There Are So Many Ways To Serve Chicken Salad
Speaking of serving your chicken salad, the possibilities are, once again, endless. Sampson’s go-to for this classic chicken salad recipe is an equally classic chicken salad sandwich. She clued us in on what her perfect chicken salad sandwich includes. “I personally love butter lettuce,” said Sampson, but any lettuce works. And the same goes for bread. Sampson said, “I like a good seed-filled bread, lightly toasted.”
The seedy bread certainly offers a rustic heartiness to the sandwich, which is consistent with Sampson’s trademark cooking style. Additionally, toasting the bread will bring out its flavor and make the sandwich just a bit crunchier.
Sampson assures us this salad is for more than just sandwiches though. “When it comes down to it, I’d eat this on crackers too,” she said.
For Sampson, chicken salad makes the perfect “cool and refreshing summer lunch.” That said, for Sampson and her family, chicken salad is not just a summer affair. “We enjoy it all year long,” she added.
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.
Equipment I Love For This Recipe
A food processor and Instant pot are my two highly recommended pieces of equipment for this recipe. Sure, you can get by without it, but both of these are some of my most loved kitchen tools. They just have so many uses!
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How To Brine Chicken In Pickle Juice
If youre already sold on the idea of adding pickles and pickle juice to your chicken salad, theres yet another way you can boost the taste of the recipe with more tangy, salty flavor. Try brining your chicken in pickle juice before cooking it.
Not only does a pickle juice brine tenderize and flavor your chicken, but it also helps keep notoriously dry chicken breast moist . All it takes is an hour. Brine your chicken breast in pickle juice, then remove it from the liquid and pat it dry before pan-roasting or baking it.
Now the base of your chicken salad will be super flavorful, juicy, and will pair perfectly with the splash of pickle juice and crunchy chopped pickles you add to your chicken salad recipe.
Chicken Salad Avocado And Cheddar Panini
These Chicken Salad, Avocado and Cheddar Paninis strike a balance between bright vibrancy and rich, buttery deliciousness. The salad itself consists of tender chicken, red grapes, slivered almonds, pecans, onion, Granny Smith apple, dried cranberries and lots of salt and pepper, each of which adds a fresh flavor and strong texture to the salad. Once assembled on a croissant with avocado and plenty of cheddar, the brighter elements of the chicken salad balance the richness of the other sandwich elements. Enjoy for brunch, lunch, dinner, daytime snack, midnight snack, elevenses, etc. .
Get the Recipe: Chicken Salad, Avocado and Cheddar Panini
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You Can Leave Out Any Of These Ingredients If You Dont Care For Them
Canned chicken salad recipe no mayo. Yet, the chicken you use will make the difference between people coming back for more and chicken salad left. Drain the chicken, add the chopped hard boiled eggs and mayo, mix and serve! Add mayo and season with salt and pepper
You can also add in some chopped tarragon for the classic tarragon chicken salad. Pictured here is chicken salad i made with rotisserie chicken, mayo, greek yogurt, grapes, apples, a little chopped red onion, finely chopped celery, chopped almonds, salt, pepper, garlic powder, everything but the bagel seasoning and a little bit of ground mustard powder, to taste Use a fork to break apart the chicken chunks.
How to make chicken salad with cranberries: Top each salad with 2 tablespoons dressing. Add the mayo, salt, pepper and onion powder to the bowl.
Nutrition info above is for 1/4 of this recipe, which is roughly 1 cup of prepared chicken salad. Unlike tuna, thereâs no solid albacore or an equivalent to identify brands that use better meat. Add the chopped green onions, pecan pieces and dried cranberries to the bowl.
All canned chicken is not the same. Season with salt, paprika, and pepper sauce. Lemon juice and salt (and even a pinch of.
Dump the canned chicken breast chunks into a medium mixing bowl. For the full recipe for chicken salad with canned chicken, scroll to the bottom of this post. Gently stir in relish, celery, and hard.
