The Best Store-Bought Chicken Salad Comes From A Grocery Chain Renowned For Grab-And-Go Food

While we have plenty of chicken salad recipes for you to make at home, sometimes picking up a container of store-bought chicken salad is just too convenient to pass up. We tasted and ranked 8 store-bought chicken salads in search of one that wasn't too heavy on the mayo, offered plenty of chicken, and provided an exciting burst of flavors and textures.

Our top pick comes from Whole Foods, a grocery chain renowned for its stellar prepared foods section. Whole Foods Sonoma chicken salad ticked off every one of our criteria, easily topping our list. It had large, tender chunks of high quality chicken blended with just the right amount of mayonnaise to ensure optimal creaminess without becoming gloopy. 

In addition to the chicken, we loved the sweet, savory, and refreshing crunch of red grapes, pecans, and celery. But what really stood out was the poppyseed dressing, complemented with lemon juice, rosemary, pepper, garlic powder and a hint of honey. It really cut through the richness of the mayo and enhanced the flavors of each main ingredient beautifully. This is a chicken salad worthy of eating right out of the to-go box, and it isn't even the only chicken salad Whole Foods offers; we think the curry chicken salad is another prepared item worth adding to your cart. 

The amount of copycat recipes for Whole Foods Sonoma chicken salad is a testament to how beloved it is. A copycat recipe from Eating Bird Food proclaims the chicken salad to be "so flavorful and has the perfect balance of savory, sweet, and crunchy." On a thread asking for the best chicken salad sandwiches, a Redditor wrote, "Whole Foods Sonoma chicken salad and Hawaiian rolls are all I'll ever need," despite countless recommendations for restaurants and sandwich shops specializing in the dish. Another Reddit thread also mentioned Whole Foods as a standout option for chicken salad, with multiple responders raving about the "one with grapes." In fact, said one Redditor, "Whole Foods had the recipe on their website. It's darn good. I make it myself so I can double up the walnuts and grapes!"

Since our one complaint with the Sonoma chicken salad was that the nuts and grapes were too large, making your own version from scratch allows you to get the chop just right so each bite is balanced. Of course, if grapes aren't your favorite, you can always try our recipe for apple pecan chicken salad to get the same sweet, savory, and crunchy combination. If you do end up taking home a tub of Whole Foods Sonoma chicken salad, add it to store-bought bread for a delicious sandwich. Unfortunately, Whole Foods 365 sourdough bread loaf is not worth your money.