Can someone tell me how to make chicken salad?

[kateash]

I am curious on how to make chicken salad. I am talking about the kind you get from the deli.
Every time I go to look up a recipe for it, it brings up salad with chicken. Which I already know how to make that.

 

[DancingLady]

I think smaller chunks are better because they are easier to eat. Celery has all those strings of fiber which can be difficult to chew because they are just so tough. I like to let the knife do most of the work for me and chop the celery into little pieces.

 

[GadgetGuy]

The small chunks have it!!!

 

[Berties]

In Delis and sandwich shops in the UK there are a few chicken sandwich fillings
A chicken,chicken coronation and tikka,
All cut small,All bound in mayonnaise
But to me I would be looking to add flavour at every stage
I would roast a whole bird stuff flavourings under the skin garlic a favoured herb,a lemon in the cavity ,roast the bird and divide while hot,keep the brown meat for other uses,rest he breasts chop up and cool,coat well in either homemade Mayo it's easier than you think or a good bought Mayo now the fun bit what flavour you like ,a little chopped roasted garlic,lemon,marjoram,smoked paprika to name a few the flavour is up to you

 

[GadgetGuy]

It's pretty much made like tuna, ham or egg salad, to me.

 

[Pat]

I like small pieces of celery in both my chicken salad and potatoe salad. I add pickles, onions and chopped green peppers to my mix and a little mayo. I don't care for mayo so I add just enough to keep the items together.

 

[winterybella]

If it has celery, it has to be small chunks. Mayo, parsley,grated onion, a pinch of salt, and sugar (optional). I saw a recipe recently that called for seedless green grapes and sour cream. It seemed reasonable enough to me. I don't make it myself but my sister-in-law makes a wonderful one.

 

[Morning Glory]

I'm allergic to mayo but I substitute a teaspoon or so of Dijon mustard mixed with thick Greek style yoghurt to make a dressing. This saves a shed load of calories too! Simply adding some curry powder or chilli powder and Garam Masala produces an interesting spicy sauce for chicken.

 

[OhioTom76]

In it's simplest form, for me it's just mayo, chopped or shredded chicken, celery, onion, salt and pepper. I make it a point to try and dry out the chicken as much as possible though because I hate it when too much moisture gets into the mayo causing it to become loose and milky instead of rich and creamy.

Most of the time though, I will also add in some spicy brown mustard, a little sugar to balance out the sourness of the mustard, and perhaps some additional herbs such as chives and dill. I also enjoy throwing in some chopped toasted walnuts, since they go really well with the mayo. Not to mention, walnuts have a naturally occurring form of MSG in them which enhances the flavor of the chicken salad overall.

If you prefer shredded chicken in your chicken salad, a trick I've been seeing recently is to simply add the chicken to your stand mixer, and use the bread attachment on them. It shreds the chicken evenly and quickly, much faster than you could do it by hand. I'm usually more partial to the shredded chicken salad, since I think the strands hold everything together better. I don't like biting into large chunks of chicken salad , which in turn end up falling out of the sandwich I have it in, and getting all over me.

 

[winterybella]

I have a way of making things mentioned here especially things I have been meaning to make for a while: chicken salad is one of them. Maybe this weekend I will give it a go. I might just add a little bit of mustard and definitely some white pepper and I do prefer shredded breast.

Like OhioTom76, I don't like chunks of chicken in my salad.

 

[purplepen88]

One of my all time go to sandwiches is chicken salad. I use Hellman's mayo, finely chopped onion, and celery, salt, pepper and a dash of garlic powder. Delicious!

 

[ReadmeByAmy]

My recipe for my chicken salad is only simple.....shredded chicken, mayo, sweetened pickle relish, chopped white onions, grated cheese and a dash of salt and white pepper to taste. I do not use celery for my chicken salad.

 

[Rosyrain]

I make a very good chicken salad. In a large bowl mix chicken breast chunks, chopped onion, chopped celery, pecan pieces, apple bits, salt, pepper, ranch dressing, and mayo to taste. Mix this all together and put it on a tortilla along with romaine lettuce and your favorite cheese shreds. I also eat my chicken salad with crackers as well if I do not have tortillas.

 

[MyExWasAChef]

Small chunks and be generous about it.

For me a good chicken salad is about the dressing. Greek is good, ranch not so much if you're trying to have less fats in your diet (mayo is great in small amounts) but the best option for me was always oil-based dressing particularly olive oil. Get some balsamic vinegar, rosemary, thyme, salt, garlic and mix it all up to make your own dressing. Arugula in your salad also adds a little character with its bitterness.

 

[Corzhens]

We seldom make chicken salad but I still remember the ingredients. The boiled chicken is cut into cubes or depending on your discretion. The boiled potato (not too soft) is also sliced into smaller cubes but a bit bigger than the chicken meat. Pickle relish is not to be forgotten because it gives the spike to the salad. And lastly, the secret of my mother so that children will eat the chicken salad is the inclusion of cubed apples. And for the question of this thread, the celeries are cut like dimes, very thin but round. That shape of celery would enhance the appearance of the salad.