My Decade-Long Love Affair with Chicken Salad: Unlocking Southern Chefs’ Secrets

Some dishes just stick with you, yes? The ones that become the benchmark, simple pleasures you crave and use to judge all others. For me, one of them, the one that’s been with me for what feels like a solid ten-plus years now, is the simple scoop of chicken salad. Not just any chicken salad, of course. My first encounter with this dish was when I was in graduate school at the University of Mississippi. In between classes, that savior most frequently arrived in the guise of a food truck parked conveniently next to the English department building. Oh, that chicken salad! Barely served with nothing more than Zesta crackers and piled onto a soft leaf of romaine, it glowed like a pearl and tasted, quite simply, like heaven. It was literally the highlight of almost any day that I had it. It was more than fuel; it was comfort food, a morsel of blissful tranquility amidst the turmoil of student life.

Before my move to the deep South, I hadn’t actually experienced what Southerners call the “cold plate” exactly the same way. But when I got to Birmingham, Alabama, my eyes were truly opened. This kind of chicken salad was not a special discovery; it was ubiquitous! From simple Piggly Wiggly grocery stores to quickie stops at gas stations, from specialty delis to full-fledged sit-down restaurants, it seemed everybody had their own version. And Southerners, believe me, take their chicken salad very seriously. The atmosphere demonstrates unmistakably that the quick-lunch joints – and the wise Southerners who frequent them – are very finicky regarding the chicken salad’s taste, texture, and temperature. It is not lunch; it is an institution, a cause of loving devotion and also critical disapproval.

With this realization and noticing the sheer passion over chicken salad in the South, my own passion grew. I knew that there had to be secrets to the truly great versions. I wanted to understand what took that humblest of combinations of chicken and dressing and transformed it into something truly special. And so, with my own decade-plus romance with this dish fueling my curiosity, I did what any self-respecting foodie would do: I asked Southern chefs what their tried-and-true tips were. I entered knowing they would have an opinion – a strong one! – and their answers did not disappoint.

Egg Salad Base for Economy

One of the first, and perhaps most unexpected, secrets to be revealed by the experts was that of an egg salad base. New Orleans chef Farrell Harrison uses boiled eggs, chopped celery, mayo, Creole mustard, green onions, salt, pepper, and Creole spice. The yolk and delicacy of soft egg whites give a more richer, inclusive dressing. Harrison insists on farm-fresh eggs for flavor and light color and recommends salting the boiling water. His technique for dicing eggs? Force eggs through a wire rack. Blue Plate mayonnaise and Zatarain’s Creole mustard are his favorite mayo and mustard pairings.

Rotisserie Chicken for Deep Flavor

Chef Jacob Stull of Birmingham’s Rêve toasts the magic of leftover rotisserie chicken. At one of his previous restaurants, rotisserie chickens were marinated in Dijon mustard, herbes de Provence-rubbed, and slow-roasted. The leftover chicken, when combined with Kewpie mayo, chives, tarragon, shallots, and preserved lemon, resulted in a salad that was “bright, herbaceous, and rich.”

Brining and Roasting Your Own Chicken

Tre Luna Bar & Kitchen’s Chef Brian Mooney prefers to brine and roast an entire chicken whenever possible. His 24-hour brine retains moisture and flavor within. He strips away white and dark meat for depth, resulting in a textured, full-flavored foundation.

Texture is Key

Globally, chefs stress the need to mix the texture of the chicken – shredded, cubbed, or both. This avoids monotony in the salad. Mouthfeel is as vital as taste.

Omit Fruit and Nuts

This is perhaps blasphemy, but it’s an agreement of most chefs: omit the fruit and the nuts. Chef Farrell Harrison has no doubts: “Apples and dried fruit don’t belong in chicken salad. Save the pecans for the pralines!” They are concerned about keeping the savory character of the dish, supplementing it with normal ingredients like celery or pickles rather than sweet or crunchy distractions.

