How To Make The Best Chicken Salad
Ingredients youll need to make this delicious salad:
Chicken. Youll need four cups of cooked chicken that you shred or chop, depending on the texture that you prefer. You can easily shred the chicken in your stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer if you want. Shredding with two forks also works great.
For the chicken, you can use baked chicken that you cook ahead or make Instant Pot chicken. You can even use rotisserie chicken if you wish.
Celery. Chopped celery adds the perfect amount of crunch and freshness.
Grapes. Halved seedless grapes add a touch of sweetness. I love to use red seedless grapes as they add another bit of color to the salad.
Dried Cranberries. Sweet and yet a little tart, the dried cranberries are a delicious addition as well.
Roasted Pecans. Chopped roasted pecans are a great addition. Omit them if allergic to nuts or if you are serving at an event and do not know if there are nut allergies.
Mayonnaise or Greek Yogurt. You can use all mayo or all Greek Yogurt in your salad or even a little bit of each. Greek Yogurt will help to lighten up the recipe, but it is definitely a matter of preference.
Seasonings. Salt and pepper are the perfect seasonings for it.
Celery leaves. Chopped celery leaves add so much flavor, but if you dont have them just omit.
To Make Chicken Salad With Grapes
Not only is this simple and easy, but it is so impressive to serve for guests while sitting on the deck sipping on an ice-cold glass of NESTEA® slightly sweet black iced tea!
Serve with bread, croissants, or over a bed of lettuce.
Pro tip: Toast the pecans in a small pan and let them cool before adding to the salad. Toasting nuts retain their crunch and expand their flavor!
Poached Chicken For Salads:
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How To Make Chicken Salad:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.
It really is that simple to make and so much better than anything store bought. You will save money by making it home.
Serve immediately as a sandwich or over salad. If you are trying to eat low carb, just make a lettuce wrap or serve in a salad.
Make Chicken Salad Again And Again With These Kitchenware Essentials
Stir together gently
Until everything is thoroughly coated.
Now, if youre feeling particularly naughty and saucy and feisty, please sprinkle in some homemade OR, in my case, STOREBOUGHT bacon bits. Again, dont overdo itjust a little bacon flavor will do.
Now, I have fried up thick, peppered bacon, chopped it fine, and sprinkled it in the chicken salad before, and it was almost too delicious for me to bear. So try that sometimebut enter at your own risk.
Now, taste it, salt it, pepper it, add more dillwhatever you need to do to make it perfect. Just remember to fold/stir gently throughout this process.
And when youre finished, do this! Because Martha might be watching.
Now, just allow the chicken salad to chill several hours or even overnightlong enough for the flavors to really meld.
Then, when youre ready, just serve the chicken salad on a bed of lettuceor in hollowed-out heads of cabbage, or hollowed-out bell peppersor put it on English Muffins, top with cheese, and broilor stir in with shell pasta for chicken pasta salad. Yum.
Or! If youre me, you can do this:
Grainy wheat bread.
Toasted. And did you know Id been married nine years before I even owned a toaster? True story.
Honey mustard.
Baby Spinach. And plenty of it.
Chicken salad
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Tips And Variations For The Best Chicken Salad
Crunchy, savory, sweet, and a bit creamy chicken salad is the perfect dish.
- Chicken: Use any type of chicken you have on hand. You can use rotisserie, leftover BBQ, roasted, or even broiled chicken. Whatever you use, chop it up or shred it so it is easy to spread, spoon, and eat.
- Grapes: You can use red or green grapes or a combination of both. Green grapes can be a bit tart sometimes and the red grapes add color.
- Nuts: Pecans are a classic but you can substitute them for walnuts, almonds, or cashews. Roast them for a bit of extra flavor.
- Mayonnaise: If you are not a fan of mayo, you can use sour cream or non-fat Greek yogurt.
- Different Fruit: Try chopped apples or dried cranberries.
How Much Chicken Salad Per Person
How Do You Calculate Chicken Salad per Person? As a rule of thumb, approximately 0.75 of a cup is a safe amount to serve per person.
But the above is only approximate, and you need to decide is it a main or side dish or are you having it as part of a salad bar. Each of these will slightly different amount to serve folks.
Tuna salad can also be substituted for chicken salad, or used as a partner.
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Can Chicken Salad With Mayonnaise Be Frozen
Yes, you can, but without mayonnaise. Although its possible to freeze chicken salad with mayonnaise, it wont taste much palatable. You also need to consider carefully before choosing some perishable ingredients as parts of your salad because these foods can make your freezing process unsuccessful.
