Chicken is one of the staple foods for all the non-vegetarians around the globe. There are innumerable ways in which chicken can be made. To break the monotony and to ensure that you get a different taste each time, you can always experiment with new ideas and make different dishes. Apart from cooking chicken or baking it, there are ways in which you can prepare some delicious, healthy and calorie free ideas and one of the main ones is the preparation of salads. Chicken salad is one of the classy recipes that have been on the rack for decades now. You must have definitely eaten some or the other form of chicken salad when you were young.
However, there are different variations in which the salad can be prepared and one of the best ways is mentioned below.
See More: How To Prepare Chicken Sandwich
The food guide has one of the easy and yummy recipes of preparing a bowl of chicken salad in just 10 minutes! Check out how:
How to Make Chicken Salad At Home:
1. Loaded Chicken Salad:
This chicken salad, as the name suggests, is loaded with the goodness of chicken and vegetables. It has a crunchy texture, that can uplift your mood and also make for a wholesome meal. Loaded chicken salad is the best source of high protein. It’s tangy taste is sure to make you crave for more.
Ingredients Required:
♦ Cooked Chicken Meat: 2-3 cups, chopped coarsely.
♦ Red Bell Pepper: 1/2 chopped.
♦ Celery: 2 Stalks, chopped.
♦ Red Onion: ¼ cup chopped.
♦ Green Olives: 4-6, pitted, minced.
♦ Apple: ½ cored, chopped.
♦ Iceberg Lettuce: 1/3 chopped.
Dressing Ingredients:
♦ Mayonnaise: 5 tablespoons.
♦ Sweet Berry Preserve/Honey: 1 tablespoon or less.
♦ Lemon Juice: 2 teaspoons.
♦ Salt and pepper : to taste.
Method of Preparation:
To Poach the Chicken:
- Take the pieces of the boneless chicken breasts and cut it into large sized pieces.
- Boil some water separately with some salt and once done switch off the heat.
- The chicken pieces should be added to this water and covered well.
- This should be left for about 15 minutes and then strain the chicken pieces and cut it into smaller versions for the salad.
See More: How To Make Chicken Burger
Preparing The Salad:
- Take all the mentioned vegetables and prepare them and chop well before you start making the salad.
- Once done, you need to toss all of them in a large bowl along with the poached/cooked chicken.
- In a smaller bowl, prepare the dressing of the salad separately.
- Here, the mayonnaise, lemon juice and the sweet berry preserve or honey needs to be mixed together.
- This will ensure that along with sweetness, you also get a tangy and acidic flavour in the salad.
- Make sure that the dressing is neither too sweet nor too sour.
- It is best recommended that you taste the dressing before adding it to the vegetables and the chicken mixture.
- Add more lemon juice or sweet berry preserve to either balance the acidity or the sweetness respectively.
- To this also add some salt and pepper for enhancing the taste and flavour.
- Now add the dressing to the chicken and vegetables and stir well but gently.
- To this you can add some more salt and pepper according to the taste you want.
- Your chicken salad is ready to be serves or eaten.
This is one of the simplest and one of the delicious ways to enjoy some healthy and great chicken salad.
See More: How To Prepare Chicken Wing
2. Chicken Caesar Salad Recipe:
Chicken Caesar salad is another crunchy salad that is perfect for a diet program. Its pretty simple to make and makes for a delicious plate of food. Its very low of fat and delivers the right amount of nutrition required by the body. Check out the recipe below:
Ingredients:
- Grilled Chicken Shredded – 1 Cup.
- Romaine Lettuce – 1 Cup.
- Garlic – 1 tbsp.
- Whole Wheat Italian Bread – 1 cup.
- Lemon Juice – 1 tbsp.
- Olive Oil – 1 tbsp.
- Salt and Pepper – To Taste.
Procedure:
- In a large bowl, mix grilled chicken pieces, lettuce, garlic, bread pieces.
- Drizzle some olive oil and lemon juice.
- Add some salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish with some chilli flakes.
3. Chicken Pasta Salad:
If you love pasta and you love chicken, why not combine them both? Chicken pasta salad is a meal by itself and can cure you of your pasta cravings. The best part is, there is no cooking required. All you need is a handful pasta and some veggies to toss, you are ready to go!
Ingredients:
- Boiled Pasta – 1 Cup.
- Grilled Shredded Chicken – 1 Cup.
- Bell Pepper – ½ Cup.
- Cherry Tomatoes – ½ Cup.
- Cucumber Pieces – ½ Cup.
- Feta Cheese Crumble – ¼ Cup.
- Lemon Juice – 1 tbsp.
- Olive Oil – ¼ Cup.
- Dried Oregano – 1 tbsp.
- Salt and Pepper – To Taste.
Procedure:
- In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, chicken, peppers, tomatoes and cucumber.
- Drizzle some olive oil and lemon juice.
- Add salt, dried oregano and pepper to taste.
- Garnish with feta cheese.
4. Chinese Chicken Salad:
For all those who love Chinese, this salad is a perfect dish for you. It’s a healthy and delicious version of the popular Chinese street food, Chow Mein noodles. This wholesome delicious meal is enough to keep your hunger pangs at bay. Check out this easy and tasty recipe below:
Ingredients:
- Grilled Chicken Shredded – 1 Cup.
- Chow Mein noodles – 1 cup.
- Shredded carrots, red cabbage and onions – 1 cup.
- Olive Oil – ¼ cup.
- Rice wine vinegar – ½ cup.
- Soy Sauce – 2 tbsp.
- Sesame Seeds – 1 tbsp.
- Hoisin Sauce – ½ cup.
Procedure:
- Toss together all the ingredients in a bowl.
- Add olive oil, rice wine vinegar and soy sauce, hoisin sauce in a small cup.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad.
- Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top for Garnish.
5. Thai Chicken Salad:
When we talk about Asian food, Thai cuisine tops the list. How about creating a healthy chicken salad in a Thai inspired dish? This tangy and mildly sweet recipe has the crunchiness of the toasted nuts, the deliciousness of the vegetables and the nutrition of chicken. It’s a perfectly well-balanced dish. Check out the recipe below:
Ingredients:
- Boiled Shredded Chicken – 1 Cup.
- Cucumber – ½ Cup.
- Cherry Tomatoes – ½ Cup.
- Chilly Garlic Sauce – 1 tbsp.
- Honey – 1 tbsp.
- Lemon Juice – 1 tbsp.
- Roasted Cashews – Handful.
- Fish Sauce – 1 tbsp.
How to Prepare:
- In a bottle, whisk chilly garlic sauce, honey, fish sauce and lemon juice together.
- In a salad bowl toss together chicken, cucumber, tomatoes and roasted cashews.
- Pour the dressing over it and serve.
- Garnish with some more toasted cashews.
Tips to Remember:
1. Make sure all the vegetables as well as the chicken are fresh. Anything stale will degrade the taste as well as contaminate the food. Fresh vegetables and chicken will ensure good nutrients and health to the body.
2. The mayonnaise is best prepared at home but if you can’t then you can use the one available in the market that has low calories. You can also experiment with variety like garlic mayonnaise.
3. In case you do not find berry preserve, honey is the next best option for adding the sweet twist to the salad.
We hope we got your taste buds tingling with these bright and beautiful salads. Whether you like it spicy or subtle, chicken salad is packed with flavors to deliver a wholesome meal. You can experiment a variety of salads by adding more dressing and ingredients together. Imagine spending a cold wintery evening with a warm chicken salad. Life is definitely so good!