7 Healthier Chicken Salad Recipes That Arenât Just Buckets
Easy Chicken Salad Recipe
This easy chicken salad recipe with grapes makes the best chicken salad sandwiches! Ive been making this healthy chicken salad recipe for years. Its great for make ahead lunches!
When your days are busy, it can be hard to find the time to prepare lunch. Thats why I like recipes that I can prep once and then eat for a couple of days.
This chicken salad is one of my favorite make ahead lunch recipes. It keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days. You can serve it on bread or croissants as a sandwich, or with some lettuce. I often add avocado its so good!
I rarely order chicken salad at a restaurant because I dont care for the mayo-laden chicken salad that is often served. My homemade version is fresh, light and made without mayo. I use plain Greek yogurt as the creamy base for my chicken salad dressing. If this sounds strange to you, I promise that your chicken salad wont taste like yogurt!
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Is Chicken Salad Healthy
For the most part, the ingredients in the chicken salad are healthy. The one exception is the mayonnaise but you do have options. Though it varies by brand, regular mayonnaise can have around 80 grams of fat and 750 calories if you were to use 1/2 cup in this recipe. Light mayonnaise can reduce those amounts by one-third or more, as can fat-free mayonnaise. Using one of those and serving the chicken salad on a bed of lettuce to reduce carbs would make this a healthier dish.
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.
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How To Prepare Chicken For Chicken Salad
There are a lot of opinions here, but I really like to use my instant pot to make the chicken. Its really easy and this is not the situation where you want a bunch of browning. You could also poach the chicken in water on the stove if you dont have an instant pot.
An instant pot is just a pressure cooker, so if you have another kind of pressure cooker, feel free to use that. You just really need to have a tender chicken for this recipe. So, a pressure cooker or poaching produces the best result.
Its also important that whatever cooking method you use, you season the chicken. I got with simply a little salt and black pepper. Fresh Parsley, onion powder and garlic powder would also be a great addition.
Texture is also a concern with chicken salad. I dont like those small pieces or cut up chicken. I like a true deli style chicken salad where the chicken is ground and fluffy. It helps it absorb the ingredients better.
To grind the chicken, I just use my food processor. You could also do more of a shred using a hand or stand mixer. If you dont have those, you can use 2 forks. Grinding it down a bit is my favorite though. Trust me, texture matters here. It just feels like a traditional chicken salad recipe when you grind it a bit.
Easy Basic Chicken Salad No Celery
Ill break down for you the substitutions and methods that can be used to make this easy chicken salad recipe. Every recipe should be somewhat adaptable in my book. This is a great recipe to improvise with because its versatile.
I like to use chicken breasts for my chicken salad because they are lean and healthy, but if you are in a pinch a rotisserie chicken works just fine. Dark meat chicken just wouldnt be very appetizing here.
While I prefer to use red onion, green onions or white onions will work just fine. If youre trying to make this chicken salad even lighter you can replace half the mayo with light sour cream or non fat Greek Yogurt.
I love how the sweet pickle relish plays with the zing of the dijon mustard, but if you prefer , you can replace that with dill pickles or relish for a tangier flavor profile. A little lemon juice is also nice here.
If you want a sweeter application, you could add cut up green apples or seedless grapes to the mix. Some like to add hard boiled eggs, but sorry for me thats verging on egg salad. You do you though!
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Can I Use Chicken Breasts
Yes! To be honest, chicken thighs produce the best results because they dont dry out as easily as chicken breasts do. That being said, you can make chicken breasts work if you take care not to overcook them.
If the chicken breasts are large, but them in have crosswise . Cook them as directed in the recipe card, but check on them at the 10 minute mark. If theyre done, transfer the chicken to the plate and continue to cook the rice.
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.
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How To Make One Pot Chicken And Rice:
The instructions for this recipe break down to a few basic steps. 1) Spice and sear the chicken, 2) Cook the vegetables, 3) Simmer the rice and 4) Cook the chicken. Lets talk details
MAKE THE SPICE MIXTURE: Grab a prep bowl and stir together the rosemary, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
SEASON THE CHICKEN: Place the trimmed chicken thighs in a bowl and toss with the spice mixture. I like to sprinkle half of the spice mixture over the chicken, toss it together, then repeat with the remaining spice mixture. This makes it easier to distribute the spices evenly.
