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Dill Pickle Salt and Vinegar Chicken Salad – the summer dinner salad you’ll be craving all season long. It’s vibrant, fresh, and nearly no-cook—aka perfect for hot days when the last thing you want is to turn on the oven. The chicken is marinated in vinegar, dill pickle brine, and a generous pinch of salt, then grilled or pan-seared to perfection. It’s served over a bed of greens with avocado, even more pickles, and the ultimate topping: crunchy, tangy salt and vinegar chips. A pickled ranch dressing ties it all together. So. Much. YUM!
I’ve been looking forward to sharing this one for weeks. With all the summer travel happening, I’ve had to plan ahead and create recipes well in advance—and this salad has been patiently waiting its turn. I’m so excited it’s finally here!
Honestly, this is the salad we all want most right now. I’ve even been calling it the Cape Cod Salad in my head because the chips on top remind me of salty beach snacks and carefree coastal days. Especially since my brother Red—our family’s self-proclaimed “snackster”—has always been obsessed with the Cape Cod Salt and Vinegar Chips. He’s grown out of snack-only meals (kind of), but those chips are still his go-to.
I couldn’t track down the exact Cape Cod brand at our grocer, but he swears they’re the best—and if you can find them, go for it!
I made this salad specifically with chips in mind. They bring the perfect crunch, that nostalgic summer flavor, and let’s be honest—chips on a salad just feel fun. Next up? I’m thinking chips on a sandwich. But what kind should I try first?
Here are the details
Chicken Ingredients
- chicken breast or tenders
- vinegar – for the marinade, I used apple cider vinegar
- pickle brine/juice – from a jar of dill pickles
- salt – I use pink Himalayan sea salt
- salted butter, or olive oil
- dried parsley, dill, chives, garlic powder, onion powder
Salad Ingredients
- mixed greens
- dill pickles
- cucumbers
- avocados
- salt and vinegar potato chips
Pickled Ranch Ingredients
- plain Greek yogurt
- buttermilk
- vinegar
- garlic
- dill pickles
- fresh basil and dill
- crumbled blue cheese or feta cheese – we love blue cheese. A dill-swirled goat cheese would be yummy too!
Special Tools
You need a grill, grill pan or skillet to cook the chicken, a big salad bowl, and a jar for mixing up the dressing!
Steps
Step 1: Marinate the Chicken
Start by marinating the chicken. Toss the raw chicken with vinegar, dill pickle brine (or juice), and a generous pinch of salt.
I usually let the chicken marinate while I prep the rest of the salad—about 10 to 15 minutes. It’s quick but does the trick!
If you have time, marinate 12 hours in the fridge for extra tenderness and flavor.
Step 2: Add the Flavor + Cook the Chicken
Once marinated, toss the chicken with a dry spice mix of parsley, dill, chives, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper.
Now grill or pan-sear the chicken until it’s cooked through. Roasting works too!
After cooking, drizzle with a little more vinegar—white balsamic or champagne vinegar is perfect here. Then season with salt, but do so to your taste!
Step 3: Build the Salad
Grab your favorite salad bowl and add your greens. I love using a mix of butter lettuce, romaine, and a handful of peppery arugula.
Toss in chopped pickles, sliced cucumber, and avocado wedges or slices for creaminess.
Step 4: Mix the Dressing
This is where the flavor really shines! Use plain Greek yogurt and whole buttermilk for a creamy base.
Stir in vinegar, chopped pickles, fresh basil, dill, garlic, salt, and pepper.
Then crumble in some blue cheese or feta—whichever you love most. It adds a salty, creamy bite that no one expects but everyone loves!
Step 5: Toss the Salad
Pour the dressing over the salad and toss everything together so the greens are nicely coated.
Top with the sliced chicken and finish with plenty of salt and vinegar chips. I always add extra—because chips on a salad are just the best!
Step 6: Serve
Serve the salad right after tossing. The chips and greens are best when fresh and crunchy!
It’s vibrant, packed with flavor, and doubles as the prettiest centerpiece for any summer table. This one never disappoints.
My Best Tip
Don’t skip the chips—they’re not just for the salad! They’re so good dipped into that creamy, tangy dressing. Honestly, it doubles as the easiest summer dip.
