If you’re one of those folks who runs screaming at the mere mention of cilantro, you might want to skip this recipe. This sweet, spicy rotisserie chicken salad packs a serious flavor punch with fresh cilantro and the addictive sweet heat of candied jalapeños. But here’s the best part. Since it uses only half of a rotisserie chicken, leaving the other half for another recipe, along with the skin and bones to make homemade broth for a future soup, it’s basically three recipes for the price of one. That’s what we call a triple win. So, if your lunch routine has been feeling a little dull lately, this shredded chicken salad is here to shake things up in the best way possible.
Earlier this year, when I started our “Make Three Recipes with One Rotisserie Chicken” series, I intended each three-part series to include a chicken salad recipe, a soup recipe, and a final casserole, pasta, rice, or side dish recipe using the remaining rotisserie chicken. However, after starting this second series and an inevitable third series, I soon realized that I don’t tend to use rotisserie chicken in casseroles, pasta, rice, or side dishes all that often. So, to finish off this first three-part series, I went ahead and made a second chicken salad to share with y’all.
Yes, I admittedly kind of cheated. But I also promised myself I would start sharing more chicken salad recipes this year, so it’s a cheat I can live with. And y’all, this particular chicken salad is a total gem. It’s sweet, spicy, just creamy enough without being overly soggy, and it makes an amazing sandwich on its own or with a few slices of added crispy bacon. So, the next time you’re at your local market, make sure to pick up a large rotisserie chicken. It’s a budget-friendly ingredient you can stretch into several meals. Make sure to check out all three recipes in this second series.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 Cup Mayonnaise (Approximately)
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro, Very Finely Chopped
- 2 Tablespoons Candied Jalapeños, Very Finely Chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Candied Jalapeño Juice
- 1/2 Teaspoon Finely Ground Sea Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
- 2 to 2 1/2 Cups Rotisserie Chicken, Finely Shredded
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup mayonnaise, cilantro, jalapeños, jalapeño juice, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Gently fold the shredded chicken into the dressing until well combined.
- Let the chicken salad rest for 5 minutes before deciding whether it needs additional mayonnaise.
- Serve with crackers, tortilla chips, or corn chips. Or use this sweet and spicy chicken salad on bread, rolls, or wraps.
Suggestions:
- I used half of a large rotisserie chicken for this recipe. I cut the rotisserie chicken in half before removing the skin and bones. I used half of the chicken to make this Dill Pickle Shredded Rotisserie Chicken Salad and froze the remaining half of the chicken to make this chicken salad. I placed all of the skin and bones into a large stockpot, added 12 cups of cold water, and then brought the mixture to a boil over high heat. Once the mixture came to a rolling boil, I decreased the heat to medium and cooked it for 1 hour. Once the mixture cooled slightly, I removed and discarded the bones and skin, strained the liquid, and stored the broth in an airtight container for use in soup. You should end up with 6 to 8 cups of chicken broth. I used the homemade broth to make this Puréed Vegetable Soup with Homemade Broth.
- Every rotisserie chicken is a different size, so you may have more or less shredded chicken to work with. 2 to 2 1/2 cups will be enough for this recipe. If you are using more chicken, you may need to add additional mayonnaise.
- Shred the chicken with your fingers, removing any tough pieces, bones, or fat. Make sure to shred the chicken into small bite-sized pieces.
- Pickled jalapeños and candied jalapeños are not the same. If you use traditional pickled jalapeños for this recipe, the chicken salad will not be sweet; it will just be spicy. I used Trader Joe’s Hot & Sweet Jalapeños for this recipe. You can also make your own Candied Sliced Jalapeños.
- At first, this chicken salad may appear like it has too much dressing; however, the chicken will quickly absorb the mayonnaise mixture as it rests. You can easily adjust the amount of mayonnaise to your preference.
- You can enjoy this chicken salad right away; however, its flavor becomes more intense as it rests. This is one of those recipes where you’ll be excited to eat the leftovers.
