The one I make that has gotten raves.....simpler than simple...
Just finely chopped chicken, fine chopped celery, mayo and lemon juice.
for 1 1/2 pounds of chicken breasts, I poach them in a little bit of water, cool and chop very fine...I use the cuisinart but am careful not to turn the chicken to mush.
Add about 1/4 volume chopped celery to the volume of chopped white meat chicken, the juice of a small lemon, about 3 to 4 tablespoonsful and enough mayo to moisten as you like it.
Salt to taste....but it needs very little because of all the lemon.
Of course you can add grapes, slivered almonds, chopped walnuts, chopped dates, pineapple tidbits, curry powder....but the basic is very very good.
Linda C

Cube some white meat cooked chicken. Add green grapes and drained mandarin oranges, then mix half a cup of sour cream with the same amount of mayonnaise. Mix all together. It's a delicious, refreshing salad. Good plain or on bread.

We've had several chicken salad threads.

Here is a link that might be useful: Chicken Salad Recipes

Thankyou! I couldn't find the threads earlier. I'll try several of these recipes and will start with Lindac's. They all look yummy.

I don't have specific recipes, because chicken salad is one of those things where I just sort of wing it. But, I do like the way tart apples like pippins or granny smiths taste paired with chicken in a salad. Also, I like to use toasted nuts of some kind...cashews, pecans, hazelnuts and even (if I'm feeling wealthy) macadamias.

I like to use spices that are a bit different from the norm too. Chicken, being fairly bland, is great paired up with curry powder in either a slightly sweet or slightly sour creamy dressing. I like it with toasted mustard and cumin seeds as well. Or toasted fennel seeds with lightly sauteed garlic.

Something different is to make a chicken salad with roasted red bell peppers, carmelized onions fresh herbs of some kind and chopped celery or D'Anjou pears (or some other crisp variety), in a vinaigrette instead of a creamy dressing.

I'm with the rest -- I don't have a recipe, per se, and I usually keep mine pretty simple.

A few tips:

-- used poached or stewed chicken and shred it rather than cube it.

-- a tiny pinch of celery salt

-- only a light amount of real mayo.

-- fine dice the celery

-- just a pinch of salt and pepper

-- sometimes curry

-- sometimes green onions, finely chopped, rather than white or yellow or red onion

-- sometimes honey

When I get fancy, the sky's the limit.

Joe

And after you add the celery and/or onions, don't let it sit more than 3 hours or the salt in the mayo will draw the water from the celery and it will get watery.
Linda C

My basic is pretty much like Linda's except that I am in the shredding camp - shredded chicken, mayo (and I prefer Hellman's or make your own), finely diced celery, fined chopped green onion, kosher or sea salt, cracked pepper, a little lemon juice and maybe a pinch of garlic.

I just wing it when it comes to chicken salad. But I love to add chopped grapes or apples, green onions, celery, and a pinch of curry. Then add just enough mayo until it comes together.

I don't like big chunks of chicken, so I usually shred it or chop it with the mezzaluna.

Thanks again. I'm new to chicken salad and these are all good ideas. DH has been going out to lunch every day getting chicken salad and now I'll be able to make it for him.

Question- he likes chipotle turkey salad. Any idea how to make that?

I've never had chipotle turkey salad. Ask him what's in it that he can tell for sure then google it and try to put the two ideas together and wing it.