Chicken salad is unquestionably a classic dish. Diced chicken is mixed with creamy textures and topped with fresh grapes, celery, and green onion.
My version, on the other hand, includes a little bit more to make it the ideal chicken salad dish. It's quick, healthful, colorful, and savory, and it'll make any summer dinner a breeze.
CHICKEN SALAD INGREDIENTS
While the ingredients are simple, how their distinct flavors blend together is crucial. This is what I use:
- Chicken Breast
- Mayonnaise
- Dijon Mustard
- Red Grapes
- Celery
- Green Onion
- Toasted Almonds
- Parsley
- Tarragon
- Lemon Juice
- Salt and Pepper
HOW TO POACH CHICKEN
This dish calls for poached chicken, which is simple, healthful, and delectable. It also eliminates the need to turn on your oven on a hot, sunny day. A significant advantage.
Poaching may produce some of the most delicate pieces of chicken you've ever tasted if done correctly. Follow the easy steps below to nail this every time.
- Put the chicken breasts in a large pot or skillet, making sure they are not overlapping or crowded.
- Pour cold water over the chicken. To add flavor to the water, season it with a pinch of salt.
- Bring the water slowly to a medium simmer. Then turn the heat back down to low and cover the pan.
- Let the chicken boil for 10 minutes. Remember that patience is essential in this low and slow procedure!
- Check to check whether your chicken is done. Turn off the heat if the inside temperature reaches 160-165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Let the chicken rest for a minute or two after removing it from the pot. The chicken fluids will be redistributed as a result of this.
- Chill the chicken in the refrigerator. This is critical because the recipe calls for cold chicken.
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN SALAD
Now that you have perfectly soft chicken breasts, it's time to put together the salad. And there are just three stages to it:
- Toast ½ cup almonds in a skillet over medium heat. Let them cool to room temperature.
- Chop and cut the chicken breasts into little ½-inch pieces first. The grapes should be quartered, the celery, parsley, and tarragon diced, and the green onion sliced.
- Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing basin and stir until thoroughly blended. Season with salt and pepper for great taste, and you're ready to serve!
Chicken salad tastes best when served cold. Thus, chill the mixture in the fridge before serving. This also helps all of the tastes blend together for the best flavor salad.\
CHICKEN SALAD VARIATIONS
Apart from the specified components, you have a few texture and flavor options to experiment with.
- Change up the nuts. Replace the almonds with pecans or walnuts.
- Combine the fruits. You may use chopped apples, dried cranberries, or dried cherries for the grapes.
- Replace the onions. If green onions aren't your thing, use finely sliced red onions.
- Increase the creaminess. Replace the mayo with greek yogurt or half and half.
HOW TO SERVE IT
Because it's so delicious, I'll eat this chicken salad with the spoonful right out of the dish. Here are some suggestions for turning it into dinner.
- Layer layers of lettuce, spinach, or tomato slices between sandwich bread.
- Use handmade cassava flour tortillas to make a wrap.
- Wrap it in big romaine or butter leaf lettuce for a lighter, lower-carb alternative.
- Spoon a teaspoon over a bed of greens like spinach.
- Serve with flax seed crackers or chips as a dip.
HOW LONG DOES CHICKEN SALAD LAST?
Because this is a chilled dish, don't keep it out at room temperature for more than two hours. Alternatively, keep it in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.
ULTIMATE CHICKEN SALAD RECIPE
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ½ cup sliced raw almonds
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 cup red grapes, quartered
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 3 green onions (green and white parts), sliced
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon
- 1 lemon , juiced (about 3 tablespoons)
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
TO POACH THE CHICKEN
- Place the chicken breasts in a wide pot or pan and cover by about an inch with cold water. Season the water with salt. Optionally, you can add aromatics of your choice. Read my poached chicken recipe for more details.
- Turn the heat to medium until it reaches a gentle simmer. Then reduce the heat back to low and cover the pan. Let the chicken simmer for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F to 165°F. Remove the chicken and let it rest for a couple of minutes. Then chill in the fridge.
CHICKEN SALAD RECIPE
- Transfer the cooled chicken to a cutting board and dice it into ½-inch pieces.
- Slice and dice the celery, green onion, grapes, parsley and tarragon. Add those ingredients to a mixing bowl along with the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.
- Mix everything together until it's well combined. Let it chill in the fridge until you're ready to serve.
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