Chicken Salad Recipes
Chances are that you have created various chicken salad recipes with a leftover chicken before, right? Well, get ready to experience this backyard favorite in a whole new manner.
Most people first taste those tried and true chicken salad recipes in the form of a lunchbox sandwich. Mothers all around the world seem to have gotten together in order to concoct that dry, boring, salad filled with mayonnaise and bits of broiled chicken. As a result, many adults can hardly stand the look of this salad, let alone make it for their own families. Well, even though mom may have tried her best, there is another way to make this dish...and it happens to be moist, tasty, and delicious.
First of all, get the idea of using that old leftover chicken out of your head. Instead, purchase a whole chicken from the freshest butcher that you can find. Then, submerge the entire thing in a bath of salt water overnight. The saltwater will add moisture to the meat, which will stick with the meat until it hits that salad plate (no more dry chicken!). The next day, take the chicken out of the water and pat it dry. Then season the bird with salt, pepper, and paprika, and toss it into the oven at 200 degrees until it is done.
Once the chicken is done, remove the meat from the bones and allow it to cool. Meanwhile, mix one cup of mayonnaise with one good squeeze of lemon. Then, add one chopped onion, one chopped bell pepper, a dash of paprika, and one chopped tomato to a bowl. Add the chicken to the mixture tossing it all together well. If you want a bit of an extra kick, fry some bacon while you are mixing the chicken and add it to the bowl. As soon as you take the first bite of this dish, you will know that this is anything but your mother’s recipe. Chicken salad recipes were meant to be experimented with, so go ahead and add anything you like.
Other great additions to this dish include bits of avocado, chopped grapes, cheese, and chopped nuts. Some people also enjoy the taste of a couple chopped apples.
The most important part of all the chicken salad recipes that you will come across is the bird itself. Remember to brine, roast, and then add it to your favorite salad dish.