Easy Chicken Salad

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One of the most popular foods consumed in the US and all over the world is the humble, yet mighty, Chicken Salad! The quality of this famous dish varies so unbelievably depending on the caliber of the deli you are getting it from that we have had enough. So, we’ve created our own version and let me tell you, this Easy Chicken Salad Recipe blows all the Deli recipes out of the water!

The key to a great Chicken Salad: It’s gotta be fresh

That must be the biggest gamble when buying your Chicken Salad at a deli. You really have no idea how long it’s been sitting there. It is also challenging to really tell how fresh the Chicken Salad is, because the thing is typically completely drowned in Mayonnaise

It’s a gamble every time you order that Chicken Salad Sandwich we know! The beauty about making your own Chicken Salad Recipe from scratch is you can guarantee the freshness

Poaching the Chicken enables you to infuse all kinds of yummy flavors

To make our Easy Chicken Salad the trickiest step is the poaching of the Chicken. It is also a super simple step, which shows you just how easy this meal is! Literally boil some water, place the Chicken in there, cover and turn off the heat! It is as simple as that. The fun part of the poaching process is you can add whatever flavors you like to the poaching liquid to enrich the flavor of the Chicken

For this recipe we’re keeping is simple with a simple Salt and Black Peppercorn poach. If you want more of a herbaceous flavor to the Chicken a great addition to the poaching liquid would be fresh Herbs. Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, and even Mint are great options. Depending on your preference you can experiment with all kinds of yummy flavors

Another delicious flavor to infuse if you are game is to replace the Black Peppercorns with Szechuan Peppercorns. This beautiful ingredient adds a lovely tingly sensation to the dish. Well worth a try!

Our secret ingredient for our Easy Chicken Salad Recipe that transforms the flavor

So, everyone knows Mayonnaise is a key ingredient in a Chicken Salad right? Well, of course we agree, and our recipe is no different. However, instead of using regular Mayonnaise like a Hellman’s or likeminded brands like that, we use Japanese Kewpie Mayonnaise!

The Japanese Kewpie Mayonnaise has a much sweeter taste than its traditional Mayo counterpart. It is slightly less tangy and less salty too. If you are concerned that you’ll miss that beautiful tangy flavor you expect from a good Chicken Salad, then the next secret ingredient has you covered!

Ok, one more secret ingredient: Wholegrain Mustard

Perhaps a ‘not so secret’ secret ingredient. However, essential to the recipe and brilliant when paired with Kewpie Mayonnaise is good quality Wholegrain Mustard. The beautiful, sharp tangy flavor adds a fantastic dimension to this recipe

For this recipe we’re recommending adding 1 tbsp. of Wholegrain Mustard, however, feel free to add a little more to suit your taste. If you want a super tangy taste then add a little more. We would simply recommend adding smaller quantities at a time, mixing through then tasting before adding any more

Optional extras: Celery or Apple

For some added color, tartness, and healthy stuff you can add Celery and / or Green Apple as optional additions. This really comes down to personal preference. Honestly I know celery is a bit of a mainstay when it comes to Chicken Salad, but we’ve found it doesn’t add much other than texture to the dish. The inclusion of Red Onions in our recipe gives that lovely texture, but if you’re a purist then our Easy Chicken Salad recipe will surely be fine with some Celery as an inclusion!

Finely diced Green Apple tastes great in this recipe. It adds a beautiful tartness which does marry quite well with the sweetness of the Mayonnaise and sharp tanginess of the Mustard

Easy Chicken Salad Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 Chicken Breasts
• ½ Red Onion, finely diced
• 1 tbsp. Wholegrain Mustard
• ¼ cup Japanese Kewpie Mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp. Parsley, finely chopped
• 3 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Black Peppercorns, whole
• 1 tsp. Pepper
• Optional: 1 Celery Stick, finely chopped
• Optional: 1 Green Apple, finely diced
  
  

Instructions

1. Add 4 cups of Boiling Water to a medium sized saucepan along with 2 tsp. of Salt and the Black Peppercorns. Add the Chicken Breasts, ensuring they are fully submerged in the water. Cover and turn off the heat. If the Chicken is not submerged, add more boiling water before covering
2. Leave the Chicken to poach for 30 minutes until it is lovely and tender and can be shredded. Drain the Chicken then set aside to cool
3. In a large Salad Bowl combine the Mayonnaise, Wholegrain Mustard, 1 tsp. of Salt, and 1 tsp. Pepper. Whisk well to combine
4. Once the Chicken has cooled, shred the chicken into pieces by hand. This is quite easy to do, just follow the natural grain of the Chicken as you are shredding it into small pieces
5. Place the Shredded Chicken into the Salad bowl along with the Red Onion, Parsley and (optional), Celery and Green Apple. Mix well to combine then serve immediately
   
   

This Easy Chicken Salad recipe is the perfect sandwich filler for lunch. It’s super cost effective, so instead of spending $10 a day at the deli for a mediocre Chicken Salad Sandwich, whip up a batch of this recipe and you can eat a much cheaper, much tastier lunch every day of the week!

For more delicious Lunch ideas head over to our Lunching on Leftovers page. It’s a page where we take leftovers from some of our tasty dinner dishes and turn them into something special. A few of our favorites are these ones:

• Chipotle Chicken Quesadilla
• Vegetable Curry Naan Wrap
• Fish Croquettes
• California Breakfast Burrito
  
  

Happy Cooking!