Chicken salad is a real classic. It can be everything from lunch to dinner and brunch to a late night snack. You can enjoy it on a soft slice of italian bread, with some crisp pita chips or over a bed of greens. Pretty much everyone loves it and you can eat it at home, in the car, on a picnic or at the beach.
It is one very versatile dish…
There are many versions of chicken salad and everyone swears by their recipe. Some include celery, grapes, walnuts, peppers, avocados… some are chunky, some are smooth. Some are served warm, some cold. The variations are endless, but just in case you are looking for yet another way to whip up a creamy batch of chicken salad with fresh dill, allow me to introduce you to my way… aka the best way…
The most important element of this dish is, of course, the chicken. You will get the most flavor out of bone-in skin-on chicken. Thighs will bring great flavor, but breasts will give you more meat per piece. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pat your chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and then season them with onion salt, garlic powder, paprika, oregano, thyme and celery salt. Bake for 40-60 minutes, depending on how large your pieces are.
Once your chicken is roasted through with a nice crispy skin and an internal temperature of 165 degrees, transfer it to a cooling rack until it is cool enough to handle. I prefer cold chicken salad, so once the chicken is cooled off a little, I put it into the refrigerator for a few hours to fully chill before continuing on, but this is totally optional. Remove the chicken skin and pull as much chicken as you can off of the bones. While you are working, you should probably taste a bit of it… ya know, for quality control purposes. A great cook always does a taste test before proceeding…
Place the chicken into a food processor along with some mayonnaise and fresh dill. My recipe calls for 3/4 cup of mayonnaise, but this amount is flexible depending on how creamy you want your chicken salad and how much chicken you are working with.
When it comes to the dill, don’t be nervous about tossing a healthy amount in! Even if you are not a fan of dill pickles, I feel that there is a pretty big chance that you are going to love what dill does in this chicken salad. Fresh dill adds a wonderful aroma plus loads of fresh and perky flavors. It is super delicious…
Once all of the ingredients are in the food processor, pulse until the mixture is creamy. If you prefer your chicken salad a little looser, add more mayo and if you find that you love the fresh dill as much as I think you will, toss a little more in…
You can enjoy chicken salad in so many ways, but a few of my favorites are on rich, buttery crackers or crisp, salty pita chips. Chicken salad is also great in a pita, on toast or in a sliced croissant.
It’s delicious, easy and keeps great in the refrigerator, so like a good friend, its there when you need it…
Enjoy!
Classic Chicken Salad with Dill
Ingredients
- 2 large bone-in skin-on chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon your favorite seasoning blend
- a handful of fresh dill fronds
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees
- Dry the chicken with paper towels and season generously with your favorite seasoning blend
- Place the seasoned chicken onto a parchment lined baking sheet
- Bake at 425 degrees for 1 hour or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees
- Allow the chicken to cool and then remove the skin
- Pull chicken from the bone and place into the bowl of a food processor
- Add a handful of fresh dill leave and 3/4 cup of mayonnaise
- Pulse until the chicken salad reaches the consistency you want
- Serve with crackers or on a roll
