For A More Flavorful Chicken Salad, Use Crispy Fried Chicken
Switching to flavor-packed salads is one of the best parts about shedding winter's chill in favor of spring's warmth, and chicken salad is constantly at the top of our list. If you get bored easily, there are a million and one ways to switch it up. You can add cranberries and pecans, swap out mayo for avocado or yogurt, or experiment with different kinds of relish flavors. But while practically every mix-in you can think of can be tinkered with, you can also switch up your poultry to fried chicken to give your salad a massive flavor boost.
Frying makes practically everything taste better, and chicken is no exception. When you go with this option, you'll get a richer protein that can be flavored with whatever seasonings you like. Plus, adding this type of poultry is a texture gold mine in chicken salad. Amidst creamy ingredients like the aforementioned mayo, avocado, or yogurt, the golden, crispy skin will provide a welcome bit of crunch. And while we normally associate fried chicken with wings or tenders, it's completely possible to chop it up small enough to fit in with your scoopable salad.
Read more: 12 Different Ways To Cook Chicken
Mix And Match Fried Chicken Seasonings With Your Salad's Ingredients
The beauty of using fried chicken is that it can be as simple or as complex of an addition as you want. You can typically buy it from a grocery store counter, after which all you'd have to do would be to chop it into bite-sized pieces. Or, if you're feeling fancy, pick some up from your favorite restaurant (and you can see all of our favorite U.S. fried chicken chains here).
If you want to make it at home, you get the luxury of seasoning it to match the ingredients in your salad. For example, spicy buttermilk fried chicken with salt, sugar, garlic, celery seed, paprika, and cayenne pepper would pair beautifully with a classic mayo or tangy yogurt-based salad, while pickle-juice brined fried chicken would go well with some chopped pickles, pickle juice, relish, or dill in your dish. A curry powder-infused breading is ideal for a creamy curried recipe, while a mustard base or a chili oil coating will add a flavor punch.
Whichever option you go for, choose tenders or breasts over wings for easy slicing. Make sure your poultry has time to cool down before chopping it up, then fold it in as the last step so it doesn't fall apart in your salad.
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