Sometimes I add dried cranberries.

Not all at once of course.....but...pineapple bits, pecans, walnuts, pistachios almond slices, dried cranberries, dried bits of apricots. Sundried tomato, olives, green onion, celery, mango chutney....
That's all I can think of now.
Linda C

I had a wonderful chicken salad this past Saturday that was curry spiced and had bits of mango in it. Delightful!

Alexa

Very simple, chopped chicken, diced celery, sliced green onions, a little mayo and a sprinkle of seasoning salt, dry mustard and paprika

Chopped roasted sweet pepper.

We have put in just about everything that has been mentioned above. Love curried chicken salad with grapes. Yumm. NancyLouise

Mayo with salt, pepper, and crushed rosemary. As well as those above, especially with nuts.

I make my chicken salad usually with diced apples, mayo, curry powder, walnuts, celery and and raisins.

I ate a chicken salad once at a wedding shower, loved it and haven't been able to replicate it since. The hostess was vague, telling me it was her mother's recipe. A whole chicken, poached in water with aromatics, skinned, pulled off the bone and put through a food grinder (white and dark meat). Mayo, of course. But she didn't elaborate on the rest. I don't know if it had celery or onions or pickles or what kind of herbs/spices. Everything was all ground up.

The texture was fantastic, and the flavor even better. It was a cold sandwich filling, on white bread with the crusts trimmed.

seagrass

I make a chicken sandwich sort of salad....which is chicken poached in a court boullion. Onion, salt and pepper,celery carrots, bay leaf and lots of parsley ( I use the stems.) chicken poached, cooled and pulled off the bone, ground ( I do a very quick pulse in the food processor) and mixed with Hellman's mayo and lots of chopped celery and fresh lemon juice. About 1/4 as much celery as chicken.
I am always asked for the recipe....duh....chicken, mayo, celery and lemon juice!

One of my favorite chicken salad's is from local bbq, Miss Myra's.

She smokes her chicken, shreds it, then adds mayo, tad bit of onion, and finely chopped celery.

Buy it by the cup and eat it with crackers and served with a pickle spear.

I start with roasted chicken breast(with skin and bones), cool then chop.

#1 Chicken, dried cherries, lots of celery, pecans the dressing is mayo, soy sauce, powdered ginger, ground pepper

#2 Chicken, sliced green onions and chopped fresh parsley, salt, pepper and mayo...use enough onion and parsley to make the salad almost green.

I made major poundage of both types when we had the deli and never had to throw any away. Let me know if you want actual recipes.

Nancy

My friend told me she never makes chicken salad without a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

I add a few drops of that forgotten seasoning, Angostura aromatic bitters. Works well with mayonnaise type recipes including cole slaw. Also, add a few drops to your next pumpkin pie recipe. Makes a difference.

Thanks Nandina, after reviewing their website, I'm going to grab a bottle the next time I'm shopping!

One favorite in this house is lemon basil chicken salad. Perfect in the summer when you have basil overload.

Ingredients
4 cups diced cooked chicken
1 rib minced celery
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine chicken, celery, basil and almonds. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add to chicken mixture, tossing gently to coat. Cover and chill.

Here is a link that might be useful: Lemon Basil chicken salad.

I like sour cream in mine too! Not least because I can put the chicken in the sour cream container, put the lid on, and shake to mix it. I bet that would be great with the lemon zest added in too.

I like toasted nuts, most any kind of dried or fresh fruit, and/or sauteed onions.

Diced apple
Green onion
Celery
Mayo
Plain yogurt
A little sugar and some cinnamon

Stuff it in a pita pocket with some Bibb lettuce

Mine is always pretty basic, always with fruit and nuts. Diced chicken, pecans (or whatever nuts I have), apples (or grapes or dried fruit), celery, mayo and Spike or curry powder, maybe some chutney...depending on the day.

I never would have thought of bitters...have to try that.

When it comes to chicken salad, I'm open to any variation on the basic recipe. The most important thing to me is WHO makes it. I don't order chicken salad sandwich when out to eat... because even one LITTE BIT of unwanted chicken stuff totally spoils it for me.

