Sam's Club Changed Its Chicken Salad Recipe And Shoppers Are Complaining

Few people like change. Whether it's a generational shift in values or a grocery store adjusting a recipe, people will notice and voice their opinion. One recent example is an alteration to the Member's Mark chicken salad recipe at Sam's Club (the store also recently announced an increase in the cost of membership).

One Reddit thread gets straight to the point with the title "They changed the Chicken Salad Recipe, why?" People once loved the Sam's Club staple. "It used to taste fresh and lighter, now it tastes way more savory and heavy," a Sam's Club customer wrote, succinctly breaking down the change. On another Reddit thread discussing the change, someone who says they work at a Sam's Club spoke on the difference behind the scenes, writing, "We used to have to prep it, separate ingredients we'd put together and package, but now, we get it pre-mixed and it looks completely different." We'll never truly know why the change was made, but as another customer writes it's most likely due to "the same reason as always for why a good thing changes ... profit margins."

A while ago on Reddit, a Sam's Club chicken salad fan requested a mimic recipe. Commenters pointed out that what made the version so good was the use of straight mayo over oil. Our version of a quick and easy chicken salad uses high-quality mayo with a little vinegar to add a fresh acidity. One of the complaints of the new version at Sam's Club is too much mayo – making your own lets you add the mayo to taste.

On a Facebook thread lamenting the loss of the chicken salad that once was, commenters offered alternatives. Some mentioned making your own using the rotisserie chicken from the store. Another replied to suggest trying the version from Aldi. If you like a little fruit and nuts in yours, give our Waldorf chicken salad recipe a try!

Finally, Redditors agreed that one way to fight the change was to call Sam's Club's complaint line. Just remember to be respectful to the people answering the phone — they aren't the ones who made the change!