- This recipe yields enough chicken salad for at least 4 sandwiches.
Improvements:
- Whisk lime juice or lime zest into the chicken salad dressing.
- Fold in finely diced red or sweet yellow onion.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon store-bought or Homemade Taco Seasoning instead of salt and pepper.
- CLICK HERE to find more delicious chicken salad recipes.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 Cup Mayonnaise (Approximately)
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Cilantro, Very Finely Chopped
- 2 Tablespoons Candied Jalapeños, Very Finely Chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Candied Jalapeño Juice
- 1/2 Teaspoon Finely Ground Sea Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Finely Ground Black Pepper
- 2 to 2 1/2 Cups Rotisserie Chicken, Finely Shredded
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup mayonnaise, cilantro, jalapeños, jalapeño juice, salt, and pepper until well combined.
- Gently fold the shredded chicken into the dressing until well combined.
- Let the chicken salad rest for 5 minutes before deciding whether it needs additional mayonnaise.
- Serve with crackers, tortilla chips, or corn chips. Or use this sweet and spicy chicken salad on bread, rolls, or wraps.
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Chunky Marinated Chicken Salad
Mild Curry Chicken Salad with Diced Red Apples
Dill Pickle Shredded Rotisserie Chicken Salad
Whether you’re meal prepping for the week or looking for a quick gourmet-feeling lunch or dinner, this recipe is proof that healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. Since it uses only half of a rotisserie chicken, leaving the other half for another recipe, along with the skin and bones to make homemade broth for a future soup, it’s basically three recipes for the price of one. This shredded rotisserie chicken salad is light, refreshing, and loaded with the tangy zip of dill pickles, along with lots of crunchy celery and just a hint of fresh dill. All while using a fraction of the mayo found in traditional chicken salad recipes. CLICK HERE for the recipe.
Puréed Vegetable Soup with Homemade Broth
In a world of rising grocery prices, there is something incredibly satisfying about turning a throwaway item into a simple, comforting meal. If you’ve ever felt guilty for tossing out the skin and bones of your store-bought rotisserie chicken, you’ll simply adore this recipe that turns kitchen scraps into a velvety puréed vegetable soup. With its homemade simple broth, onion, celery, potatoes, and carrots, this budget-friendly soup is proof that you don’t need a long list of expensive ingredients to create something truly delicious. Finished with a hint of toasted fennel seeds and a bit of optional heavy whipping cream, this soup is elegant enough for a dinner party, yet effortless enough to be your new healthy weeknight go-to recipe. CLICK HERE for the recipe.
Sweet & Spicy Cilantro Rotisserie Chicken Salad
If you’re one of those folks who runs screaming at the mere mention of cilantro, you might want to skip this recipe. This sweet, spicy rotisserie chicken salad packs a serious flavor punch with fresh cilantro and the addictive sweet heat of candied jalapeños. But here’s the best part. Since it uses only half of a rotisserie chicken, leaving the other half for another recipe, along with the skin and bones to make homemade broth for a future soup, it’s basically three recipes for the price of one. That’s what we call a triple win. So, if your lunch routine has been feeling a little dull lately, this shredded chicken salad is here to shake things up in the best way possible. CLICK HERE for the recipe.
CLICK HERE to see all of our amazingly fresh and delicious salad recipes. We’ve included a list of every salad recipe we’ve ever shared with our readers. If you scroll down, you’ll also find lists that break these recipes down into even more categories, such as potato salad, pasta salad, quinoa salad, coleslaw, chicken salad, egg salad, corn salad, pea salad, bean salad, tomato salad, cucumber salad, asparagus salad, broccoli salad, cauliflower salad, dinner salad, fruit salad, and salad dressing recipes. Whatever kind of salad you’re craving, we’ve got a recipe for it, and hopefully, these lists will make it easier for you to find the exact recipe you are searching for.