My Aunt and SIL both make really good CS... and I KNOW they feel the same way about ONLY finding 100% chicken iin it. I feel the same way about crab... love it, but ONE bit of shell/cartlidge and I'm DONE!!

People in my area of the South are rather picky about their chicken salad, as in we won't eat just any chicken salad. I very seldom order it when eating out and prefer my own homemade or that of my mom, sister, or someone I know well.

One area antiques fair had a good recipe that involved a cooked salad dressing, fresh lemon juice, and a little mayo. I can post this if anyone is interested.

Another good recipe combines dried apricots and a Dijon mustard mayonnaise. It has been a while since I made this one, but I remember it as being very good.

Teresa

Every year at this time, I make sure to start a big jar of salt preserved Meyer lemons in the refrigerator. When these are ready, I love to add a spoonfull of minced, preserved lemon to my chicken salad. It really brightens it up. I also love to add preserved lemon to shrimp salads with lots of fresh dill too...yum!

teresa_nc7, would you mind sharing your recipe for chicken salad. I, too, am from the South. My Alabama grandmother used to make the most wonderful chicken salad; I've tried to duplicate without luck. If you don't want to post, would you mind sending an e-mail to me, please.

teresa nc7 - I would also be quite interested in the cooked dressing as I think that might be what was on the ground chicken salad the hostess wouldn't give me the recipe for at my SIL's shower!!

Thanks,

seagrass

I'll post the recipe for the cooked dressing chicken salad tonight.

Teresa

Instead of mayo or sour cream I use cream cheese, chopped chives, celery and chopped cashews. You can lighten it with a bit of plain yogurt if it's too thick for you.

Steve

I like almost all chicken salad except the mushy, too mayonnaised kind.

To me, a good chicken salad has sweet, salty, crunchy, smooth, tart and a little unusual, flavors and textures.

Generally, I like it best with grilled/smoked chicken, dried cherries, toasted nuts, sour cream, mayo, onion, grapes, herbs, honey, mustard and seeds.

What a joy to find so many delightfully yummy ideas! I must be a dull cook. I want to experiment with each idea and try every recipe, so please post your recipes so we may all share. Thank you! Thank you! Happy cooking.

Back in 2010 we had a chicken salad discussion right here on this forum, so I was able to c/p my recipes from then into now!

This is the chicken salad that was served for years at the annual Antique Show in Salisbury, NC. I think it is the only recipe my dear MIL ever used.

Cook two large hens (5-6 pounds each) until tender, cool, and cut white meat in large pieces, dark meat into smaller bits. Mix with the cooked dressing that has been cooled and let stand overnight.

Cooked Dressing:
2 TB flour
2 TB sugar
2 t. salt
2 TB butter
2 eggs, beaten
2 t. dry mustard
1 cup water
1/2 cup vinegar

Mix dry ingredients; make a paste with part of the water. Then add in the eggs and remaining liquids and cook until thick, stirring constantly. Cook the dressing before mixing with the cut up chicken.

The next day, add to chicken/dressing mixture: 2 bunches of celery, chopped fine, juice of two lemons, mayonnaise to the right consistency, red cayenne pepper, and additional salt to taste. Mix well, chill and serve on crisp lettuce.

Another good recipe, a contender for the mythical "tea room" is this Chicken and Apricot salad with Double Mustard Dressing:

3 lb. boneless chicken breasts, poached just until tender, cooled to room temp
1 cup dried apricots, cut into 1/4" strips
1/3 cup cream sherry
3 ribs celery, coarsely chopped
4 scallions, green and white parts, sliced on the diagonal
1/2 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
3 TB chopped fresh rosemary, or less to taste

Double Mustard Mayonnaise

2 egg yolks
2 TB fresh lemon juice
2 TB grainy Dijon mustard
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey mustard
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Cut up the poached chicken breasts into 2" x 3/4" strips and place in a large bowl.

