S To Make Chicken Salad:
Chicken salad is undoubtedly a classic recipe. Diced chicken is tossed with creamy textures and When I think of chicken salad, I think of summer’s own version of comfort food. Classic Chicken Salad is the perfect thing to serve for lunch, as a salad or over a bed of lettuce. It’s time to try a new spin on an old favorite. There’s definitely more than one way to make chicken salad.
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What You Need For Ultimate Chicken Salad Recipe
Simple and fresh, this chicken salad will come together quickly. Cook your chicken ahead of time or purchase an already cooked chicken to save on time. This chicken salad will become a favorite to make! The total amounts of ingredients is located in the recipe card.
- Cooked Chicken: chopped or shredded chicken is best.
- Grapes: I used red grapes, they are a bit sweeter than green. Slice in half or cut into cubes.
- Pecans: You can purchase chopped pecans for this salad.
- Green onions: I like to finely chop the green onions for a bit of a kick in each bite.
- Celery: Finely diced using a knife or a shredder.
- Mayonnaise: Do not use salad dressing, it will alter the taste.
- Juice from ½ lemon: Yes, you can use bottled.
- Dijon Mustard: Adds the perfect amount of zippy flavor to this chicken salad.
- Salt and pepper: Add to taste!
What Makes This Chicken Salad Special
The “secret sauce,” so to speak, of this chicken salad, is the tablespoon of plum preserves my mom adds to the mayo-based dressing. You could use any berry jelly or jam, but as we always have a lot of plum jam on hand , that’s what mom reaches for first.
Mom balances out the sweetness from the dab of jam with a bit of lemon juice.
The result? Wonderful!
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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.
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Poached Chicken For Salads:
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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.
The Absolute Best Way To Cook Chicken For Chicken Salad
Whether stuffed into a sandwich, piled on top of some greens, or scooped up with some crackers, it’s hard to think of a better lunchtime option than chicken salad. Typically featuring cooked chicken bound in some type of a creamy dressing that’s very often mayonnaise-based, the dish is almost infinitely customizable, with common additions including chopped apples, nuts, dried fruit, fresh herbs, and spices such as tandoori and curry blends .
If you like chicken, then it’s a safe bet that you’ve whipped up your fair share of this old standby dish over the years. But even if you’re an experienced salad maker, you may not have settled yet on the most basic aspect of the dish: How to cook the bird that’s in it. Techniques vary, with some advocating for roasting the chicken prior to chopping and dressing it and others stating that leftover grilled chicken works just fine . But there’s one cooking method to rule them all when it comes to chicken for chicken salad, according to Cook’s Illustrated, and that’s poaching.
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Ingredients For Chicken Salad
The 5 ingredients in this chicken salad are so simple, but each one is important for the best taste, texture, and color.
- Chicken we use 2 large chicken breasts from a whole roasted chicken, but you can use rotisserie chicken or sauteed chicken breasts instead. Leftover dark meat chicken will also work.
- Celery adds a great crunch to the salad and lightens up the flavor. Even if you arent a fan of celery, dont skimp on it and I hope you give it a try.
- Grapes add sweet juiciness to the salad. Just like in our Broccoli Grape Salad, the grapes are a refreshing addition and make the salad feel fancy.
- Pecans we toasted nuts on a dry skillet to give them even more flavor.
- Red onion finely chop half of a medium red onion, or you can add red onion to taste. You can also substitute for chopped green onion, but red onion keeps better refrigerated.
How To Cook & Shred Chicken For Chicken Salad
Grab a large pot, and let me show you how to make chicken worthy of being turned into an EPIC Homemade Chicken Salad.
To keep this recipe simple, I am using boneless skinless chicken breasts, but Ill show you different cuts to use later in the post.
Now lets get started!
Yes, there is more than one way to shred chicken, and you can watch this video to see which method youd like best:
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What Makes It So Delicious
So many folks have made this salad and asked us in complete sincerity: What makes this chicken salad recipe so darn delicious?
Well, there are several reasons, we believe: Here are some of the main ones:
- Roasting the chicken ensures flavorful, juicy chicken for the salad. In a pinch, you could certainly use a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket.
- The addition of seedless grapes, almonds, and fresh dill are part of what makes this dish so wonderful.
- A mix of mayonnaise, Dijon, and lemon juice adds a freshness that is just so very delicious. It all adds up to the best chicken salad sandwich you can imagine!
