The Best Chicken Salad Recipe - Video

I love Chicken Salad as much as Tuna Salad. It's a milder taste compared to tuna, so the crunchy veggies and mayo/mustard come forward in flavor. My Chicken Salad recipe video will have coming back for seconds and thirds once you've had your first bite.

The ingredient list is small. I like a little fine chopped onion and celery for crunch. And those veggies are about the lest expensive ones you can find at any grocery store.

I also include a tablespoon of pickle relish. I find it at my local 99c only Store and Dollar Tree. You can add more or less veggies and relish to suit your taste. You can even leave out the veggies for a more meaty salad.

I add a little mustard with a lot of mayo for extra creamy Chicken Salad. Again, you can adjust the balance to please yourself and the family. If you don't like mustard then leave it out.

Some recipes call for the herb Dill. Again, use it if you like it, or forget about it.

All the ingredients come cheaply these days. I get dark chicken leg quarters for way less than a dollar per pound and white meat for around 99 cents per pound from Superior, my local Latin market. Dark meat is harder to filet than white meat, but after you've done it a few times it does get easier

I lightly boil or poach the chicken pieces so they stay moist. You can use any chicken you have on hand, either fresh-baked or sauteed, too. I've used leftover roasted whole chicken from the deli case of my local grocery chain store when it's on sale, usually at the end of the work week. Leave out the skin and bones. Canned chicken is fine to use, too - just drain it, like you would with canned tuna.

Poaching Video

I always can find mayo and mustard on sale. And onion and celery are some of the least expensive veggies around.

Click on any photo to see larger.

Chicken Salad is a versatile recipe that's delish between 2 slices of bread, or as an appetizer and spread on any favorite cracker. Put a big scoop on your favorite green garden salad for extra flavor and heft.

So get out the leftover cooked poultry and mix up my latest video recipe of Chicken Salad.

Chicken Salad - Video

Play it here. Video runs 1 minutes, 38 seconds.

To view or embed from YouTube, click here.

Ingredients

• 1/2 chicken breast - cooked and cubed. About 2 cups. Okay to use dark meat leg quarter (leg plus thigh.) Use leftover cooked turkey during Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays.
• 1/4 cup chopped onion - okay to add more or less to taste. I fine chopped 1/4 of a white onion. You can use any type of onion including red and green onion.
• 1/2 cup chopped celery - okay to add more or less to taste. I used one celery rib.
• 1 tablespoon pickle relish - optional.
• 1 teaspoon mustard - or Dijon mustard. I've made this salad without mustard.
• 3 tablespoons mayo - any favorite light or whole mayo. Again add a tablespoon at a time to reach your preferred creaminess.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• 1/4 teaspoon Dill - herb can be dried or fresh. Optional ingredient.

Directions
Use boneless and skinless cooked chicken. I used leftover breast meat from a roast chicken.

You can boil/simmer chicken pieces about a half hour in seasoned water. Or, saute chicken in a little oil. Just make sure chicken is cooked all the way through - no pink or red juices.

While chicken cooks you can chop celery and onion. I like onion in salads (tuna, chicken, turkey, egg) fine chopped. For celery, I like pieces a little larger. Okay to chop veggies anyway you like.

Now time to bring it all together. Add chicken and chopped veggies to a bowl.

Mix in a tablespoon of pickle relish. Add 1/4 teaspoon of the herb Dill (optional.)

Stir in a tablespoon of mayo at a  time to reach your desired creaminess. I mixed in about 3 tablespoons. Add teaspoon of mustard. Okay to add or subtract amounts of mayo and mustard.

Finally salt and pepper to taste. Store Chicken Salad in the refrigerator. If you wait a couple of hours before serving, then all the ingredients will have time to meld and become more intense.

I like to scoop my Chicken Salad onto a toasted onion bagel. You can serve Chicken Salad with crackers as an appetizer. Add a scoop of Chicken Salad to your fave salad.

Egg Salad

Eggs are cheap and so is this recipe. Half a dozen boiled eggs with a little mayo and some chopped celery will yield a bowlful of creamy deliciousness that can go between 2 toasted slices of bread, or as a topping to your favorite salad.

The price is right, I always find a dozen eggs for 99.99 cents at my local 99c only Stores. And eggs keep weeks in the refrigerator until ready to use. They also sell small 15 ounce jars of mayo, from off-brands to vegan.

Celery is a cheap veggie. Chopped celery adds the right amount of crunch to my Egg Salad recipe.

It's a simple recipe that I don't make enough. If you eat Tuna Salad (my recipe here) all the time, try mixing it up and make my cheap$kate Egg Salad.

