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classic chicken salad recipe
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: General
Description
This chicken salad features a vibrant, smoky dressing made with roasted red peppers and smoked paprika, transforming a classic dish into an exciting, high-protein meal prep option. It’s fast to prepare and perfect for lunches or snacks.
Ingredients
- 450 g (1 lb) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 700 ml (3 cups) water or vegetable broth
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced
- 60 g (1/2 cup) red onion, finely minced
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) good quality mayonnaise
- 120 g (1/2 cup) roasted red bell peppers, drained
- 5 ml (1 tsp) smoked paprika
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) apple cider vinegar
- 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) granulated sugar
- 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) fine sea salt
- 1 ml (1/4 tsp) fresh black pepper
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Cook Chicken: Poach chicken breasts in broth for 15-20 minutes until they reach 165°F (74°C). Shred or dice the cooled chicken and set aside.
- Prepare Red Pepper Dressing: Combine roasted red peppers, half of the mayonnaise (1/4 cup), smoked paprika, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Process until completely smooth.
- Assemble Chicken Salad Base: In a large bowl, mix the cooled shredded chicken with the diced celery and minced red onion.
- Dress Salad: Add the remaining mayonnaise (1/4 cup) and half of the red pepper dressing to the chicken mixture. Stir gently until all ingredients are well combined; add additional salt and pepper to taste.
- Chill Before Serving: Cover and refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2-3 hours for best flavor development.
- Garnish and Serve: Serve the chilled chicken salad, drizzled with the remaining red pepper dressing and garnished with fresh parsley.
Notes
To reduce the sharpness of raw onion, soak the minced onion in cold water for 10 minutes before draining. For a lighter version, substitute Greek yogurt or sour cream for some of the mayonnaise. The flavors intensify significantly during chilling, so a minimum of 30 minutes in the refrigerator is essential for best results.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Poaching
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 385 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 19 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg