Perfected Smoked Chicken Salad (w/pics)
 

Have you ever tweaked a recipe over and over again until you get it just right? I guess after about 10 different tweaks, I'm finally STOKED with my smoked chicken salad...

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...Salad/CS01.jpg

I started out with a 4 pound chicken and brined it...

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...Salad/CS02.jpg

After the brine, I rinsed and patted it dry... rubbed on a little oil and then seasoned...

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...Salad/CS03.jpg

Tossed it on the kamado joe and cooked at 300°...

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...Salad/CS04.jpg

While the chicken was cooking, I mixed up the dressing:

1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp Mayo (or mix of low fat mayo / fat free sour cream)
2 Tbsp whole grain mustard
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
2 Tbsp minced green onion or shallots
1 stalk of finely diced celery
2 tsp salt
2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

If you like nuts/fruit in your chicken salad, feel free to add a half cup of chopped nuts and a half cup of chopped fruit of your choice :)

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...Salad/CS05.jpg

When I hit 165 in the breast, I pulled it off, tented it with foil and let it rest for quite a while...

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...Salad/CS06.jpg

I pulled all the chicken meat off the bone and roughly chopped it...

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...Salad/CS07.jpg

Then added it to the dressing, mixed it all up, and let it chill for a while....

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/...G_8951-700.jpg

And then made the best grilled chicken salad panini I had EVER had. PERIOD.


Here's a video of the process if interested...

Good lookin sammie John!

Still miss the old channel.

Great looking bird. Chicken salad is my absolute favorite sandwich, so I can't think of a better way to use it.

that looks awesome!

I love chicken salad.Looks great. Thanks so much for the recipe and pics.

Man, that sammy looks good! Nice....tweaking. :-D

Good looking sandwich .Eat Mo Chickin .

Looks tasty! I love chicken salad, but I always add grapes cut in half.

Looks great! :hungry: It seems to me like a salad brings out the smoke flavor in poultry which can be subtle when it first comes off the grill. I need to go the extra step and try grilling mine next time.

Awesome sammich. I love smoked chicken salad

Lots of people do. That's why I included the note about nuts and fruit in the ingredients list. My mom likes sliced almonds and quartered grapes in hers.

Looks awesome!

thanks for this JM!!

just made it for the second time

I just throw a chicken on the smoker when I have room and use that for it.

comes out great!!

Oh Man that looks good! Thanks for posting the recipe.

I love chicken salad. This one looks like a keeper.