SEAR THE CHICKEN: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. If you have an enameled cast-iron skillet, thats a great option for a nice sear on the chicken. Otherwise, try a nonstick skillet. If you prefer to use a stainless steel skillet, youll need to use more oil to stop the chicken from sticking. Sear the chicken thighs about 2 minutes per side. Set the chicken aside on a plate.
SAUTÉ THE VEGGIES: Turn the heat to medium and add a little more olive oil. Add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally.
SIMMER THE RICE: Stir in the rice and broth, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
ADD THE HERBS: Stir in the fresh parsley and basil. Serve it up!
How To Serve Chicken Salad
You can serve your chicken salad over a bed of lettuce, in a wrap or on bread! If you are low carb, lettuce wraps might even be fun . This is also a great recipe for baby showers and wedding showers. Small chicken salad tea sandwiches are always a hit at these kinds of gatherings.
The best chicken salad sandwich is made on a nice grainy bread. I love a whole wheat with plenty of seeds on the crust. A delicious salad is another favorite.
Just make a big green salad with your favorite veggies and pile it over the top of a green salad. Its nostalgia as this is a recipe that was often on the menu at diners back in the day. This is a great way to serve this recipe as a light dinner.
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Soup Best Friend With Salad
The first dish to be introduced on what to serve with chicken salad for a luncheon is soup.
Just imagine, on a cold rainy day, staying in your home and having a hot vegetable soup with juicy flavor, and cheesiness alongside the chicken salad seems just too good to even think about.
There are two main ways to serve salad with vegetable soup. The first method is to use salad as the main dish and the soup on the side.
Or, you can also have chicken salad as an appetizer to slurp the hot soup. Whichever way, chicken salad with hot vegetable soup has always been a great combination.
Tips For Making Chicken Salad:
- You can replace the mayo with mashed avocado and sour cream for a different version.
- Reduce the calories by using Greek yogurt in place of mayonnaise.
- You can cook your own chicken breasts or thighs in the crockpot, then use an electric hand mixer to shred the chicken for this recipe.
- Use canned chicken in a pinch.
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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.
Lady Marmalade Chicken Salad
The name of the game with this Lady Marmalade Chicken Salad is pungent flavors. Every ingredient in this recipe orange marmalade, shallots, green apple, lime juice, garlic, brown mustard, curry powder, cilantro is working to pack a different punch of flavor, each of which, when married together, works to unify the dish. All of these elements are combined with creamy Greek yogurt and tender chicken for a salad that can be a stand-alone meal, but that is also great when paired with toasted bread or lettuce leaves.
Get the Recipe: Lady Marmalade Chicken Salad
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How To Make Poached Chicken
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Poached Chicken is loaded with flavor and takes just minutes to make!
If you need flavorful and tender cooked chicken breasts, this is the perfect recipe.
Boneless skinless chicken breasts are gently poached with fresh herbs and a touch of broth for the perfect juicy chicken to add to any recipe!
Poached chicken is my go to for quick and easy chicken breasts. They come out incredibly juicy and moist while taking very little effort.
I start with fresh chicken breasts and always make a few more than I need because this chicken is not only amazing, it lasts for a few days in the fridge and freezes perfectly.
Please keep in mind that this recipe is for cooking perfect tender boneless chicken breasts. If youre thinking of poaching a whole chicken, Id suggest trying Boiled Chicken for incredible results !
How To Store And Reheat The Leftovers:
Allow the leftovers to cool, then transfer to an airtight container. Store the container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
Reheat the leftovers in the microwave. Or transfer them to a baking dish, cover with foil and reheat at 275 degrees F.
If the rice has been sitting for a couple of days, add a tablespoon or two of water or broth before reheating to rehydrate it.
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