How Long Does Chicken Salad Last
In the Refrigerator? This recipe keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Simply store in an airtight container. Refrigerate right after serving.
Left Out at Room Temperature? For food safety, I like to stick to what the FDA advisesthe two-hour rule.which applies since this recipe has chicken and mayonnaise, you should not leave this out at room temperature for any longer than two hours.
Left Out at Picnic or Potluck? If you are serving this at a summer event and the temperature is warmer, you should be extra careful to refrigerate as soon as possible. Again, I look to the FDA for their safety rule. If the outside temperature is above 90 degrees, the two-hour rule becomes ONE hour.
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How To Serve It
Sometimes I find myself eating this chicken salad by the spoonful straight out of the bowl because its that good. But to turn it into a meal, heres a few ideas.
- Sandwich: Stuff it between sandwich bread with layers of lettuce, spinach, or tomato slices.
- Wrap: Turn it into a wrap with homemade cassava flour tortillas.
- Lettuce Wrap: For a lighter, low-carb option, use large romaine or butter leaf lettuce to wrap it.
- Extra Green Salad: Pour a spoonful on top of a bed of greens such as spinach.
- Dip: Serve it with flax seed crackers or chips.
Best Chicken Salad Recipe
I want to be that person who invented egg salad and chicken salad. I mean, that person deserves a gold medal. Yummy, versatile, classic.
Even though this particular chicken salad has been floating around for ages, I was only introduced to it a few years ago by a friend. I was practically mesmerized by all the ingredients she was mixing together. Dried cranberries, apples, and pecans? It all seemed so oddand yet wonderful. I knew immediately how much I would love it.
Ive been making it this way ever since and everyone I serve it to begs for the recipe.
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Easy Roasted Chicken Salad Recipe
How To Serve Chicken Salad
Theres plenty of ways to serve chicken salad to delight every eater:
- Serve in croissants or on toasted thick cuts of whole wheat bread
- Mound chicken salad on top of fresh greens or cooked rotini pasta for an easy ladies-who-lunch salad
- Nestle a scoop of chicken salad in avocado halves
- Scoop out the center of a large tomato or cooked artichoke and stuff with chicken salad
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Can Salad Be Frozen
We dont recommend freezing the chicken salad. But what we do recommend is freezing the cooked chicken. If you have leftover cooked chicken, simply chop up the chicken and put in a freezer back.
Then it is easy to pull out the frozen chicken and let it thaw to follow the steps to make chicken salad. Learn more on our Can You Freeze Chicken Salad? post.
What Else Can I Add To Chicken Salad
Ive seen a lot of other ingredients show up in this American Classic, here are some of my favorites:
- added vegetables: carrots, roasted red peppers, onion, scallions
- walnuts, pecans or pistachios
I love a big scoop of chicken salad on salad greens. Add your favorite dressing and toppings and youve got a light, delicious lunch or dinner.
Its also a nice fillingfor a stuffed tomato.
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An Easy Sandwich With Fruit & Nuts
- Chicken: Like a classic chicken salad recipe, you can use leftover chicken, rotisserie chicken or Crockpot Shredded Chicken for this recipe.
- Pineapple/Grapes: Fruit adds a bit of sweetness and a juicy tang to this recipe. Like in a Waldorf Salad, fruit lightens up a mayonnaise-based dressing.
- Nuts: Pecans add a bit of crunch . They can be replaced with walnuts or almonds if you prefer.
- Dressing: A mayonnaise-based dressing is flavored with a hint of curry powder. The addition of curry is amazing in a chicken salad with grapes!
- Other Delicious Additions: chopped red or green onions, sliced and quartered zucchini, shredded carrots, sliced water chestnuts, sesame seeds
Why We Love This Recipe
This salad is fresh and loaded with flavor. It is quick and simple to prepare, and is so versatile!
Asian chicken salad is a great way to use up leftover chicken! The chicken in this dish can be served cold as a chilled salad for warm summer months or add chicken hot off the grill!
Using cabbage instead of lettuce in this salad means it keeps well, so go ahead and make it ahead of time. Keep the dressing separate and keep it in the fridge until ready to serve.
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How Much Chicken Salad Per Person For 100 People
For 100 People you will need to serve 50 lb of chicken salad.
Also, look at the event type a SuperBowl party might last for more than 3 hours if it is people tend to go back for seconds. Similarly, with buffet service, you will find people tend to take more.
