Chicken salad is a great dish to make that requires only a few select ingredients, and it can be prepared in a very short amount of time. It goes well in sandwiches and wraps but is also tasty on its own. Check out this simple chicken salad recipe, as well as some ways to vary it up:
Basic Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- One tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups chopped chicken
- 1/2 cup blanched slivered almonds
- One stalk celery chopped
- 1/2 cup of diced pimentos
- Sour cream (optional)
Directions:
- In a frying pan, toast the almonds over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning.
- In a mixing bowl, add the mayonnaise, lemon juice and pepper, then mix in the chicken, toasted almonds, celery and pimentos.
- Add salt to taste. If you feel like adding sour cream, it will contrast the greasiness of the mayonnaise while adding more flavor and texture to the chicken salad.
Ways To Spice Up Your Chicken Salad
Once you’ve got the basic chicken salad recipe down, you can broaden your horizons and add different ingredients to elevate the flavor. Fruits such as raisins, cranberries and grapes add a nice touch of sweetness to the dish. Replacing part of the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt keeps the creamy texture while also providing a healthier alternative.
Curry Chicken Salad Recipe
This recipe combines yogurt with mayonnaise and adds green onions and raisins to deliver a heftier chicken salad with a wider flavor palate. A key ingredient is the curry powder, which gives your dish a nice flavor of Indian cuisine. The recipe takes a little longer to prepare, but the end result is more than worth it.
Chinese Chicken Salad
Chinese chicken salad adds cabbage, soy sauce, sesame oil and Mandarin oranges to the mix while foregoing mayonnaise. The ginger, sugar and chili add a nice diverse range of flavors and the absence of the creamy ingredients give this chicken salad a lighter feel while still full of flavor.
Middle Eastern Chicken Salad
Greek yogurt tahini and za’atar are the game-changing spices in a MiddleEastern chicken salad. The almonds and carrots add some nice texture while the chopped cilantro compliments the yogurt and za’atar spice very nicely. This chicken salad has a very fresh taste as opposed to the powerful spices of the previous variations.
Best Ways To Eat Chicken Salad
Chicken salad is classically served in sandwich form or in wraps, but it also goes well when put on crackers or crostinis, or as a nice filling for lettuce wraps. Cutting an avocado in half and scooping some chicken salad into the middle makes for a very filling treat as well. Chicken salad is also great on its own as a side dish for summer barbecues.
