This chicken salad is made from tender, juicy roasted chicken breast shredded with celery and sweet pickle relish, mixed together with creamy mayonnaise and a splash of sweet pickle juice and a sprinkle of paprika for good measure.
Do you like chicken salad? If you do, you will love this roasted chicken salad recipe I am about to share with you.
I can remember watching my mama make chicken salad when I was a child. She used a metal hand-held chopper to chop up the celery and pickles. The chopper looked kind of like a biscuit cutter with sharp scalloped edges. She gave me the chopper to try once or twice. I thought it was fun to chop!
Once she had the chicken salad all mixed together and into the serving dish, she would sprinkle it with paprika. I asked her what the paprika was for and what it tasted like, her reply was: “It doesn’t have a taste. It just makes it look pretty”.
I think this was my first memory of what the presentation was.
Ingredients Needed
- Whole split chicken breast , bone-in, skin on
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- Chopped celery
- Chopped sweet pickles
- Mayonnaise
- Paprika and/or parsley flakes for garnish
How To Make Roasted Chicken Salad
- Preheat the oven.
- Rub the chicken with oil and seasone with salt and pepper.
- Roast until done then allow the chicken to cool.
- Shred with your fingers or chop the chicken into chunks.
- Mix the shredded chicken with chopped sweet pickles and celery. Add one tablespoon of mayonnaise at a time to the chicken and relish, stirring well between each addition.
- Continue to add the mayonnaise until the chicken salad becomes the desired consistency you prefer.
- Serve with crackers or make into a sandwich with toasted bread.
Tips for Making the Recipe
- PICKLE JUICE – Once I get the roasted chicken salad to the consistency I want, I then add a little (about 1 tablespoon) pickle juice for good measure and a wee bit extra flavor and twang.
- SHORT CUT – use store-prepared rotisserie chicken to save time!
- PROPORTIONS – I usually add about 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise to 2 cups of chicken and relish. A lot depends on how much chicken is rendered from the chicken breasts, and your personal preference.
I hope you enjoy this roasted chicken salad and don’t forget to sprinkle it with paprika and love!
Roasted Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 2 split chicken breast 1-whole, bone-in, skin on*
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ cup celery 2 stalks, chopped
- ½ cup sweet pickles chopped
- 2-4 tablespoons mayonnaise such as Sir Kensington’s Mayonnaise or flavored mayonnaise
- paprika or parsley flakes for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a sheet pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
- Place the chicken breasts, skin side up, on the prepared sheet pan; rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until done. Allow the chicken to cool.
- When the chicken is cool, remove and discard the skin and bones. Shred with your fingers or chop the chicken into chunks, as desired; place the chicken into a medium mixing bowl.
- Add the chopped sweet pickles and celery. Add one tablespoon of Sir Kensington's Mayonnaise at a time to the chicken and relish, stirring well between each addition**. Continue to add the mayonnaise until the chicken salad becomes the desired consistency you prefer. Once I get the roasted chicken salad to the consistency I want, I then add a little (about 1 tablespoon) pickle juice for good measure and a wee bit extra flavor and twang.
- Serve with crackers or make into a sandwich with toasted bread.
Notes
** I usually add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise to 2 cups of chicken and relish. A lot depends on how much chicken is rendered from the chicken breasts, and your personal preference.
Annie says
I want to win this!!! Looks YUMMY! And why the hell have I never put pickles in my chicken salad?!?! You just blew my mind. Lol.
The Mountain Kitchen says
Really Annie?!?! Wow!! Never had chicken salad without pickles!! This mayo is amazing. David grilled some chix thighs last night and we used the chipotle mayo…OMG! Enter to win!! Good luck!!
Sarah says
Those mayo’s look amazing!!!
The Mountain Kitchen says
They are Sarah. Please enter to win! Good luck!!
Taylor Closet says
The first thing I would make is a nice tuna fish sandwich.
The Mountain Kitchen says
Hi Taylor! It’s excellent in tuna fish too! Good luck!! 🙂
judigraber says
I love chicken salad, especially with roasted chicken. I’ve been making my own Sriracha mayo for some time to put on burgers, blts and other sandwiches.
The Mountain Kitchen says
Yum Judi! You just made me hungry!!
Michelle says
I love chicken salad and these specialty mayos sound like a real treat! ?
I love cooking memories too-
Thanks for sharing at Fiesta Friday #142!
Michelle
The Mountain Kitchen says
Thanks Michelle. Sorry for the delayed response. I found this comment inside my spam folder, yikes!
Patrons of the Pit says
I’ve entered the mayonnaise melee. I like mayonnaise. I never noticed there were two ‘n”s in mayonnaise tho. Boy, the things you learn in the blogosphere.
A high five to your mountain man. Just cuz!
Cheers
PotP
The Mountain Kitchen says
Glad you entered! This stuff will knock your socks off! My mountain man high fives you back and has gone into DTs from no grilling or smoking meat in weeks!!!!
Jillian Too says
First, I’d use the Chipotle to make a chicken salad. Then I would experiment with it on a meatloaf panini.
The Mountain Kitchen says
Sounds wonderful Jillian!