In a large mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, honey mustard, and apple cider vinegar. Whisk until smooth and well combined. Add the lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and smoked paprika, stirring to distribute the spices evenly throughout the dressing. This creates your flavor foundation—I find whisking rather than just stirring helps incorporate the spices more uniformly so you don't get pockets of paprika or garlic powder.

Add the shredded or cubed cooked chicken to the dressing, stirring gently to coat evenly. Fold in the chopped hard-boiled eggs, finely diced celery, and thinly sliced green onions until everything is well distributed. Be gentle when mixing to keep the eggs and chicken from breaking apart too much. I like to use a rubber spatula and fold rather than vigorously stir—this keeps the texture more pleasant and prevents the chicken from shredding into tiny pieces.

Transfer the chicken salad to a serving bowl or airtight container and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or preferably overnight. This chilling time allows the flavors to meld together and helps the salad reach the perfect cold temperature for serving. The overnight rest really makes a difference in flavor development—the pickle relish and mustard have time to fully integrate with the creamy base.

Remove the chicken salad from the refrigerator and give it a gentle stir to redistribute any juices that may have settled. Serve chilled alongside crackers, bread, or on a bed of greens as desired.