Mom's Chicken Salad
It's the best!!
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 20 min
- Yield
- 8 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 1 1/4 Tsp seasoned salt
- 1/4 Tsp celery salt
- 1/2 Tsp paprika
- 1/2 Tsp ground white pepper
- 1/2 Tsp dry mustard
- 1/4 Tsp garlic powder
- 1/8 Tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 Lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 3 celery stalks
- 2 Tbsp pickled Vidalia onions
- 2/3 C mayonnaise
- 1/3 C sweet salad cubes
- 1/3 C sweet pickle relish
- 1/2 Tsp black pepper (freshly cracked, to taste)
Instructions
- 1
First, grab all those dry seasonings (except the cayenne and black pepper) and mix them in a small bowl. Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat—give it a minute or two to warm up. Now, take that seasoning mix and really rub it into the chicken, making sure every bit of it is covered. You want it well-seasoned, so don’t be shy! Set it aside.
- 2
While the skillet is heating up, let’s tackle the eggs. Place them in a saucepan and fill it with just enough water to cover them. Turn the heat to medium-high and keep an eye on it. Once the water starts bubbling and rolling, cover the pan with a lid and move it off the heat. Let the eggs hang out in that hot water for 12 minutes, then transfer them immediately to a bowl of iced water.
- 3
Back to the chicken. Drizzle a bit of oil into your skillet—just enough to coat the bottom—and add your chicken pieces in a single layer. Cover it with a lid and let it do its thing for about 10 minutes. The edges will start to look opaque, which is what we want.
- 4
Flip the chicken, then replace the lid and let it cook through completely. Depending on how thick your chicken is, this should take another 7-10 minutes. Once done, let the chicken rest on a cutting board so it cools enough for you to handle.
- 5
While your chicken is cooling, go ahead and peel those eggs. Then, chop them into bite-sized pieces.
- 6
Next, chop up your celery and pickled onions into small pieces. Keep them handy; we’ll use them soon.
- 7
Once your chicken is cool enough to handle, decide whether you want it chopped or shredded. If you’re in a shredding mood, a hand mixer works wonders and makes quick work of it.
- 8
Now for the fun part—grab a big mixing bowl and toss in the chicken, eggs, celery, pickled onions, sweet salad cubes, and sweet relish. Start with half of the mayo, mixing everything together with a spatula or wooden spoon. Once it’s well combined, add the rest of the mayo along with the cayenne and black pepper. Mix again until everything is evenly coated in creamy goodness.
- 9
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge for at least an hour. This gives all those flavors time to mingle and get even more delicious. After that, it's ready to enjoy—just grab a spoon!