Ingredients (about 3 sandwiches)

• 6 eggs - I used small eggs. Boiled, peeled and chopped. about 2 cups total after chopped.
• 1/4 cup mayo - I used light mayo. Okay to add more. Add an extra teaspoon at a time to reach desired creaminess. Large eggs will need more mayo.
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped - including leaves on the stalk -- if it comes with them. About 1/2 cup total after chopped.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• Water to boil eggs.

*Many recipes call for mustard, I like it without. But you can add it - try a teaspoon Dijon or regular mustard. You can also use 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard powder.

Directions
In a pot add eggs and cover with an inch of water. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Just when eggs start to boil, turn off the heat completely and cover the pot with a lid (or plate.) Let sit for 15 minutes. Eggs will continue to cook in the hot water.

Meanwhile chop one stalk of celery, including leaves. Chop finely.

After 15 minutes, remove eggs and rinse off in cold water, so you can peel them without burning your fingers. You can also let them sit in a bowl of cool water with some ice cubes for about 5 minutes.

Now time to bring it all together. Peel, discard shells, and chop the eggs. You can add them as you chop to a large bowl. I usually chop the eggs in half, them place them yolk side down on chopping board and finish slicing.

Add all the chopped eggs to a bowl. Mix in the chopped celery. Finally scoop in 1/4 cup of mayo. Mix well. Salt and pepper to taste. Try out a small spoonful of Egg Salad. At this point you can add more mayo if you like, a teaspoon at a time to reach desired creaminess.

I find less mayo and mustard (optional) the better, as they easily overpower the mild egg flavor.

A scoop of Egg Salad goes well with your favorite vegetable salad. Egg Salad is a tasty party dip on your favorite chips or crunchy veggie slices. Also try a spoonful on an avocado half. But I like an Egg Salad Sandwich the best.

This recipe is easy to double using a dozen eggs -- just add another 1/4 cup of mayo and another rib of chopped celery. Keep finished Egg Salad covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Scallop Roll

This is a West Coast twist on an East Coast roadside stand classic, the Lobster Roll. I predict it will soon sweep though miserly sculleries everywhere -- for few can resist a culinary creation like this: the 99 Cent Chef's cool, creamy, and deliciously decadent Scallop Roll.

I've never had the pleasure of trying a Lobster Roll, but if I ever find myself driving through New England, it is on the top of my culinary to-do list. The Lobster Roll started out as chopped cooked lobster meat mixed with butter on bread, but since the 1970's, the lobster chunks have been mixed with mayo and served cold on a top-spit hot dog bun lightly toasted in butter. Some modern versions still mix steamed chopped lobster with butter, but with mayo on the side.

 I always find  4 ounce frozen packages of scallops at the local Alberstons grocery chain, ten for ten dollars (you are allowed to buy one package at a time), and sometimes at my local 99c Only Stores. It's a small amount of seafood but enough for a couple of Scallop Rolls.

You can add crunch to the Scallop Salad by adding fine chopped celery,  seeded cucumber, green scallions or regular onion -- this also helps stretch it out for an extra serving. In my Scallop Roll photos I used peeled and chopped seeded cucumber, which works well because it won't overwhelm the mild, sweet scallops.

Since the original Lobster Roll was made with butter, I am keeping my recipe old school by sauteing the bay scallops in butter; and riffing on the now typical way by mixing the cooked scallops with mayo. It's a rich and complex combination. This recipe tastes best with real butter and real mayonaise -- save the light mayo and butter substitute for when you are feeding a horde of inebriated, palate challenged party guests, or for dieting days.

And since "top-loader" buns (split along the top of the bun) are not to be found on the West Coast, I used regular hot dog buns. You can use fresh bakery buns or small dinner rolls, as well.

Balmy summer days are right around the corner, so now is the time to stock up on 4 oz. frozen packages of scallops, and perfect The 99 Cent Chef's Scallop Roll for your first summer patio party!

 Ingredients (makes 2 Scallop Rolls)

• 1 defrosted 4 ounce package of small scallops*
• 2 tablespoons of real mayonnaise - let's get decadent. But if you must, you can use your favorite light mayo.
• 2 pats of butter - or favorite low-cal substitute. One pat for sauteing scallops, and one for toasting the hot dog buns.
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional additions: a couple of tablespoons of fine chopped celery, green scallions or regular onion. A sprinkle of a favorite herb, seafood spice, or a pinch of cayenne pepper for heat. I just used peeled and seeded cucumber for this version.
• You can also add some roughly chopped or hand-shredded lettuce.

Directions
Drain scallops of liquid and saute in a pat of butter (or favorite butter substitute) over a medium heating skillet. Saute for a couple of minutes, stirring as you go. Small scallops cook quickly, and will finish cooking as they cool down. Remove scallops to cool.