Lastly if in doubt, you should always plan for extra servings so you dont run out before everyone gets their share.
Pineapple Chicken Salad With Grapes
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Chicken Salad with Grapes is the perfect simple meal and a great twist on a classic Chicken Salad. Its flavorful with lots of texture and color.This easy salad can be made with leftover Oven Baked Chicken Breasts or rotisserie chicken!
Serve this as an easy weeknight meal with a tossed salad or make it ahead of time to enjoy for lunch throughout the week.
In partnership with Nestea
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Can I Make Chicken Salad Sandwiches The Night Before
You can also make the sandwiches a day ahead as long as the chicken salad is not too wet and you store the sandwiches properly. Make the sandwiches, wrap them individually in wax paper, place them back in the plastic bag the bread came in, and then stick the bread bag filled with the sandwiches in the fridge.
How To Store Simple Chicken Salad:
This chicken salad is so easy for everyone to enjoy. Occasionally we will have leftovers. All you need to do is store in an airtight container for the flavors to enhance.
The chicken salad will last about a week in the refrigerator. Once you are ready to enjoy again, simply give it a stir and your chicken salad is ready to enjoy.
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Can Dogs Eat Tuna
Tuna is not toxic to dogs, and a tiny amount will not cause mercury poisoning. If you own both a dog and a cat, make sure your pup isnt eating the felines food, as wet cat food often contains tuna. Cats are also susceptible to mercury poisoning, so consider choosing a cat food made with other kinds of fish.
How To Make Quick And Easy Chicken Salad
Letting this sit in the fridge for a bit, helps meld the flavors together. Shoot for at least an hour. In a medium sized bowl combine the chicken, grapes, pecans, green onions, celery, mayonnaise, lemon, and mustard. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with croissants, romaine, or with crackers. This chicken salad is always so fun for everyone to make their own sandwich or add it on top of green lettuce.
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The Fresh Market Chicken Salad
Word on the street is that The Fresh Market makes their chicken salad from rotisserie chickens, and if youve ever tasted it, then you can see how that would be true. The well-seasoned chicken has a light creaminess and bits of crunchy celery. Its simplicity and barely-there mayo won me over!
I knew I needed to break down this recipe because 1. I couldnt afford to buy it from The Fresh Market very frequently and 2. when I make it from home, I know exactly whats going into it.
Now, I dont usually have leftover rotisserie chickens just laying around, and I wanted a way to replicate the recipe without having to roast an entire chicken, pick off the meat, etc.
So heres my version of a simplified roasted chicken salad.
Ingredients In Chicken Salad
Chicken:
- Use leftovers from last nights dinner or leftover rotisserie chicken or grilled chicken.
- To Make Chicken for chicken salad I like to use either poached chicken or baked chicken breasts or thighs.
- You can use canned chicken in a pinch but of course fresh is best when possible.
- Ensure the chicken is cooled and shred or chop the chicken into bite sized pieces.
Add-ins:
- As this is a classic chicken salad recipe, Ive kept the additions to a minimum. Celery for crunch, green onions for flavor.
- This recipe can be made with a variety of nuts, veggies, and fruit for added flavor and texture.
- Chicken salad with grapes, avocado or dried cranberries is a favorite. Pecans or almonds pair well with this recipe.
Dressing:
- Mayonnaise is the base of this recipe and its simply seasoned.
- You can get creative and substitute some of the mayo for ranch dressing or your favorite salad dressing recipe.
- Create an Avocado Chicken Salad by replacing some of the mayonnaise with mashed avocado.
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Prepare The Chicken Salad Dressing
Mayonnaise is the classic base for chicken salad dressing. But if you’re curious about how to make chicken salad without mayo, purchased creamy salad dressing has its fans as well. Or opt for half mayo and half sour cream or plain Greek yogurt. Estimate about to ½ cup dressing for 2 cups of chicken. A pinch of salt, a teaspoon of snipped fresh herbs like basil or tarragon, and a squeeze of lemon juice can help to boost the flavor of the dressing as you ace making chicken salad at home.
Chicken Salad Sandwiches Recipe
These classic chicken salad sandwiches are open for interpretation. Depending on your level of prep, you can create them using either home-cooked chicken or a rotisserie chicken from the store. From there, the creativity is all up to you. Make them yours, make them delicious, make them again!
Provided by Betty Crocker Kitchens
Total Time 15 minutes
Total TimeCalories
- In medium bowl, mix all ingredients except bread. Spread mixture on 4 bread slices. Top with remaining bread.
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