We get it: a chicken salad is not going to set your toddler world’s on fire. Your child is not going to request it; you’re unlikely to look at chicken salad and think “now that is what my toddler really wants to eat.” Your child is not going to cheer when it gets put in front of him/her; years later, it won’t be a favorite or fondly remembered food of his/her childhood. It’s just chicken salad.
But here’s the thing: your child will eat it. No small thing, that. Flashy? No. But it gets the job done—and does so quickly and painlessly. Watch us go even one step further in the recipe that follows, subbing out the mayo common to basically every recipe and replacing it with avocado to reduce the empty calories and increase nutrition; a few crisp veggies are added, too–for crunch, mostly. Creamy, almost comically easy to put together (especially if using pre-cooked chicken), deeply satisfying–it may be “just” chicken salad, but it’s also a lunch time staple you can turn to again and again.
(Check out our other great chicken salad recipe, too! And don't miss all our great chicken recipes!)
If cooking the chicken from raw, see our handy instructions for cooking chicken perfectly every time. Once cooked, or if using precooked chicken, shred meat until it is a pile of shards that are appropriately sized for your child. Set aside.
Should only require halving or quartering the sandwich for your child to handle. If serving to a younger toddler (12-24 months), you can skip the bread and just serve the sauced chicken.
Ditch the dill for a squirt of mustard, or use chopped-up pickles instead of both; replace the cucumber or radish slices with thinly cut grape pieces. We like it atop crackers, too.
Brad (the Dad) is the founder and Chief Recipe Officer of New Dad's Kitchen. His own cooking/feeding journey started humbly during his son's infancy, preparing and managing his son's bottle intake in order to support his wife; it has since blossomed into a full-on passion to feed his child and family delicious and healthy meals that can satisfy both a toddler and his very tired parents.
