As the temperature increases, chicken salad recipes start to become popular again. And no wonder – they are a light, cool way to enjoy chicken that is refreshing in the summer heat. Chicken salad is also a staple of picnics and a personal favorite as a sandwich filling. Rotisserie chickens from the deli are an easy source of tender meat for chicken salads, but this is also a great dish for using leftover chicken – just grab two forks and start shredding.
But there’s more to a good chicken salad than just chicken and mayo! Check out the chicken salad recipes below to see some interesting takes on this classic dish.
Fancy Schmancy Chicken Salad by The Supermom Chef
Fancy Schmancy Chicken Salad – by The Supermom Chef
Don’t let the name fool you – this chicken salad recipe may be fancy, but not because it is a lot of work to prepare. Mandy (the Supermom of Supermom Chef) adds toasted chopped pecans, celery, and halved red grapes to her shredded chicken, giving it a bit of crunch as well as occassional bites of sweetness from the grapes. For her dressing she mixes apple cider vinegar, poppy seeds and honey with mayo, salt and pepper. Despite having relatively few ingredients there are lots of flavors layered into this recipe, and it gives a light, sweet take on your traditional creamy chicken salad.
Buffalo Chicken Salad by FromAway
Buffalo Chicken Salad – by From Away
Chicken Salad is great for making sandwiches, and this recipe is custom made with that idea in mind. Malcolm starts by simmering chicken breasts in chicken broth, though other sources of cooked chicken should work as well. Once the chicken is chopped, it’s mixed together with chopped celery, grated carrots, bleu cheese dressing, crumbled bleu cheese, and, of course, buffalo wing sauce (like Malcom, I am partial to Franks).
By replacing most or all of the mayo with bleu cheese dressing and adding plenty of chopped celery, this recipe packs classic buffalo wing flavors into a chicken salad package. This recipe is loaded with strong flavors compared to most chicken salads, which are normally mild. But if you like your food to pack a punch (like I do), this is one chicken salad you will want to try.
Spring Chicken Salad with Roasted Asparagus, Mushrooms and Peppers by Apron Strings Blog
Chicken Salad with Roasted Asparagus, Mushrooms and Peppers – by Apron Strings Blog
This is a unique chicken salad recipe without mayonnaise, making it especially light. It also features asparagus, which, like chicken salad, is a staple of spring and summer cooking. Anne starts with a marinade, soaking her chicken in balsamic vinegar along with some olive oil and seasonings. Then she trims her asparagus stalks and slices some red bell pepper and baby bella mushrooms, and tosses them with olive oil before setting them to roast. Finally, she combines the ingredients with the leftover marinade and chills before serving (though, as she notes, it would probably be great hot, too).
This doesn’t look like any chicken salad I have ever seen, but it does look delicious, and if you want a recipe for chicken salad without mayonnaise, I don’t think you could go wrong with this one.
There you have it: three tasty, unique chicken salad recipes that take chicken salad beyond the average. Which of these would you like to try? Do you have a favorite chicken salad recipe that deserves to be listed here? Comment and let me know.
Recipe Watch is maintained by Daniel Gleason, a food lover and small business owner from Birmingham, Alabama. Recipe Watch highlights the best recipes, meal planning tips, and home cooking information from across the web. 
Twitter
Facebook
RSS
A most excellent trio! Must try them all. . .