chicken salad

[Visiting Crazy Town]

does anyone have a good chicken salad recipe i tried some for the first time the other day and loved it but now i want to make my own


Shay

[kkl123]

What was in the one you loved?

Chicken salad is basically deboned, chopped or shredded chicken, mayonnaise and seasonings, but it can get pretty wild, depending on what you put into it.

Here's one I like:

3 lb chicken, cooked with tarragon and rosemary and skinned and deboned (I prefer to roast the chicken)
1 cup pecans, halved or coarsely broken (toasted pecans are nice, raw is fine)
1 cup dried, sweetened cranberries (=craisins)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp sweet curry powder (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
enough mayonnaise to moisten -- about 1/3 c

Mix together and let stand at least an hour before serving.

[Visiting Crazy Town]

What was in the one you loved?

Chicken salad is basically deboned, chopped or shredded chicken, mayonnaise and seasonings, but it can get pretty wild, depending on what you put into it.

Here's one I like:

3 lb chicken, cooked with tarragon and rosemary and skinned and deboned (I prefer to roast the chicken)
1 cup pecans, halved or coarsely broken (toasted pecans are nice, raw is fine)
1 cup dried, sweetened cranberries (=craisins)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp sweet curry powder (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
enough mayonnaise to moisten -- about 1/3 c

Mix together and let stand at least an hour before serving.

Thank you ,that sounds like the one tried because it also had nuts and cranberries in it

[Tabbage]

Here's an easy (and delicious) chicken salad recipe (thanks to Mom for this one).  Because the chicken is poached, rather than roasted or cooked with seasonings, it has a really "clean" taste and is very light and refreshing, rather than having a smoky or more heavily seasoned flavor.  It's particularly good for picky kids and husbands who don't like all that "weird stuff" you tend to find in today's recipes.

Ingredients:

-  Boneless, skinless chicken breasts  (If you're using the big ones, you'll get 2-3 sandwiches worth of salad per breast.)

-  Celery (One stick per chicken breast.)

-  Regular or light mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip, if you prefer.)

-  Salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions:

-  Boil chicken breasts in salted water until cooked through.  If they're really huge, you can cut them in half first.  I use a microwave-safe glass cooking dish with a vented lid to avoid boil-over.  Stove-top is just as good.

-  While chicken is boiling, chop celery (excluding leafy part) into whatever size pieces you like.

-  Let cooked chicken drain and cool to room temperature.  Tear or slice into small bite-sized chunks.  (I find that shredding it gives it a slimy texture, and that chunks work best.)

-  Mix chicken, celery, however much mayonnaise you like, and salt and pepper to taste.

-  Chill and serve!

If you really want to liven things up, I've tried adding the following items in various combinations, with or without the celery from the recipe:  sliced white grapes, golden raisins, chopped Granny Smith apples, sweet pickle relish, and diced pears.  For a seasoning boost, I've tried various curry powders, Old Bay Seasoning, or whatever "Mrs. Dash" type seasoning blend tickled my fancy that day (Lemon Pepper is particularly good).

Good luck everyone!

[Mikayla]

Tabbage, I totally second your advice to poach it.  In fact, I found a very easy way to make boneless skinless breasts taste like...well, like chicken. 

I boil them in water, but in addition to salt and lemon pepper, I add about 1/4 c of corn oil per lb of chicken.  Also, if I have celery or onion lying around I toss these in (if not, I can add them in spice form to the broth if I want - which I do).

Don't cook them too fast - maybe medium heat.  Then - here's the secret - when they're done, immediately refrigerate the whole pan.  The chicken picks more of the oil/spices and is so yummy!

Then I make the exact salad you mentioned (it ends up tasting like Boston Chicken's Salad....yumm) or I add a bit of mayo, curry powder, ginger, garlic, scallions, tarragon vinegar and apples for a curry).

Oh...and I freeze the leftover broth for when I want a quick soup with veggies or rice or whatever dumped in it. 