Place the apricots and sherry in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 3 minutes, add the apricots and liquid to the chicken.

Add the celery, scallions, almonds, and rosemary to the chicken mixture in the bowl and toss to combine.

Prepare mayonnaise:
In a food processor with a tight lid and fitted with the steel blade, add the eggs, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard and process for 10 seconds. With the machine running, stream in the veg. oil and the olive oil to make an emulsion. Add in the honey mustard and process smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Blend the salad with the mayonnaise. Refrigerate in a covered bowl for at least 2 hours. Serve on lettuce leaves with a sprig of fresh rosemary for garnish.

Source: Nantucket Open-House Cookbook, Sarah Leah Chase.

Roasted Chicken Salad

Personal All Time Favorite, developed and sold for years when we had the deli.
******************************************************

Roasted Chicken Salad

Preheat oven to 400�

Coat a rimmed baking pan with cooking spray.

Place chicken breasts skin side up, spray with a little cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt. If using skinless, boneless breasts (I prefer skin-on, more flavor) you should still spray and salt.

Roast to 160� internal temp., about 45-55 min, depending on size. Remove from oven, drain grease and cool.

When cool enough to handle, remove skin and bones, cut into cubes about � inch in size. Mine are pretty irregular.
Refrigerate until well chilled.

Version #1 DRIED CHERRY AND PECAN

4 C cut up chicken breast meat
2 C celery, sliced thin or coarsely chopped (I do mine in a food processor)
1 C dried red cherries
1 C coarsely chopped toasted pecans

Toss together in a large bowl. Add dressing to desired consistency. Better a little wet rather than dry, as chicken will absorb dressing as it sits.

Dressing:

1 1/2 C mayo (Hellman's preferred)
1/4 C Kikkoman's soy sauce
1 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp celery seed
1 tsp ground pepper

Combine to use in dried cherry salad.

Version #2 HERB CHICKEN SALAD

4 C chopped chicken breasts
6 green onions
1 C loosely packed flat leaf (Italian) parsley
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black ground pepper
1-2 C mayo

Place chicken in a large bowl. Chop green onion and parsley very fine or pulse in food processor, add to chicken and toss. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir in mayo to desired consistency. Add more salt and pepper if needed.

Nancy

Instead of mayo, a little heavy cream, a splash of vinegar, a bit of dijon mustard,freshly ground pepper, finely chopped onion, chopped celery, a few capers. Sometimes very finely sliced lettuce and/or parsley, a tad of home-made chicken stock if you have.

The secret to GREAT chicken, or tuna, salad is:
MIRACLE WHIP. YUMMMMMMMM

teresa_nc7 and wizardnmm thank you so much for the recipes.

You're very welcome.

Someone on this forum originally posted this recipe....unfortunately I didn't document that. It was served at a luncheon for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953.....and it's delicious.

Coronation Chicken - Serves 4
2 1/2 lbs chicken (I use skinless breast) diced (1.150 kg)
1 TBS vegetable oil
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 TBS curry paste (or 1 TBS curry powder)
1/2 TBS tomato pur�e
1/4 cup (50 ml or 2 oz) red wine
1/2 bay leaf
2 TBS lemon juice
2 finely chopped apricot halves
1/2 cup mayonnaise (1/4 pint or 150 ml)
1/4 cup whipping cream (2 oz or 50 ml)
salt & pepper
watercress to garnish
1. Place the skinless, diced chicken on a grill pan or oven broiler tray and grill until cooked.
2. Heat the oil in a small saucepan, add the onion and cook until softened, about three minutes.
3. Add the curry paste or powder, tomato pur�e, wine, bay leaf and lemon juice.
4. Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes until well reduced.
5. Strain and leave to cool.
6. Pur�e the chopped apricot halves in a blender or food processor or with a sieve.
7. Beat the cooled sauce into the mayonnaise with the apricot pur�e.
8. Whip the cream to stiff peaks and fold into the mixture.
9. Season, adding a little more lemon juice if necessary.
10.Fold in the chicken pieces, garnish with watercress and serve.