Adding fruit to your chicken salad

One of the top ingredient additions to chicken salad recipes is fruit. This can add a sweet note to plain or spicy recipes, or you can even use fruits to add a tangy or sour note.

From a nutrition standpoint, this adds extra energy, vitamins and nutrients that can turn your chicken salad sandwich into a truly balanced all-in-one meal.

Dried Fruits

When using dried fruits, you should match the size of the fruit with the overall consistency you want for your chicken salad. If you prefer larger chunks of meat, then match the size of the fruit with the size of the meat chunks. If you are going for a smoother spread, do the same with your fruits.

If the fruit is especially chewy or hard, then I recommend soaking it first to soften it up. You can do this more quickly (5-15 minutes) by using warm water and/or zapping it in the microwave to heat it up a little, or you can soak it in cold water for a couple of hours or overnight.

Some recommended fruits (select them according to your taste, preference, and how they complement the chicken salad recipe you’ve selected):

• raisins or currants
• cranberries
• strawberries
• papaya
• pineapple
• apricot
• prunes
• dates
• cherries
• blueberries

Fresh fruits

Because of the nature of the chicken salad mix, harder or firmer fresh fruits do best. Citrus can be used to put a splash of juice for flavor, but isn’t recommended for actual inclusion as chunks of fruit.

Keep in mind the recipe that you’ve selected, and think about what flavor notes you want to add to the mix. Select sweet fruits to contrast with spicy, vinegary or plain recipes. Select sour or tart fruits to contrast with sweeter or richer base flavors. Or, if you’re like me, you’ll throw in a little of both!

• apples
• grapes
• peaches (firm ones)
• apricots (firm ones)
• strawberries (firm ones)
• blueberries, raspberries, blackberries (or the favorite berry of your choice)
• avocado
• mango

Adding vegetables to your chicken salad

Vegetables are GREAT in chicken salad recipes. Adding finely chopped or grated vegetables turns this simple lunch recipe into a fully satisfying, balanced and nutritious meal.

You can mix vegetables and fruits together, but if you choose to mix them, be conservative. Decide which flavors you want to dominate, and then just throw in a little of the other. For example, if you want the garden-in-a-sandwich effect, then use several vegetables and only one small bit of fruit as an accent. Or vice versa.

Hard vegetables

Hard vegetables should be lightly steamed or sauteed first, so they aren’t too crunchy and don’t interrupt the chicken salad eating experience. Sauteed vegetables add an amazing taste to any chicken salad recipe, but definitely take more time to prepare. Peel your veggies or just wash them well and leave the skins on, according to your preference or common sense.

• carrots
• green beans
• broccoli
• cabbage
• cauliflower
• corn
• zucchini
• beets
• spinach, kale, collard or other greens

As-is vegetables

These vegetables can be finely chopped or grated and used fresh. You’ll notice there are a few vegetables that go on both the cooked and fresh lists; they work well either way, but if you use the harder vegetables fresh, it is best to grate or shred them.

• onions (bulb onions or salad onions like scallions)
• cucumbers
• peppers (jalapeño, or mild red, yellow, green or orange bell peppers)
• tomatoes
• zucchini
• radishes
• celery
• carrots

Canned veggies (pickles, corn, beets, green beans, capers, olives, etc) are also easy to chop and include without extra work.

Nuts

Some folks like to include a sprinkling of nuts in their chicken salad recipe. This isn’t usually my preference, but it’s true that I’ve enjoyed it on occasion. Generally, you’ll want to chop these up to a size that fits your chosen consistency, leaving them big enough to notice, but not too intrusive to the chewing process. Softer nuts are preferred, but you can try some of the harder ones to see what you think.

• walnuts
• pecans
• cashews
• almonds
• pistachios
• macadamia

Other interesting additions to your recipe

There are so many things you can try adding to your favorite chicken salad recipe. Here are a few more ideas:

• bacon bits
• boiled eggs
• cheese (shredded, or crumbled bits like feta, gorgonzola, bleu, etc)
• pickles, olives, etc  (in case you didn’t notice them on the veggies list)

Your turn!

Leave me a comment and tell me about what extras you like to include in your best chicken salad recipes!

Choosing your chicken

The chicken you use will depend on your family’s preferences. If you always buy free-range, organic-fed chicken, then use that. If you like keeping a freezer of chicken to pull out when you need it, use that. If you have chickens out in the barnyard ready for slaughter, by all means, start from scratch if you like!

The important thing about the chicken at this point in the process is not so much what type of chicken it is, but how you prepare it for including in your selected chicken salad recipe.

You can use a whole chicken or just cook the parts you like best (chicken breast for white meat or chicken thighs for dark meat).

Cooking the chicken

I’ve always had the best results from slow baking or slow cooking (crockpot) the chicken for my chicken salad. If you’re not sure what sorts of spices you’ll choose to include, or if you intend to use part of the chicken for one recipe and part for another recipe, then keep your spices relatively neutral. A good sprinkling of salt and black pepper is the minimum. I usually add some garlic and onion powder (or even better, some fresh crushed garlic rubbed over it and sliced onions draped over the carcass).

Definitely add a little water to the baking dish and be sure to cover it securely to keep as much moisture in as possible.

A whole chicken will take about 2 to 2 1/2 hours at 350 degrees F.

Chicken parts (breasts or thighs) may only take 1 1/2 to 2 hours at the same temperature.

The thing to look for during the cooking process is to see the meat starting to sag and fall off the bones very easily. As long as you keep moisture in the dish and keep it covered, you almost cannot overcook the meat.

Taking the meat off the bones

Take the chicken out of the oven and let it cool with the cover still on (remember, we’re keeping the moisture in — you don’t want dry chicken in your chicken salad recipe!). You can put it in the refrigerator to cool faster, just be sure to put a hot pad or folded towel under the hot baking dish so it doesn’t hurt your fridge shelf.

Caution: Of course if you do not put it in the refrigerator, be mindful not to leave it out at room temperature for too long. You don’t want to risk food poisoning.

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones. Remove any fat, skin, or gristle that you find.

Chopping the perfect chicken salad meat

How do I chop the perfect chicken salad meat? By instinct, of course! Okay, okay, maybe you want more detail than that. Well, as always, it comes down to your personal preference, and that of your family.

I usually chop the meat into chunks or shredded bits no bigger than half an inch square. Some people prefer a smoother spread on their chicken salad sandwich. In that case, make it a quarter-inch or smaller. Or put it through the blender or food processor for a paté-like consistency.

Now your chicken is ready to be put into your selected chicken salad recipe.