Salpacio Salad

Salpicão is Brazil’s contribution to the chicken salad canon, usually seen at holiday spreads and Sunday family lunches. This version lands the chicken breasts and red onion rings on a hot grill first, giving the finished salad a smoky char that sets it apart from the heavy, mayonnaise-drenched versions you might remember.

The dressing comes together in a food processor: mayonnaise thinned with low-salt chicken broth and white wine vinegar, then hit with raw garlic and Spanish paprika for color and warmth. Tossed with sliced chicken, grilled onion rings, matchstick carrots, parsley, and scallions, it turns into something substantial without feeling heavy.

The finishing crunch comes from a bag of vegetable chip sticks scattered across the top right before serving. Traditional salpicão uses shoestring potato straws; either way, the crunch against the creamy chicken is what makes the dish memorable. Serve within the hour so the topping stays crisp.

Pro Tips

• Let the grilled chicken rest five minutes under a foil tent before slicing. Skipping the rest loses juices onto the cutting board.
• Grill the onion rings whole, not halved. They stay intact and slide off the grate cleanly.
• Toss the salad gently and only right before serving. Over-mixing turns the mayo dressing gluey.
• Add the chip sticks at the very end. Mixed in early, they go soft and lose the whole point of the topping.

Variations

• Use rotisserie chicken and skip the grill for an even faster version.
• Add diced apple or golden raisins for the sweet-savory contrast common in traditional Brazilian salpicão.
• Swap Spanish paprika for smoked Hungarian paprika for a different layer of char flavor.