My Famous Deli-Style Chicken Salad
This homemade Southern chicken salad recipe combines roasted chicken, bread and butter pickles, celery, onion, Duke's mayonnaise, and yellow mustard for the perfect balance of creamy, crunchy, sweet, and tangy flavors. It's an easy chicken salad recipe that's ideal for sandwiches, wraps, crackers, and make-ahead lunches.
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer
- 1 Blender
Ingredients
- 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 large yellow onion, peeled and halved
- ½ full stalk of celery
- 1 cup bread and butter pickles, drained
- 1 tablespoon pickle juice
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- ¾ cup Duke's mayonnaise
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
- Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove from the oven.
- In a blender, blend your pickles, celery and onion with pickle juice.
- Mix your chicken breasts while still hot with the stand mixer until it is very finely shredded.
- In a large bowl, mix all ingredients and fold until well combined.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
For the best flavor, make the chicken salad several hours ahead or the day before serving. The bread and butter pickles and pickle juice are what give this recipe its signature sweet-and-tangy flavor, so don't skip them!