Classic Rotisserie Chicken Salad

Karen Hand Allen
3 days ago
4 min read

Chicken Salad has been as much a part of my life as any seafood that we made frequently from the Gulf Coast, be it shrimp, snapper, crabs, flounder, or catfish. Our chicken salad recipe was made by my mother, her mother before her, and eons back as far as I can remember. And this wasn’t just any chicken salad, mind you. This was a tradition for every holiday, Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas. Then there were the family gatherings-reunions, birthdays, baby and wedding showers, Sunday lunches, retirement parties, and so on and so on, you get the idea.

I have an ancient picture of a gold-plated rimmed dish of stacked chicken salad sandwiches from my one-year-old son’s birthday party, sitting front and center-it was the prize, forget all those birthday presents! My mother and I beamed in the background, fresh off chopping and slicing and dicing to make it just right.

Assorted snacks on a table: chips, dip, veggies, and deviled eggs. A plate features a cartoon train design, creating a festive mood.

I was adopted at seven years old, and it was always there; I’m not sure exactly when I realized the significance of it as part of a tradition, part of our family story, part of me.

I’d like to think that this rather simple recipe not only connects generations, but it very much mattered just how we made it. In those days, Mama had a giant pot for soups, stews, and spaghetti. It was not just your big pot, it was nicked, dented here and there, and had some stains and splotches on the inside that no Chore Girl pad could buff out. I know, I was sometimes relegated to clean it, and we had to really go at it or Mama would say, “put your back into it,” if it was our turn to do dishes.

When Mama got the Big Pot out, we knew it was either soup, stew, spaghetti or chicken salad. One of us was sent down in the lower cabinets to lug it out, which meant giving it a good rinsing out, you know it was never clean enough from whatever we had last time, especially if one of my brothers had dish duty. Then Mama commenced with cooking at least two to three huge chickens with plenty of water, and “the trinity,” five or more stalks of celery, two whole onions, quartered and two bell peppers, halved. She added salt and put on the top, turning her to low, boiling until done, about forty-five minutes or so. Then the birds were cooled, sliced and chopped, after the bones and skin were discarded.

When it was almost ready, I often stood over that enormous silver bowl of chopped chicken, fresh onion, celery, dill, and mayonnaise, salivating, pilfering a bite here and there, as I was able, when my mother had the audacity to turn her back. I don’t know if it was the succulent chicken she cooked just right, or I was that hungry, but I can still taste that juicy, dripping chicken, with its aromatic goodness that made our kitchen smell like heaven.

Rectangular vintage silver serving tray with two side handles, featuring an engraved repeating floral and fruit pattern, set on a warm-toned textured surface.

What I remember most was the care and time that went into preparing it. We’d serve it with Mrs. Baird’s white bread, crust on or off, sliced in triangles or quarters, stacked high on a silver tray that my mother had that was handed down from her mother. We weren’t just hoping for a piece or two, we wanted as many sandwiches we could get; there were seven of us all vying for a nice little stack of our very own. It was good chicken salad, but it was the memories of home and love and camaraderie that made it exceptional.

Roasted rotisserie chicken on a wooden cutting board, surrounded by ingredients including mayonnaise, chopped celery and onion, boiled eggs, relish, and seasoning containers on a kitchen counter.

I have used my mother’s recipe many times over the years, where I cooked the chicken like she did, but I started using rotisserie chicken, finding it especially rich and satisfying, with the savory taste of roasted chicken. And the crunchy celery and onions, along with the tang of dill and the lusciousness of the mayo dressing added to the richness and depth of this long-time family recipe. This recipe can be served on bread, a croissant, lettuce cups or with garden vegetables like carrots and celery sticks.

Whole grain sandwich on a white-green plate on a dark counter. Bread bag in the background shows "Whole Grain Thin Sliced" text.

It can be stored in your favorite tubs for several meals. Another way we serve it is by omitting the onion and toasting pecans and putting in dried cranberries. Boy howdy, it’s good!

Three rectangular plastic containers filled with homemade chicken salad, showing chunks of chicken, eggs, and mixed ingredients, arranged on a dark countertop.

We adore this recipe and after our Tea at the Galvez. We wanted to make A Series of Our Favorite Sandwiches and Treats that can be used with Teatime, or for Gatherings, Holiday table or Family meal, bringing these recipes that offer ease and elegance to your table.

A silver serving tray holding an assortment of tea sandwiches, including cucumber sandwiches on white bread, chicken salad on wheat, and small toasted sliders, set against a waterfront backdrop with houses and a dock.

So, do read Our Newest Blog Series coming out that features Teatime or Anytime Treats:

~Classic Rotisserie Chicken Salad

~Cucumber and Chive Tea Sandwiches

~Salmon and Dill Bruschetta

~Orange Cranberry Scones

~Lemon and Cream Trifle

~Applewood Smoked Ham and Havarti Ciabatta