How Much To Serve Per Person:
If you are making for serving a large group, at a party or event, youll want to increase the amount that you make. Here is the rule of thumb that I use for how much to prepare per person.
- Sandwiches and wraps = 4 6 ounces per person
- Lettuce cups = 4 6 ounces per person
- Main dish = 8 ounces per person
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How To Make The Best Chicken Salad With Mix
Chicken salad is as versatile as the little black dress or comfy pair of jeans. You can keep it simple with a few classic add-ins or transform it into an international dish. Regardless of the mix-ins you choose, check the salt levelseasoning is crucial as you continue your quest to master how to make chicken salad from scratch.
Here are some of our favorite variations:
- Classic Chicken Salad: Add one or more of the following: ½ cup chopped celery, 1 teaspoon snipped fresh basil, ½ teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel, and/or ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions.
- Hawaiian Chicken Salad: Stir in ½ cup chopped pineapple. Before serving, stir in ¼ cup chopped macadamia nuts.
- Mediterranean Chicken Salad: Stir in ½ cup chopped marinated artichoke hearts and ¼ cup crumbled feta cheese.
- Curry Chicken Salad: This one answers the question “how to make chicken salad with grapes.” Reduce mayonnaise to ¼ cup. Stir 2 tablespoons cut-up mango chutney and 1 teaspoon curry powder into the dressing. Add ¾ cup halved red or green seedless grapes or chopped apples to the chicken salad. Before serving, stir in 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped toasted cashews or almonds.
Once you’ve mixed up the chicken salad, cover and chill it for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to blend and to thoroughly chill the ingredients. There are many ways to serve chicken salad:
How To Poach Chicken
I love to use poached chicken in this recipe as its easy, healthy, and flavorful. It also means you dont have to turn your oven on if its a hot sunny day outside. A definite bonus.
If done correctly, poaching can yield one of the most tender pieces of chicken youve ever had. To nail this every time, follow the simple steps below.
Can you use baked chicken or store-bought rotisserie chicken? Of course. While I prefer poached chicken, almost any chicken works in this recipe. Just make sure you have about four cups of diced or shredded chicken.
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How To Cook Chicken For Chicken Salad
If you are going to cook chicken specifically for chicken salad, the easiest thing to do is to poach it.
What I like to do is put a pot of 2 quarts of water and 1 tablespoon salt on to boil. As the water is heating, I cut skinless boneless chicken breasts into large chunks. When the water boils, I add the chicken, and return the pot to a simmer. Then I turn off the heat, and cover the pot and let the meat sit for 15 minutes in the hot water while I prepare everything else. Poaching chicken this way allows the chicken to cook gently, so the chicken retains more moisture.
After the chicken is finished cooking you can save the poaching liquid as light chicken broth.
Poaching aside, you can easily use any cooked chicken for this chicken saladrotisserie chicken, grilled chicken, or roasted chicken. My parents will often use leftovers from their favorite baked chicken, and even include some of the crispy skin in the salad.
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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How To Store Shredded Chicken
Shredded chicken is perfect to keep on hand in the refrigerator during the week to cut down on meal-prep time too.
- TO REFRIGERATE SHREDDED CHICKEN: Let the cooked chicken cool completely. Place in a shallow, airtight container and press a sheet of plastic against the top. Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- TO FREEZE SHREDDED CHICKEN: Follow the steps above, but instead of refrigerating, store the chicken in the freezer for up to 2 months. You can also store it in heavy duty freezer bags. Be sure to squish out as much extra air as you can.
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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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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.
Tips: Shredding Chicken With Ease
- Shred with your KitchenAid mixer! First, cut each chicken breast into 3 to 4 pieces.
- Place them into the mixing bowl and insert the paddle attachment.
- Mix at the lowest speed for about a minute, then slowly increase the speed and mix until the chicken is shredded evenly.
- This process only takes about 1 to 2 minutes.
At this point, you will want to chop all your veggies and herbs and get them ready to add to the cooked chicken. Finely chop or dice it all up and set aside until the chicken is cool.
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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.
Does Cook Time Change If I Have A Smaller Or Larger Instant Pot
- No matter which size model Instant Pot you have, the number of minutes you select on the Instant Pot remains the same.
The capacity of each Instant Pot and the amount of time the differently sized pots take to come to pressure will vary, but youll always set it for the same number of minutes, regardless of its size.
If you have a different brand other than Instant Pot and are wondering how long to cook chicken in a pressure cooker, the times listed above should still be accurate for other electric pressure cooker models.
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