Chicken Salad Recipes

The first chicken salad was created in 1863 in Wakefield, RI. It was the brainchild of the founder of Town Meats, Liam Gray, who somehow thought it would be a good idea to mix leftover chicken with mayonnaise, tarragon and grapes.

The product was a huge hit. In fact, it was so popular that the meat market went on to become a delicatessen famous for serving the dish.

The recipe was further popularized in the fabulous 50’s. The timeless classic chicken salad recipe was a staple from that decade and the Ladies Who Lunched.

The dish remains popular today due to the health benefits it provides as well as the wide range of options you can choose from when preparing it.

Chicken is known to be one of the healthiest, leanest meats around. It is packed with protein, calcium and phosphorus. It can aid in weight loss, boost immunity, promote healthy bones and work as a stress reliever.

There are several variations on the chicken salad recipe. For lower fat options, you can substitute the mayo with a lower fat version or even use Greek yogurt. You can also add a variety of healthy ingredients like fruits, vegetables, nuts, scallops…. and the list goes on!

When thinking of how to serve chicken salad, there are also a variety of choices there as well. It can be added to a salad with any number of other ingredients or made into a sandwich that includes wheat bread, rye or even a bagel.

While we could have put any chicken salad recipe on our site, we chose to pay homage to the classic recipes of the 1950s. Not dry, not filled with fruit salad…this is the real deal.

Back when they served chicken salad in perfectly cored tomatoes, presentation and taste were done to perfection. We’ve upped the game by serving it in butter croissants.

From shredding the chicken breast by hand, to adding just the right amount of mayo with hard boiled eggs…this recipe is worthy of the finest women’s club menu offerings.

Classic Chicken Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked shredded chicken, cold
1 cup chopped celery
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup real mayonnaise
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

Directions:

1. Mix chicken, celery, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

2. Add mayonnaise, mix well.

3. Fold in chopped eggs, blending throughout.

4. Serve on croissants, soft rolls, in a hollowed out tomato, or on a bed of crisp lettuce leaves.