I love to set out a little bowl of extra dressing and a bag of chips on the table for the snackers. Trust me, it disappears fast!
And that’s your new go-to summer salad! It’s fresh, crunchy, creamy, and just a little unexpected with those tangy salt and vinegar chips on top.
Looking for other salad recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Tomato, Peach, and Burrata Salad
Corn, Tomato, and Avocado Pasta Salad
Pesto Chicken Caesar Salad with Tomatoes and Burrata
Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken and Avocado Bacon Salad
Pesto Chicken, Corn, and Avocado Bacon Pasta Salad
Lastly, if you make this Dill Pickle Salt and Vinegar Chicken Salad, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Dill Pickle Salt and Vinegar Chicken Salad
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 410 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Salt/Vinegar Chicken
- 1 pound boneless chicken tenders/small breasts
- 3 tablespoons white or apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup pickle brine
- 1 - 2 teaspoons salt, using to your taste
- 2 tablespoons melted salted butter/olive oil
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 tablespoon dried dill
- 1 tablespoon dried chives
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
Salad
- 6 cups mixed greens/arugula
- 1 cup sliced pickles and cucumbers
- 1-2 avocados, sliced
- 2 cups salt and vinegar chips
Pickled Ranch
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider, white balsamic, or white vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1/3 cup chopped dill pickles
- 1/3 cup fresh chopped basil
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
- 3/4 cup crumbled blue or feta cheese
Instructions
- 1. In a bowl, toss the chicken in vinegar, pickle juice, and salt. Let sit 20 mins or 12 hours in the fridge. Once marinated, add the butter/olive oil, parsley, dill, chives, garlic powder, and onion powder. Season with black pepper.2. Set your grill, grill pan, or skillet to medium-high heat. Grill the chicken until lightly charred and cooked through, turning halfway through cooking, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of vinegar over the warm chicken. Season with salt, as desired.3. Meanwhile, in a salad bowl, combine the greens, pickles, cucumbers, and avocado. Slice the chicken and add it to the salad. 4. To make the dressing. Mix all ingredients together in a jar and season with salt and pepper.5. Pour the dressing over the salad, tossing to combine. Top the salad with potato chips. Eat and enjoy!
This post was originally published on June 23, 2025
This was sooo salty, how disappointing 🙁
So sorry to hear this, Erin. Thanks for trying the salad and your comment. Have a nice Sunday!
I made this salad last night and really enjoyed it. I don’t like overly salty recipes but I didn’t find this one to be too salty at all so I am not sure where the others were getting all the salt. I did tweak the recipe slightly and didn’t put the pickles in the salad(just the cucumbers) and pickles in the dressing. I also used (avocado oil) Dill pickle chips instead of Salt and Vinegar. This is a keeper for a summer salad.
Hey DeeDee,
Awesome! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed this salad and thanks for sharing what worked well for you! Have a great Saturday!
Left out all of the salt from the recipe after reading the reviews. Chicken was great!
Thanks so much, Lauren! So glad to hear this salad turned out well for you, thanks for giving it a try!
I was excited to give this recipe a try! We love pickles and salt/vinegar chips…. But also felt this was a new twist for HBH!
I followed this recipe exactly as written and the entire family was pleasantly surprised!
I did read the reviews ahead of time and only added 1tsp of salt to the chicken brine. I used apple cider vinegar in the brine.
While my chicken brined, I prepped the dinner bowls with greens, pickles, cucumber and avocado…. I also made the dressing as directed using apple cider vinegar and feta.
Seared the chicken on the stove in a grill pan and tossed in the oven for a bit to finish up cooking.
Sliced up the chicken and placed on top of salad, then added the chips and dressing. It was a hit! We even saved the leftover dressing to use as a dip for the leftover salt and vinegar chips the following day. YUM!
Hey Kristie,
Amazing! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try, so glad to hear it turned out nicely for you! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you. Have a great summer weekend!
This made a really good salad that I wouldn’t have thought of! Based on reviews, I left all the salt out of the chicken, however I’d say most people would want to add a little. I needed the meal quickly, so I added the chicken, brine, and some water to the instant pot and then shredded it on the salad. It was good with all the other salad items, and I’m sure grilled would be much better. The dressing was really good! I did add a little mayo (personal preference but not needed) and parmesan instead of Blue Cheese. I made extra sauce and we still ate it all. We used the Siete chips and it was very good!
