Shredded Chicken Salad with Cilantro
Submitted by shenavall
Shredded chicken salad with toasted walnuts, deep golden caramelized onions, fresh cilantro, and creamy mayonnaise. A hearty, flavor-packed salad served at room temperature.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
35 minREADY
1 hrsThis isn’t your standard deli chicken salad. Not even close.
Poached chicken breasts get hand-shredded and tossed with deeply caramelized Vidalia onions, toasted walnuts, fresh cilantro, and scallions. The onions take a full 20 minutes to reach that sweet, golden stage, and they’re worth every single one.
A generous amount of mayonnaise brings it all together into something rich and satisfying, served at room temperature so every flavor hits you fully.
With roots in Russian-style salads where walnuts and herbs play a starring role, this version feels familiar yet completely its own.
Chef Tips
- Don’t rush the onions. Low and steady heat caramelizes the sugars in Vidalia onions. Crank the heat and you’ll get burnt, bitter bits instead.
- Toast the walnuts. A few minutes in a dry skillet brings out their oils and deepens the nutty crunch. Watch them closely because they go from toasted to scorched fast.
- Poach gently, don’t boil. A hard boil makes the chicken tough and stringy. Keep it at a lazy simmer for tender, shreddable meat.
Ingredients
Directions
Place the chicken breasts in a saucepan with enough water to cover.
Bring to a boil, add ½ teaspoon salt, reduce the heat, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Drain the chicken and allow to cool.
Remove and discard the skin.
Remove the chicken from the bones and tear the meat into shreds.
Place in a salad bowl and set aside.
Heat the oil in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat.
Sauté the onions, stirring, until deep golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Drain the onions and add them to the chicken.
Cool to room temperature.
Add the walnuts, scallions, and cilantro to the chicken.
Toss with the mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper.
Serve the salad at room temperature.
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