4-Ingredient Chicken Salad Recipe (5 Minutes)

Whenever I make a roast chicken or buy a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, everyone in my family goes for the dark meat, leaving the chicken breasts behind. Most weeks, I end up repurposing all of that leftover white meat in a chicken salad, and this vibrant and delicious gochujang-spiked version has become one of my favorites.

This recipe is so, so simple. Besides the chicken itself, there are just three ingredients: gochujang, mayonnaise, and sesame oil. Just dice or shred the cooked chicken, stir in the other ingredients, and enjoy. Optionally, you can garnish it with a sprinkle of sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds. 

My favorite way to enjoy this chicken salad is on crackers and cucumber rounds for a snacky lunch. Water crackers, rice crackers, or shrimp chips are all tasty pairings. You can also make a chicken salad sandwich, layered with tomato and lettuce. 

The salad itself is saucy enough that you don’t need any extra condiments, but a little kimchi would be good in there, too. For another simple option, add a scoop or two of chicken salad to a bowl of steamed rice with a few slices of cucumber on the side. 

Finding Gochujang

It used to be difficult to find gochujang, a spicy and sweet Korean red pepper paste, outside of Asian grocery stores. Nowadays, it’s pretty widely available and has become a staple in my house, with a permanent spot in my refrigerator door. Trader Joe’s sells it in a small red tub in their condiment aisle, and other grocery stores near me carry the popular Sempio, Ofood, and Mother-In-Law brands. 

Like gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes), gochujang packs some heat but it’s not overly spicy. You may also see it sold as “gochujang sauce,” which is not as thick and has added vinegar, sesame oil, and other flavorings. Either the paste or the sauce can be used in this recipe—just hold back on the toasted sesame oil if you’re using the sauce version, and add a few drops at a time until the flavor is to your liking. A little goes a long way! 

If you’re not a fan of spicy foods, you can substitute doenjang for gochujang. It’s another delicious fermented condiment made from soybeans. It’s about twice as salty as gochujang, so you’ll want to use half the amount. 

How To Make My 4-Ingredient Chicken Salad

If you don’t have leftover chicken on hand and would like to make this recipe, you can bake 1 to 1 1/4 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. For 2 to 4 servings, you’ll need:

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons gochujang 
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 10 to 12 ounces (about 2 cups tightly packed) diced or shredded cooked chicken breast
• Optional garnishes: 1 green onion, sliced, and 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

In a mixing bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, gochujang, and sesame oil. Add the chicken and stir until evenly combined. 

Transfer the chicken salad to a serving bowl and sprinkle on the green onion and sesame seeds, if using. Serve however you like—my favorite way is with cucumber rounds and crackers on the side for scooping. 

Store any leftover chicken salad in a tightly lidded container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 3 days.