Chicken Salad

Chicken Salad Chick Classic Carol Copycat

Ingredients

• 1½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins
• ½ cup finely diced celery
• ¾–1 cup Duke’s mayonnaise
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon sugar, optional but helps mimic the slightly sweet restaurant flavor

Directions

1. Cook the chicken: Gently poach the chicken in lightly salted water until it reaches 165°F. Avoid overcooking—it should stay very tender.
2. Shred it very finely: This is one of the secrets to the Chicken Salad Chick texture. While the chicken is still slightly warm, use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for about 30–60 seconds, or pulse carefully in a food processor. You want very fine, fluffy shredded chicken, not chunks.
3. Let the chicken cool completely.
4. Mix in the finely diced celery, seasonings, and ¾ cup mayonnaise.
5. Add additional mayo a tablespoon at a time until you get that creamy Classic Carol consistency.
6. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, but overnight is even better. Taste again after chilling and adjust the salt or mayo.

A couple of tricks to get it closer

Use Duke’s mayo and chicken tenderloins if you have them. The biggest difference between ordinary homemade chicken salad and Classic Carol is the extremely fine chicken texture and relatively simple seasoning.

For an even closer texture, I'd start with ¾ cup Duke's rather than a full cup. After it sits in the refrigerator, add more if needed.

Directions for cooking the chicken

1. Put the 1½ lbs chicken breasts or tenderloins in a saucepan in a single layer.
2. Add enough cold water to cover the chicken by about 1 inch. Add about 1 teaspoon salt.
3. Bring the water up to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Don't let it reach a hard, rolling boil—that can make the chicken tough.
4. Once it begins simmering, turn the heat to low and cover the pan.
5. Cook gently for about 10–12 minutes for tenderloins or 12–18 minutes for breasts, depending on thickness.
6. Check the thickest piece with a thermometer. When it reaches 165°F, remove it.
7. Let it rest about 5 minutes, then shred it while it's still warm.

For Chicken Salad Chick texture: After resting, put the warm chicken in your stand mixer with the paddle attachment and run it on low for 30–60 seconds. It gives you that very fine, almost fluffy shredded chicken instead of long strands.