She Strengthens

Elevate Your Picnic Game with a Fresh Take on Chicken Salad

When it comes to deli counter staples, chicken salad is often a letdown – a bland, mayo-drenched mess. But what if you could create a game-changing version that’s bursting with flavor and texture? Look no further!

The Ultimate Chicken Salad Recipe

This recipe is all about customization. Feel free to get creative with an array of dried or fresh fruits, nuts, herbs, and spices to create a unique flavor profile that will impress your picnic pals.

Streamline Your Prep Time

To minimize prep time, chop and measure the ingredients while the chicken is cooking and cooling. You can even prepare the chicken up to 2 days in advance and assemble the remaining ingredients at the last minute. For a quick fix, use pre-cooked rotisserie chicken and skip the cooking step altogether.

Get Started with These Essentials

Before you begin, make sure you have the following ingredients ready to go:

• Homemade mayonnaise (yes, it makes a difference!)
• Dried Cherry Mustard or Whole-Grain Dijon Mustard
• Kaiser rolls or your favorite artisanal bread

The Recipe

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Difficulty: Easy
Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
Active Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 bone-in chicken breast (about 1 pound)
• 1 whole chicken leg (thigh and drumstick, about 3/4 pound)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon Dried Cherry Mustard or Whole-Grain Dijon Mustard
• 1/3 cup roasted, salted almonds, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup small-dice celery (from 1 stalk)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot (from 1/2 of a small shallot)
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
• 4 to 6 kaiser rolls or sandwich-sized slices of focaccia or ciabatta bread (optional)
• Bibb, Boston, or iceberg lettuce (optional)

Cooking the Chicken

Heat your oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Rub the chicken with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F, about 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the baking sheet to a cutting board and let rest until cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes.

Assembling the Salad

When the chicken is ready, remove the meat from the bone, discarding the skin, cartilage, and fat. Tear the meat into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, almonds, cherries, celery, shallot, and thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Stir to evenly combine, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about 1 hour.

Serve and Enjoy!

If serving as sandwiches, divide the chicken salad among the bread/rolls and top with lettuce. Your picnic pals will thank you!