs

Did Chick-fil-A discontinue the Chicken Salad Sandwich?+
Yes. Chick-fil-A officially discontinued the Chicken Salad Sandwich from its national menu on September 30, 2017. The company retired the item to simplify kitchen operations and introduce new menu items like the Spicy Southwest Salad and seasonal bowls.
Is the Chick-fil-A Chicken Salad Sandwich coming back?+
While Chick-fil-A has not announced plans to bring the sandwich back to nationwide menus, they released their official copycat recipe so fans can make the exact recipe at home.
How many calories were in the Chick-fil-A Chicken Salad Sandwich?+
The original Chick-fil-A Chicken Salad Sandwich on toasted wheatberry bread contained approximately 500 calories, 20g of fat, and 28g of protein. A single cup of chicken salad alone was ~340 calories.
What kind of bread did Chick-fil-A use for the chicken salad sandwich?+
Chick-fil-A served its chicken salad sandwich on thick-sliced toasted wheatberry bread with green leaf lettuce.
Can you still buy chicken salad catering trays at Chick-fil-A?+
No. The Chicken Salad catering trays were discontinued alongside the sandwich in 2017. For catering events, Chick-fil-A now offers Garden Salad Trays, Cobb Salad Trays, and Chilled Grilled Chicken Sub Sandwich Trays. View our catering menu.
← Back to All Salads·Cobb Salad·Market Salad·Chick-fil-A Cool Wrap
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