On Black Friday while everyone was excited about shopping, I was most excited about chicken salad. Although I prepare chicken salad throughout the year, I try to create a new recipe on that Friday. We had Peruvian chicken(s) on Thanksgiving and I made sure to reserve some breast meat for the salad. With the chicken being spicy, I needed to balance it with something sweet. I went with dried cranberries, chopped apples(Honey Crisp), toasted almonds, celery, and red onion. It’s a keeper!
No Peruvian chicken? Just add 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika…
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| Nothing to cook…just the prep work of chopping the chicken, celery, onion, & apple. |
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| Mix it all together and you’re ready to add mayo…The next step is serving! |
Spicy Sweet Chicken Salad
Serves 4-6
2 cups cooked chicken breast*, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped apple
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
2/3 cup mayonnaise(more if needed)
salt & pepper to taste
*if chicken is not spicy, add 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
In a large bowl, combine chicken, celery seed, and hot paprika(if needed). Add celery, red onion, toasted almonds, cranberries, and apples, stirring to evenly distribute ingredients. Stir in mayonnaise until all mixture is coated. Season with salt and pepper if needed.
Sweet and spicy! Perfect with chicken salad- I can taste the goodness right now and what a wonderful dish to have in the midst of all these christmas cookies and candies I have been eating already and its not even December yet! LOL
I already love this recipe by looking at the ingredient pictures! I love it. You had Peruvian chicken for Thanksgiving? Sounds delicious!
We make our chicken salad very similar to this, great recipe! Now I have a craving for this salad, I think I will make it this weekend. 🙂
Lovely salad you have here, nice change from all the high carb stuff we have been eating. Love those apples, cranberries and almonds.
I love your addition of a spicey chicken to add to chicken salad. I need to remember that when I make mine.
Karen
I love experimenting with chicken salad and this one looks great! Love the spicy chicken in here.
@Jessica…Girl, I’m right there with you on the candy and cookie thing!
@Nami…Thanks, it’s even a winner with my daughter. Our Thanksgiving menu is always a mix of tradition and non-tradition.
@Anna&Liz…There’s just nothing like good chicken salad! Feel free to seen me your recipe, I’d love to try it.
@Suzi…Thanks, it did make me feel better about all of the stuff we’d been eating for the past week 🙂
@Karen…Thanks, I’m still thinking about those chocolate popovers that you posted!
@Candy…Thanks, me too!