Hey Kate,
Happy Friday! Thank you so much for making this salad and sharing what worked well for you! I’m so glad it was enjoyed and turned out nicely!
Loved this salad! I made it spur of the moment and in a rush, so I didn’t follow all the instructions properly. I omitted the chips and the chives, reduced the buttermilk (used powdered), and used basil paste rather than fresh and it was still delicious!! This will be a regular meal in our home. It was so simple, I’m afraid to find out how delicious it would be had I followed the recipe exactly. So wonderfully creative and delicious!!
Hey Christy,
Wonderful!! Love to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, I appreciate you making it and your comment!
I love pickles and salty food but this was really salty. The vinegar chicken plus the pickles in the salad and pickles in the dressing and the chips on top was a lot of salt. I feel like it needed something to balance out all the salt and acid.
Hi Josie,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed!
Do not marinate in vinegar for more than a few hours, I did it overnight and it made my chicken really soft and not in a good way. Even after cooking it was a terrible texture. Also, way way way too much salt, even if the texture would have been ok not sure I could have eaten it because of the salt. Made the salad without meat. I do love the dressing but the chicken is a no go.
Hi Paige,
So very sorry to hear this. I appreciate you trying the recipe and sharing your feedback. If there is anything that I can help with, please let me know!
Just some constructive feedback for the future. I totally understand that everyone has different tastes but salt levels “to taste” should be saved for something that can be tasted. Nobody is tasting brine for a raw chicken so we trust that the recipe is going to be correct as is, and that it has been thoroughly tested. I hope that makes sense and you take that suggestion to heart. Thank you so much. ❤️
Thanks so much for sharing your feedback, Rebecca. I hope you are having a wonderful week!
The Kettle brand chips you used and the Cape Cod brand chips you recommend both have multiple seed oils. I try to stay away from icky ingredients like that. Do you have any recommendations for an option without seed oils?
Hi Maddie,
I would check out Siete brand. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try!
Siete brand has all flavors of chips made with avocado oil not seed oils! And they’re delish!
Hi! Can you explain why we’re marinating the chicken in the pickle brine AND extra vinegar? That seems like a lot of acid but, as the recipe developer I know you have insight that I don’t 🙂
Hi Shelly,
That is what I found gave the chicken the best flavor, but you could totally adjust to your liking. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try!
This was an interesting idea that just went way too far with the saltiness. Sorry but the salt level made this inedible. And BTW Cape Cod potato chips are the BEST. Substitutions for other salt/vinegar chips should NOT be made. Worth the hunt.
Hi Rider,
Thanks for sharing your feedback, sorry about the saltiness in the recipe. I have reduced the salt, so I hope you will give it another try!
This is a LOT of vinegar and I would suggest adding a note to this recipe that if people want to marinate overnight that they make sure not to let it marinate more than 24 hours or the chicken will get mushy (12 is probably the max I would do) I also would skip the tablespoon of salt altogether, the pickle juice has PLENTY.
Thanks so much for sharing your feedback. I hope you love this salad!
I love salty things, but this was a bit too much for me! Good idea though!
Thanks for sharing your feedback, Rachel. So sorry to hear this was on the salty side.
Oof. I love pickles and salt and vinegar chips but This was a salt BOMB. I marinated the chicken overnight, probably about 20 hours and I think that was too long. I was skeptical of adding salt to the pickle juice since that’s already salty but decided to trust the recipe testing. The chicken was completely inedible. The dressing was decent so we ate the salad still so it wouldn’t go to waste, but it sucks having to throw meat away. I think it would help to have multiple people try your recipes before posting because individual preferences vary and if you only make things how you like it might not be good for others.
Hi Laura,
Thanks for trying this salad and sharing your feedback, I am sorry to hear it was so salty. I have reduced the amount of salt in the recipe, I hope you will give it another try!
I was excited to make this & I had it for lunch, but it was way too salty. I like salty things but this was just too much.
Hi Sally,
Thanks so much for trying this recipe today and your comment, so sorry to hear it was too salty for you.