Thread: California Chicken Salad

California Chicken Salad

I'm sure California folks may digress that this recipe is "true" California Chicken Salad," but it's what we call it in Kentucky. Truth be told, we don't know why the heck it's even called California Chicken Salad, and if there is such a thing, what you're supposed to put in it.

At any rate, it makes a great salad, especially if, like me, you prefer fruit to vegetables. Since I've had a number of people go on about it, and it's really quick to make, I'll share it here.

1 1/4 cup salad greens (I use a mix of Romaine and
Iceberg lettuce)
1/2 cup grapes (green or red, as long as they are
seedless and sweet)
6-8 grape tomatoes
approx. 12 mandarin orange slices
approx. 40 raisins
2/3 cup cubed chicken
lemon juice (or even water will do)
honey roasted almond slices (small handful)
approx. 1/4 cup croutons
Kraft Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing

To make the chicken:

I use Tyson chicken tenderloins, defrost them, and slice them in strips (about 1/4 inch wide). When I use about 8 tenderloins, it usually yields about 2 cups cut up chicken.

Mix the chicken with lemon juice or some sort of liquid. I use about 1/4 cup if I'm cooking 8 or more tenderloins, and 2 or 3 tablespoons if less chicken.

Turn a burner on high, pour the chicken/lemon juice mixture into a large nonstick skillet, and stir occasionally, cooking it until the chicken is white and the juice is gone (if there's too much liquid and you're afraid of overcooking, just pour some of it out).

It usually takes about 3-6 minutes to cook, depending on how much chicken you are cooking.

(I cook the chicken until the juice is completely evaporated, and the chicken is a little browned in places.)

Empty the chicken onto the cutting board and cut it into smaller pieces (I hate handling raw chicken, so I cube it after it's cooked) .

Assemble the salad -- greens, tomatoes, grapes, raisins, mandarin oranges, chicken (I put about a teaspoon of poppy seed dressing into the 2/3 cup of chicken and mix it up before putting it in with the salad), and toss. Add croutons and almond slices. Serve poppy seed dressing in a condiment cup on the side.

NOTE: Cooking the chicken with some oregano, basil, and garlic powder and a tad of hot sauce makes great chicken for fajitas.

Note from Lari: this was sent to me by a friend who lives in KY. I pasted it just the way she wrote it out. Thanks again Nikki, it's Yummy!