This Peach Basil Chicken Salad is sweet, colorful, and such a joy to eat! Serve this peach salad as a sandwich with a croissant or on a bib of lettuce. This recipe is really simple and perfect if you love savory and sweet–as I do! Summer in a bowl, you are going to love this refreshing chicken salad!
Ready to fall in love with your new favorite chicken salad? Made with fresh peaches that are satisfyingly sweet, aromatic basil, and tender and juicy chicken breasts that are cooked to perfection, this salad is definitely a keeper.
Did I mention the dressing? Silky smooth and made with bold citrus, the light vinaigrette is tangy, sweet, and perfectly seasoned to dress this salad up. We love to make this salad for special occasions such as holidays, celebrations, and much more. My family loves this classic recipe!
Peach & Basil Chicken Salad
Peach and basil … two of my favorites, but I would never imagine that they would make chicken salad out of this world! Seriously, this was by far, the BEST chicken salad I have ever eaten. Not to mention, look at how pretty it is! I have mentioned it before, but colorful food just always seems to taste better!
Peaches, celery, sweet red bell pepper, green onion, and shredded chicken, mixed with a dressing made of peaches and basil that is to die for! The flavors marry overnight in the fridge, making them all the more scrumptious!
This recipe would be perfect for a shower or get-together, but I can tell you we will eat it on just your average Tuesday!
Fresh or Frozen Peaches?
If you have an abundance of fresh peaches to use up, try out this salad made with fresh veggies and fruit. Summer is the perfect time to whip up a bunch of peach recipes because that is when they are in season and perfectly ripe. Whether I am making my delicious spiced peach crumble or peach tea, we always find ways to enjoy freshly picked peaches.
Want to make this salad when it isn’t peach season? No worries! You can use frozen peach slices for this recipe, but make sure they are thawed before adding to the salad! No matter what time of the year it is, I always have a bag of frozen peaches in the freezer because I just never know when the family will request a peach recipe. Everything about peaches are wonderful: the aromas, textures, and sweet flavors.
What are some ways to serve Chicken Salad?
Serve this tasty salad by itself, with seeded crackers, rolls, couscous or pasta, greens such as arugula or spinach, or on toasted bread. You can really do so much with this salad because it is so versatile! Great use of leftover chicken, this is the best recipe for it because it’s quick and easy. Full of protein, healthy, and family-friendly, you’re going to become a huge fan of this peach basil chicken salad!
How Long Does Homemade Chicken Salad Last?
Homemade chicken salad will last in the refrigerator anywhere between three and four days. Make sure you store the chicken salad in an airtight container!
Ingredients for This Tasty Peach and Chicken Salad
You’ll find the exact measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
For the Salad:
- Chicken: I cooked large chicken breasts and shredded them for this recipe. If you have a rotisserie chicken or leftover whole chicken, then you can shred it for the chicken salad as well.
- Peaches: Any kind of variety of sweet peaches will be perfect for this recipe. Peaches are used for both the oil-based dressing and salad mixture.
- Celery: Chopped ribs of celery to add some crunchiness and prominent flavors to this salad.
- Onion: Green onions are used for extra flavor!
- Bell Pepper: I like to use red bell peppers because they are the sweetest.
For the Dressing:
- Lemon Juice: I like to use freshly squeezed lemon juice, but in a pinch, bottled lemon juice will also work.
- Oil: I use extra-virgin olive oil for this recipe because of its robust flavors, but you can use any kind of vegetable oil.
- Basil: Fresh basil is used to heighten the flavors of this yummy peach salad. Basil and peaches are perfect together!
- Vinegar: I used Tarragon, but you can substitute with white wine vinegar.
- Seasoning: You will need salt, celery seed, and black pepper. Adjust to your preference.
- Sugar: White granulated sugar is what I use for this salad, but feel free to experiment with different sweeteners.
- Mayonnaise: The creamy base for this peach chicken salad, you can use your favorite brand of egg or egg-free mayonnaise.
How to Make This Summer Peach Chicken Salad
So easy to make by just combing a handful of ingredients, this is the easiest recipe for whenever you are short on time and want to keep things light and simple. You’ll want to make this chicken salad over and over again!
Step One
First, shred the chicken and combine it with the sliced peaches, celery, onions, and red bell pepper. Set aside.
Step Two
Next, make the dressing. In a blender or hand blender, combine one peach, lemon juice, olive oil, basil, vinegar, seasoning, sugar, and mayonnaise. Blend until smooth and pour over the salad ingredients.
Step Three
Cover the chicken salad and place it in the refrigerator overnight. Serve and enjoy!
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Save this chicken and peach salad for whenever you know you’ll be cooking with peaches! This salad is perfect for serving to a crowd.
What Foods go with Chicken Salad?
You can serve a variety of things with chicken salad such as potato salad, homemade chips, vegetables, fruit, different cheeses, and much more.
What do you eat with Sandwiches?
We like to eat our sandwiches with baked beans, side salads, French fries, and baked sweet potato chips. Roasted vegetables are also great for sandwiches!
Other Chicken Salad and Peach Recipes You Will Enjoy
- Apple Chicken Salad
- Italian Salad with Chicken
- B.L.A.T. Chicken Salad
- Peaches and Cream Tacos
- Peach Spice Cake
- Whiskey Peach Pie
- Individual Mini Peach Cobbler
Let’s get to the recipe for this Peach Basil Chicken Salad! 
Peach Basil Chicken Salad
Peach and Basil make this Chicken Salad out of this world! The colors and flavors are so pretty and so delicious!
