Simple Rotisserie Chicken Salad Recipe

The summer is filled with cookouts, picnics in the park, and BBQs. If you're asked to bring a sandwich salad to a particular gathering, you may be stumped as to what to make. However, this simple rotisserie chicken salad recipe by Susan Olayinka of The Flexible Fridge is a winner and will have people queuing up for second helpings.

Whether you're making a small dinner for your family or cooking for a large crowd, this chicken salad can be star of the table or a great dish for a full buffet. Incredibly vibrant and delicious, this divine salad combines succulent rotisserie chicken with fresh summer vegetables and a delicious mayonnaise and mustard dressing. The best part is, you don't have to worry about cooking the chicken at home and crisping up the skin. All you have to do is pick up a rotisserie chicken. The vegetables called for in the recipe are all items you can finding this time of year at your local farmers market or right in your own garden.

Greek salads and potato salads this time of the year are common and expected to find at a picnic or barbecue. But this chicken salad recipe is surprisingly easy and packs a flavorful punch. And fear not, because if you don't finish your salad, you can place it in Tupperware and have it the next day for lunch. Your family or guests will be pleasingly surprised. Pick up an assortment of breads for sandwiches, and you're all set!

Before you begin this recipe, it's worth ensuring that you have all of the ingredients you need out on your counter ready to go. Since you're using a rotisserie chicken, your biggest job is assembling the salad. It's nice not to have to cook anything!

To feed four people, you'll need one whole rotisserie chicken. If you're feeding a larger crowd, then you can easily scale the recipe up. You'll also need half a red onion and an avocado. These vegetables don't just add great taste to the recipe, but they will also make your salad super colorful. You'll top the dish off with a quarter cup of cilantro, which will add great flavor and real professional touch. For the dressing, you'll need ½ cup of mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon of garlic salt, black pepper, and Dijon mustard. That's literally it!

Now that you have everything you need to whip up your rotisserie chicken salad, we can get started putting it together. It's quick and easy, and definitely a crowdpleaser.

If you're not used to preparing chicken, then being faced cooking up a whole bird can possibly be a little bit intimidating. However, since this recipe calls for buying an already prepared rotisserie chicken from the shop, you take the pressure off yourself to cook it perfectly. It also saves so much time in putting it together.

To begin, you will need to take out a large chopping board and a sharp knife. Take a moment to familiarize yourself with the bird, and separate the chicken into two breasts, two wings, and two drumstick thigh joints. Remove the bones, and then dice the meat into one-inch pieces or strips. By separating the chicken before you cut up the meat, you'll get the most meat you can off the bird. Definitely be sure you remove all of the bones, as they aren't part of the recipe!

Once you've cut your chicken up into pieces, you can place the chunks into a large salad bowl, and cover it. Then, move on to the next step.

Now that the meat component of your salad is ready and waiting, you can turn your attention to the vegetables. Get a new chopping board, and cut up your red onion. You're aiming for ½-inch slices that will add a really pleasant taste to the whole salad. Once they're chopped up, place them in the bowl with the chicken.

Peel your avocado, and cut out the soft flesh onto your chopping board. Dice up the avocado into ½-inch pieces, and place it into your salad bowl. Finally, remove the cilantro leaves from their stems, and chop them super finely. Pour them over your salad. The finer you chop the cilantro, the easier it will be to incorporate it into your salad at the end.

Now that the main components of your salad are ready, you can move on to making the dressing. Grab another bowl, and mix together 1 ½ cups of mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon of garlic salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard. While the mayonnaise creates an incredibly creamy base for your dressing, the Dijon mustard and pepper will add an undertone of heat.

Stir your ingredients together so they're fully incorporated, your wet ingredients are fully mixed with your dry elements, and your dressing is a whipped texture. You can adapt your dressing recipe to your taste. If you can handle a little bit more heat, then you can think about adding a little bit more pepper and some more mustard. Taste your dressing throughout so you can balance out the flavors.

Once your dressing is ready to go, you can either put it in the fridge until you're ready to eat or begin assembling your salad. If you're ready to assemble, pour the dressing over your chicken mixture. Ensure that the chicken and the vegetables are well mixed in together. You can then either serve your salad in the bowl that you've mixed your ingredients in or on a brand new serving plate.

Once it's all set, you can place it on your table or wrap it up to bring to a picnic. One thing's for sure — you've prepared a delicious summer chicken salad!