Super Wet Loaded Chicken Salad
This chicken salad is built with real chicken, a v generous sour cream and mayo base, and enough seasoning to taste like something you would actually crave. It is meant to be glossy and loose, not dry or “just held together.” If you like dryer chicken salad, this one is not for you babe.
Ingredients
Method
Build the base.
- Add about half of the shredded chicken to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Add sour cream, mayonnaise, Dijon, dry mustard, Worcestershire, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Mix on low until everything is smooth and the chicken starts to break down slightly.
Add the mix-ins.
- Add dried fruit, celery, green onions, red onion, walnuts, and parsley. Mix briefly to distribute. At this point the mixture should look very wet and creamy.
- Finish with the remaining chicken.
- Add the remaining chicken and mix on low just until it is evenly coated. Stop while you still see texture. You want pieces, not paste.
Taste and rest.
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. The flavor should be bold and fully seasoned. Chill for about 15 minutes if you want it to thicken slightly, or serve right away for the loosest, glossiest texture.
Notes
- This is a high-dressing ratio on purpose. The salad should look a little too wet at first. As it rests, the chicken and mix-ins absorb the dressing.
- Onion powder and mustard powder are doing real work. They add depth and “deli” flavor without big chunks of raw spice. Do not skip them.
- Add the chicken in two stages. Building the dressing with part of the chicken first keeps everything rich and creamy, then the second half of the chicken brings it back to the perfect scoopable texture.
- Hand-shredded chicken only. It absorbs the dressing and gives you that luxe texture. Diced or canned chicken will not feel the same.
- Mix-ins are flexible. Swap any dried fruit for the craisins and figs, and any nut for the walnuts. The base can handle it.