Ingredients
- For the Dressing:
- 1 ripe peach, peeled and cut into quarters
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
- 2 1/2 Tablespoon vinegar (I used Tarragon)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 2 t. sugar or to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon coarse ground pepper
- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- For the Salad:
- 2 ripe peaches peeled and cubed
- 2 large chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (2 cups)
- 3 ribs of celery, chopped
- 1/2 cup green onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup sweet red bell pepper, chopped
Instructions
- Shred chicken, and combine with peaches, celery, onion and red pepper. Set aside.
- In either a blender or using your hand blender, combine dressing ingredients,. blending until smooth. Pour over chicken mixture, stir to combine.
- Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.
- Serve on rolls or a bed of lettuce.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 281Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 57mgSodium: 308mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 2gSugar: 10gProtein: 17g
Please note that nutrition is not guaranteed accurate.
This recipe was originally posted on June 7, 2015. It was updated to improve user experience and re-shared on September 11, 2021.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to know! Snap a picture, share the photo on social media with the hashtag #AnAffairFromTheHeart – I’d love to see what you made! – Michaela
Renee@Renee's Kitchen Adventures says
This sounds so delicious and a wonderful choice for SRC!! I recently made a lemon basil chicken salad and it was so good, I can imagine how yummy this tastes!
Michaela Kenkel says
I would love to try the lemon basil! I am on a total basil kick right now!! 🙂
Micha @ Cookin' Mimi says
Chicken salad is a summer favorite at my house and this version looks lovely.
Michaela Kenkel says
Thank you so much!! It’s a new favorite recipe here!
Miz Helen says
What a great combination for a Chicken Salad, this looks delicious and I will be trying it soon. It’s great cooking with you in the SRC!
Miz Helen
Michaela Kenkel says
Thank you so much!
Kate says
Great combination of flavors in this salad. I have never tried putting peaches in chicken salad…I will have to give this one a try.
Mary - All Thing Food Cooking with Mary and Friends says
Oh my word! Looks awesome! I’m getting a deal on some organic peaches the end of June and am planning to make this yummy chicken salad. Thanks Michaela!
Michaela Kenkel says
Mary, you will love it!
Grandma Loy says
Thanks so much for the kind words, Michaela. I am very glad that you liked the recipe. Your photos are beautiful. One of the nice things about Secret Recipe Club is that sometimes we get reminded of recipes we have on our own blogs that we had sort of forgotten about. Such is the case here. I do remember that I really liked this as I am a big fan of chicken salads of any kind. This is definitely going back on my list of recipes to make when peach season rolls around here this summer. Thanks for the reminder. Have a great week.
Michaela Kenkel says
I know exactly what you mean! I LOVED this recipe and was so glad that I chose it! Thank you for sharing with me, Loy!
colleen @ Secrets from the Cookie Princess says
This looks amazing! Definitely going to try this one.
Mary (The Godmother @ Goodie Godmother) says
Eeee… if I have leftover peaches from a recipe I’m making, I’m going to make this salad with basil from the garden. Beautiful and delicious!
CJ Huang says
So creative! I’d never have thought to use peaches in a chicken salad!
Dena says
This is the loveliest salad I’ve seen in years! Great SRC choice!
Michaela Kenkel says
Aw!! Thanks, Dena! <3
SHANIKA says
This Chicken Salad sounds and looks great!
jordin says
I never thought about adding Peaches and Basil to chicken salad, but it sounds delicious! Can’t wait to try this recipe out.
Juli says
I love chicken salad and pretty much everything else you added to it. That sounds amazing, perfect for this Georgia girl.
Ines says
Wow! Really creative combination with peach, I love it!
Matt Ivan says
YUM! The combination of flavors is unexpected but works really well!
Kelly Anthony says
Chicken salad reminds me of summer and I’m so looking forward to a slower pace this summer. I really like your addition of basil and peach to this twist on a classic chicken salad recipe.
Veena Azmanov says
This is surely a festive salad. This is going to be my Easter Salad Platter for sure. Looks yummy.
Meghna says
Such a delicious simple and easy salad this is. I have bookmarked the recipe.
Noelle says
wow, what a unique salad, there are so many different flavors in the recipe, I love it!
Cookilicious says
Love it when fruits make its way to savory dishes. Nice recipe
Alejandra says
Wow, this salad look delicious! I definitely want to try it served on slightly toast bread.. a perfect healthy summer lunch idea!
Kushigalu says
Love the combination of ingredients in this salad recipe. Totally refreshing one.
Denay DeGuzman says
Enjoyed this for lunch today. It was a delicious, easy, no-guilt meal! I’ll be making this salad again and again.
Beth says
Yummy! This salad was absolutely delicious and went so well with our dinner tonight! We just loved all the flavors and can’t get enough of this salad! Excited to make it again.
Megan Ellam says
This salad sounds incredible! I am definitely going to give this recipe a go.
Shannon says
This was amazing! would make again.
Michaela Kenkel says
happy you liked it!!
Shashi says
I’ve never had peach in a chicken salad before – what a fun and unique idea – I cannot wait to try it!
Beth says
I just adore this chicken salad. I need to make it again this weekend before fresh peaches are a thing of the past. Here in the Midwest that time is coming quickly.
Mimi says
Does the dressing has to be left in the fridge over night?
Michaela Kenkel says
I suppose that the salad doesn’t HAVE to be refrigerated overnight – but the flavors are definitely better if you do that step.