Easy Chicken Salad And Why You Should Buy The Whole Chicken

I want to talk about Chicken. Why? Because you can do a LOT with it, and during this time, I think you can get the most bang for your buck by buying a whole chicken.

A whole chicken? You might say? Well — yes. Even if, and especially if, you are in a small household. Why? Because it’s so versatile.

But I don’t like dark meat! I used to say the same — now, I say, I only eat dark meat if I’m the one preparing it. It might be a little snobby, but it’s true. All too many times, I’ve had that moment where I’ve bitten down into cartilage or a tendon that didn’t get sorted through, and it ruins the meal for me. So when I shred the dark meat — I am fastidious about getting rid of anything even close to cartilage or “too-chewy.” The dark meat is actually really, really good. You just have to do a bit more clean-up work to get there than you do for the white meat.

Here’s how I make at least 3 dishes using a whole chicken:

1. Make Chicken Stock
2. Make soup with some stock, freeze the rest. Use some chicken in the soup.
3. Shred the breasts for chicken salad
4. Shred dark meat for chicken quesadillas or taco pizza

Between those dishes alone: I have enough chicken stock to make at least 4–6 quarts, I used 1.5 quarts of that and made chicken wild rice soup for 2 hungry people (also using some chicken meat), chicken salad for 2–3 large sandwiches, and still had enough meat for 5 6" quesadillas. That’s enough to feed a small household! Plus, you’ll have extra chicken stock to sip on or use for later by freezing it. Let’s do some math here — that 1 chicken cost about $3.50 / # and it was 4#, that’s only $14 for that many uses!

So, without further ado, check out this easy-to-make, protein-packed, satisfying, and delicious Chicken Salad. I tried to keep this simple due to current resources, but add whatever you like—celery for extra crunch, apple for a touch of tart and sweet, raisins, cranberries. Let me know what you experiment with and how you like it!

CHICKEN SALAD

THIS RECIPE IS SO EASY AND SO ADAPTABLE FOR WHATEVER IT IS YOU HAVE ON HAND. EAT IT ON A SANDWICH OR HAVE WITH CRACKERS FOR A HEARTY SATISFYING SNACK.

Ingredients:

2 Cups Shredded Chicken
1/2 Yellow Onion, small dice
1/2 Tbsp Garlic Powder
1/8 tsp Cayenne
1 tsp Paprika
1 stem Tarragon, remove and finely chop leaves (feel free to remove completely, or substitute with any type of herb you have — thyme, basil, sage, oregano, etc.)
3 Tbsp Mayonnaise
1 ea Lemon Juice and Zest — optional. If you would like to substitute, use 1.5 tsp of Apple Cider Vinegar
Salt & Pepper

Method:

1. Dice onion and place in a medium-sized clean bowl.
2. Add seasoning and tarragon, mayonnaise, salt and pepper, lemon juice, and zest. Mix together.
3. Add in 1/2 the chicken and mix until well combined. Mix in the other 1/2. Add more mayonnaise, salt, or pepper if needed.
4. Sprinkle with paprika for added color when serving.

Happy Cooking!

Originally published at https://thesommchef.com.