[Summrs]

This is by far my favorite:

5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and stripped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tb Major Grey’s chutney
2 ts curry powder
1 bunch scallions, sliced
1 small can sliced water chestnuts, drained and sliced again in half (half moons)
1 small (6 oz) can of pineapple tidbits, drained.  I can't seem to find tidbits anymore so I use pineapple chunks and cut them in half again.  You don't want crushed pineapple, though.

Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, chutney and curry powder, blend well and set aside.

Put chicken, scallions, water chestnuts and pineapple in a bowl and stir.  Fold in dressing until everything’s coated.  Serve on lettuce leaves, Chow Mein noodles or in a sandwich.

[Shores]

I had the BEST chicken salad once and it had grapes in it... I can't seem to google the right recipe. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks in advance!

[chigger]

Add a little horseradish to basic chicken salad.  My former boss did that and she always sold out.  Years later when I managed a pub, I made it like that and people would line up for it. Don't want to put very much in, tho.

[SkylerY]

This is my mother's recipe, which I love.  I think her special touches are the bell peppers, Old Bay seasoning, and almonds.  Using green onions instead of regular really makes a difference, too.

Ingredients

1 pkg boneless chicken breasts (about 1 lb or 4 breasts)
1-2 eggs
1/4 to 1/2 a bell pepper (red or green), chopped
To taste: onion, chopped (Green onions are good. They are not so strong.)
celery, chopped
slivered almonds
salt & pepper
Old Bay
and any other spice you may want.
mayonnaise

Directions

In large skillet, cook chicken breasts with a bit of water, salt, and pepper, first on high then bring down to medium-low and let cook covered for a while.

Boil the eggs for about 10 minutes, (roll on 5.)

Cut up the chicken into pieces, and process to desired consistency in food processor. Shell eggs and grate.

Chop onions, celery, and bell pepper.

Mix all of the above in large bowl.

Mix in almonds, black pepper, Old Bay, and any other desired spices.

Stir in mayonnaise, one large spoon at a time, until desired consistency is acquired.

Keep leftovers chilled.

Two hints: Make you sure that you season the chicken when you cook it.
Also, be careful of really strong onions. They can ruin a salad.

[DottyG]

This is by far my favorite:

5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and stripped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tb Major Grey’s chutney
2 ts curry powder
1 bunch scallions, sliced
1 small can sliced water chestnuts, drained and sliced again in half (half moons)
1 small (6 oz) can of pineapple tidbits, drained.  I can't seem to find tidbits anymore so I use pineapple chunks and cut them in half again.  You don't want crushed pineapple, though.

Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, chutney and curry powder, blend well and set aside.

Put chicken, scallions, water chestnuts and pineapple in a bowl and stir.  Fold in dressing until everything’s coated.  Serve on lettuce leaves, Chow Mein noodles or in a sandwich.

Exactly the recipe I was going to post.   It's my favorite as well.  I don't put pineapple in mine, though.

[blarg314]

I like it with some chopped cucumber and onion and use plain yoghurt for the dressing, seasoned with cumin, coriander, a little bit of garlic, some chopped mint or cilantro, a squeeze of lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste - it's good in  pitas.

[green ferns]

Here's one I've been making recently. Sorry I'm not clear on the quantities--I just kind of wing it. (no pun intended )

I do shred the chicken (slice it across the grain & pull it apart) instead of cubing it, which makes it pretty moist.

Chicken
Celery
Mayo (not Miracle Whip)
Sliced or slivered almonds
Craisins (dried sweetened cranberries)

[beakiebean]

This is my favorite chicken salad. I love it in a hollowed out wheat roll. The cool whip/miracle whip combo sounds disgusting but after sitting for a day the flavors mix together and taste wonderful. I've made this in the morning and eaten it for supper so you don't have to wait overnight but definitely let it chill for 6-8 hours.

Chicken Salad

1 ½ cups Cool Whip
1 ½ cups Miracle Whip
2 cups mandarin oranges
½ cup grated onion
1 cup chopped celery
Salt, pepper, and garlic to taste
1 T lemon juice            
2 cups halved red seedless grapes
Slivered almonds (optional)         
4 chicken breasts, cooked and finely chopped

Mix cool whip and miracle whip together. Add rest of ingredients.  Add grapes and oranges last and mix gently.  Make a day ahead.

Becca