These hints reveal a unifying philosophy: foundation and chicken prep are essential. Egg salad thickening, rotisserie chicken for extra flavor, or brining your bird, each detail matters. The emphasis on freshness, specific mayo-mustard pairings, and the very strict rules regarding add-ins reflect the care that goes into this standby.

Chicken and Smoked Sausage Etouffee

This recipe creates a classic Southern-style etouffee featuring rich chicken and flavorful smoked andouille sausage simmered in a deep brown roux-based sauce with aromatic vegetables. It's a hearty and comforting dish, perfect served over rice.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Course lunch/dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 4 people

Calories 2992.5 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Dutch Oven Heavy-bottomed pot for searing, browning, and simmering
• 1 Food Processor For roughly chopping vegetables
• 1 Wooden Spoon For stirring the roux and vegetables
• 1 Whisk For incorporating flour into the fat for the roux
• 1 Cutting Board For preparing ingredients and shredding chicken

Ingredients

  

Main

• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound andouille sausage links
• 4 leg-thigh chicken pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 medium onion roughly chopped
• 2 ribs celery roughly chopped
• 1 green bell pepper roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 2 scallions diced

Instructions

 

• Set a Dutch oven over medium heat and add a 2-count of olive oil. Add the sausage links and brown slightly as you render some of the fat. Remove and set aside on a paper towel. Season chicken with plenty of salt and pepper and add skin side down to the pan. Cook over medium heat to render fat for 7 to 10 minutes, then turn to brown both sides of the chicken. Remove and set aside on a paper towels.
• With the pot still over medium heat add 2 tablespoons butter to melt with the fat then add flour and whisk to incorporate, and then swap to a wooden spoon. Cook until it is nice and brown (you want a nice deep rich colored roux), about 10 to 12 minutes.
• In a food processor add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic, and pulse to roughly chop. Add the vegetable pulp to the pot with the roux and stir with a wooden spoon. Cook over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes to sweat out some of the moisture. Add the stock, paprika and cayenne. Return the chicken pieces to the pot and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 1 hour. Remove the chicken pieces from pot to a cutting board and shred the meat. Discard the bones and return the meat to the pot. Cut the andouille sausage into chunks and nestle back into the pot amongst chicken to heat through.
• Give it all a final taste and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with plenty of parsley and scallions.

Notes

Achieving a deep, rich brown roux is crucial for the flavor and color of the etouffee. Stir constantly to prevent burning. The vegetable pulp adds depth but ensure you sweat it adequately to remove excess moisture before adding stock. Shredding the chicken allows the meat to absorb more of the sauce's flavor as it finishes cooking. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper at the end; the sausage can be salty.

Blending Techniques for Texture

Chef Graham House of Luminosa in Asheville begins with a roasted chicken, mixing food-processed and hand-shredded meat for active texture. Chef Alex Green of Mileta in Lexington makes slices against the grain, and uses a stand mixer with a paddle to shred in longer strands. But for those who don’t have gadgets, two forks or even hands will do the trick. The objective: deliberate texture.

Taking the Dressing to a New Level

House recommends equal amounts of mayonnaise and sour cream for a lighter taste, to be layered with hot sauce and a mix of fresh herbs afterward. Briny crunch is provided by pickles. This is the reverse of purists but shows the scope of techniques.

Welcoming Improvisation

Próximo’s Chapel Hill chef, Brandon Sharp, explains how he makes his dish, “I do it differently each time based on what is available!” He praises flexibility but also respects basics and harmony. His choices even with improvisation show concern.

Tradition vs. Creativity

This distinction of unyielding rules and liberty in preparing food presents an energetic heritage. Some chefs have no-fruit rules; others create. It shows that chicken salad in the South is a heritage and a piece of art simultaneously.

Chicken Salad in a Summer Spread

Chicken salad is at its best during summer served with fruit salads like Watermelon with Feta, or Strawberry Spinach. Creamy coleslaws, pastas like Orzo with Lemon Basil, and Caprese go great with it. Aged on a plate, creamy chicken salad is a cool protein anchor.