Marnie’s Basil Chicken Salad Recipe
For years I’ve ordered chicken salad anywhere they’ve had a unique recipe. I think I’ve finally perfected my recipe that pulls together the best of the best. At least, it’s the way my family and I love it.
I chop the cooked (and chilled) chicken breasts with fresh basil from the garden in my food processor and add chopped Vidalia onions, diced celery, grape halves, chopped pecans, Mayo, salt and pepper. The Costco Candy Dream black seedless grapes are fabulous when you can get them in season!
Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- Two cooked chicken breasts
- 1/2 diced Vidalia onion
- 3 stalks of celery diced
- 1/2 cup fresh basil
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- Purple or black grapes (I cut mine in half)
- Mayonnaise
- Salt and pepper
Directions
Cook two big chicken breasts. You can boil them. I cook mine in my instant pot. Put them in the refrigerator for a couple hours to cool. I sometimes make my chicken the night before and leave it overnight in the refrigerator and make the chicken salad the next day. Some people use the Costco rotisserie chicken for this.
Dice the Vidalia onions and celery and set aside. Chop 1/2 cup pecans and set aside.
Pulse the chicken with about 1/2 cup fresh basil. I chop it until the chicken meat is tiny.
Put the chicken/basil in a big bowl, add the diced Vidalia, celery and pecans. Mix it together well. Add as many halved grapes as you like and add mayo until it’s the consistency you like. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve on croissants, crackers or bread. Or stuff it in a tomato. I put mine in an air-tight container in the refrigerator and we eat it for a few days. It’s a fast way to have delicious meals handy without a lot of work.
Substitutions: If you don’t have or like basil, you could substitute fresh dill which is equally delicious. You probably won’t need a full 1/2 cup of it. You can also replace the pecans with whatever nuts you have like walnuts or slivered almonds.
Give it a try and let me know what you think!