Poor out the liquid from cooked and cooling scallops. This sweet buttery broth can be saved and reheated later to coat the inside of the roll for a "dipped" Scallop Roll.

In a medium sized bowl add mayo* and about 2 tablespoons of peeled, seeded and chopped cucumber. Add drained scallops and mix well - season to taste. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. I've also had it right away, the mayo is cold enough for me.

*Some prefer less mayo, so you can start with a tablespoon, then add a little at a time to the mixed Scallop Salad for desired creaminess.

When Scallop Salad is cold enough it's time to toast the hot dog buns. Add pat of butter to skillet over medium heat. Melt butter and coat both sides of buns. They need a slight toasting for a couple of minutes on each side. Done when lightly browned.

To serve, open the pre-split bun and scoop in the chilled Scallop Salad.

*Another delicious spin is to use a small package of bay shrimp (which I often find for the same prices and locations), for a Shrimp Roll. Since bay shrimp are usually cooked, just defrost, drain and add to mayo mixture. If they are raw then follow the sauteing directions from above.

The 99 Cent Chef's Scallop Salad is a tasty high-class canape, too, just put a dollop on your favorite crackers or toast, and serve at your next party -- even your little finger waving high class guest will be impressed.

An Election Day Recipe - The Waldorf Salad

Warning this recipe contains politically charged ingredients!
The Cheapest Chef tosses his whisk into this dizzyingly political salad spinner of an election, and serves up the upscale Waldorf Salad, originally created in the high-end New York City Waldorf-Astoria Hotel Restaurant -- and prepared with produce most likely picked by the calloused hands of illegal workers from Mexico and Central America.

If you enjoy these ingredients: lettuce, celery, almonds and  grapes (which mostly come from California), then give thanks to the immigrants who risk their lives and break their backs to bring America's bounty cheaply to your dinner table.

In this overwrought week, some Arizona politicians (and prison lobbyists) are going after an easy target this November -- spreading poisonous fear in the form of anti-immigrant legislation: Arizona Bill SB 1070.

Yeah, let's throw out all the workers that our below-minimum-wage-hiring agribuisnesses depend on, then sit back and watch food prices skyrocket. Better yet arrest all the illegal harvesters, then make them work the fields for free.

 So as the local citizenry dines at a Top Chef operated big city restaurant, they are most likely eating their five course meal prepared by an uninsured undocumented chef de partie (line cook), on plates, wine glasses and cutlery cleaned by another illegal dish washer.

Play my 29 second video "Celery Pickers" here.

Wouldn't it be better to advocate for a guest worker program that treats the members of this needed labor force fairly, and allows them to come and go safely between seasonal jobs here and their homelands?

 
Well that's my election-eve rant -- so on to my delicious Waldorf Salad, made with budget produce from my local Latin market. This is the crunchiest salad you will ever have, made with fresh apples, celery, nuts, juicy grapes, and covered in creamy mayo. It's an eclectic, but savory flavor combination. You can prepare it well ahead, plus it's quick to do.

The hard work is the chopping, and hopefully you are working with a sharp blade. I was lucky to get a knife sharpener to try out last month (click here to see it), so I'll get another year of good use out of them (thanks, AnySharp!).

So this November 2nd, get out and vote -- I will back those that support the fair treatment of our hard working neighbors who help bring a bountiful harvest of fresh produce to all of our dinner tables, not the ones who offer nothing but fearful bluster!

Ingredients (serves 3 - 4)

• 2 red and/or green apples - cored and chopped.
• 2 stalks of celery - sliced thinly.
• 1 cup of red or green grapes - sliced in half.
• A leaf or two of lettuce per serving.
• 2 tablespoons of mayo - or as much as you prefer. Or use plain low fat yogurt for a lighter version.
• A small package of almonds - walnuts are traditional, but I could not find any on sale.
• 1 teaspoon of lemon or lime juice - fresh or from a bottle.
• 1 teaspoon of sugar, or favorite sweetener - optional.

Directions
Thinly slice 2 stalks of celery. If the grapes are large, slice them in half. I got grapes on sale, but with seeds, so I had to slice and remove them. Core, then chop two apples.

Add chopped fruit and celery in a large serving bowl. Drizzle in lemon or lime juice, to keep the apples from turning brown. Spoon in mayo (or yogurt) and mix well. Taste and see if you would like to add any sweetener. Finally mix in almonds (or any nuts on sale). If the nuts are salted, then give them a quick rinse and pat dry, before adding to salad.

Arrange lettuce leaves on a platter, plate or individual bowls, and spoon on the Waldorf Salad. It can be served cold or at room temperature.

