Smoked Loaded Chicken Salad
Smoked chicken salad is one of our favorite meal prep recipes to make for quick lunches throughout the week. Whip up a batch of this easy chicken salad recipe with leftover smoked and shredded chicken, and store it in the fridge for awesome sandwiches to enjoy all week long.
Servings: 12 people
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in split chicken breasts with skin on
- kosher salt
- 1 ½ cups red grapes halved
- 1 cup celery finely chopped, about 2 stalks
- ⅓ cup pecans finely chopped
- ¼ cup sweet pickles finely chopped
- 1 ¼ cup mayonnaise
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon celery seed
Instructions
- Heat the pellet grill or smoker to 275℉ with your choice of wood pellets.
- If needed, reposition the skin of the chicken breasts so that it is covering the meat before seasoning. This helps to protect the meat and keeps your chicken juicy. Then sprinkle the breasts with kosher salt.
- Place the salted chicken breasts directly on the grill grates of the heated pellet grill or smoker, arranging them so that there is space between each for even cooking. Close the grill lid, and smoke the chicken until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the breasts reaches 162°F, about 90 minutes depending on the size of your breasts. This allows for carryover cooking and ensures that your chicken won’t be dry. Keep in mind that some of the chicken breasts may finish quicker depending on size. *The USDA recommends cooking chicken to an internal temp of 165℉.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate or baking sheet to rest for about 15 minutes. Then shred and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
- Finely chop the celery, nuts, and sweet pickles. Cut grapes into ½-inch pieces, halved or quarter depending on size.
- In a large bowl add all the ingredients and the shredded chicken, and gently stir with a spoon until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes about 3 ½ pounds of chicken salad.
Notes
- Chicken - This recipe calls for 4 bone-in split chicken breasts. After shredding the smoked chicken, you should have about 5 cups of meat. You can also make this recipe by slow cooking 3-4 chicken breasts in salted water, making about 5 cups of chopped meat. Or substitute 5 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken.
- Variations - Add some of your preferred fruits or veggies for a customized salad. For example, chopped red onion, sliced green onion, diced apples or dried cranberries, or 1-2 teaspoons of fresh minced herbs such as dill, parsley, or chives.