Deal of the Day - Mayo

I'm interrupting my run of budget entrees to give local readers a Deal of the Day heads-up. While gathering ingredients for the upcoming recipes of: Crab Cakes, Calabasitas (a stew of squash, chile, tomato, corn and cheese), Roast Chicken in Prunes, Potato-Crusted Fish, Cactus Quesadilla, and Sweet and Sour Pork; I ran across huge two pound tubs of Kraft Mayonnaise for 99.99 cents, at two 99 cent Only Stores yesterday! Click here, and here, for locations.

Stock up with this Deal of the Day for a summer of cool and creamy potato, egg and tuna salads. I always buy lite mayo, but they are also stocking fat free, and reduced fat with olive oil. There were many stacked unopened cases on the floor, so there should be plenty; or it will be coming soon to your neighborhood 99c only Store, too.

Some of my mayo-centric recipes (you can click on) include:
Red Potato Salad with Chickpeas
Amy's Tuna Salad with Green Olives
Amy's Carrot, Pineapple & Raisin Salad
Devilish Deviled Eggs
Salmon Burger

Red Potato Salad with Chickpeas

I have to thank my neighbor Lori for the addition of chickpeas to a classic potato salad. I went over the other night to use their fax machine and caught her preparing dinner. While I sat at the kitchen bar drinking her husband Bob's Guinness beer (as he hooked up the phone line), I saw her dump a can of chickpeas into her mayo-based potato salad. She noticed my stare and offered a sample. It was great! She said chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) add a nice crunchy texture to typical soft fare. I couldn't agree more, and what a tasty chintzy addition - you know how I like to use 99 cent (or less) cans of garbanzo beans!

I like red, white or yellow potatoes -- they are firm and hold together better than russet potatoes. This recipe is mayo based, but you can add chickpeas to a German-style mustard, oil and vinegar dressed salad, as well. If you have a family potato salad recipe, by all means use it, just drain a 15 oz. can of chickpeas and add them -- you'll get an extra serving or two!

 
Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 - 6 red, white or yellow potatoes - I like the skin on, but you can peel.
• 1 15 oz. can of chickpeas (or garbanzo beans)
• 2 boiled eggs.
• 1/4 finely chopped onion
• 1/2 stalk of celery - optional, but chopped finely it adds more crunch.
• 2 - 4 heaping tablespoons mayo - add a little at a time and stop at desired creaminess. Okay to use vegan mayo.
• Salt & pepper to taste.
• Water for boiling potatoes and eggs.

Directions
Submerge potatoes in a pot of water and low boil for about 20 minutes. Potatoes are done when pierced easily with a fork. Set aside to cool enough to handle. Boil eggs in small pot water for about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.

 
Finely chop celery, onion and peeled boiled eggs. Add to a large bowl. Roughly chop potatoes, and add them to the same bowl. Drain 15 oz. can of chickpeas, then add. Season with salt and pepper (I add an inordinate amount of crushed pepper in mine). Scoop in mayo a tablespoon at a time, mixing lightly until desired creaminess is reached.

 
If you have a favorite family potato salad recipe, try adding a drained can of chickpeas.

Amy's Tuna Salad with Green Olives

The addition of green olives makes this Tuna Salad unique. I'm called "The Tuna Mouse" at home because of how quickly my wife's Olive Tuna Salad seems to just vanish!

The extra briny olives give color and the taste goes well with chopped sweet bread-and-butter pickles mixed into canned tuna -- and made richer with chopped eggs and mayo.

This is one delicious concoction that fits snugly into pita bread, makes a great tuna melt, fills a pitted half slice of ripe avocado, or tops a salad with a couple of scoops.

Canned tuna is one budget item I always keep stocked. Everyone has a favorite Tuna Salad recipe and this is The 99 Cent Chef's!

 Ingredients
2 tablespoons onion - fine chopped.
2 tablespoons green olives - chopped or sliced.
1/4 cup bread and butter pickles - chopped, or sweet relish.
1 6oz. can of "solid" tuna in water - may need to reduce other ingredients if you use "chunk" tuna (which is a smaller amount.)
4 tablespoons mayonnaise - okay to adjust amount to suit your taste.
2 boiled eggs - chopped.
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard - or regular Dijon mustard.
Celery salt and pepper to taste.

 

 Directions
Boil 2 eggs for about 10 minutes. Remove eggs from water and set aside to cool. 

Fine-chop onion. Roughly chop green olives and pickles. 

Peel and chop boiled eggs.

Drain tuna and add, along with chopped pickles, olives and onion, all ingredients in a large bowl. Season with celery salt and pepper, mixing well. 

Finally add one teaspoon of mayo at a time to desired creaminess. 

Serve in pita or regular bread.

Or  how about a Tuna Melt? Just slather Tuna Salad onto bread and top with a slice of cheese. Brown the sandwich with a pat of melted butter in a frying pan.