There are as many variations of chicken salad as there are chickens! Ha! And I loooovvve them all. It is THE most versatile luncheon croissant sandwich. It goes well with chips for a quick lunch to weddings and special occasion dinners. You can use cherries, grapes, cranberries or anything you want. I used fresh cherries in this version, well, because I had them and needed to use them. Oh my gosh!, did they taste incredible. Sweet and flavorful, but they did discolor the chicken a little, which is the only drawback to using fresh cherries, sooo~ if that is a turn off, I would stick to the grapes, both are incredible. You could even use leftover turkey and these flavorful gems would still taste great!
Chicken Salad has been my go-to for many weddings mostly because they are elegant and taste oh so good on croissants. You can make your own croissants or buy them from any grocery store. The buttery, tender, flaky crumb is absolutely addictive. For me that is. This recipe is so simple and easy to put together, it can be made in under 30 minutes and ready to go!
I have found that it is pretty easy to change up the ingredients as well. Add more mayo if you want it creamier or pecans if you like the nutty flavor it brings to the Chicken Salad. Use less celery if you don’t like the taste or want less crunch or add grapes instead of cherries. I’ve even tasted some recipes with poppy seeds but I didn’t particularly enjoy the flavor or texture but who am I to judge other peoples’ taste buds, I happen to like ketchup on my eggs, so there you go. Don’t judge!
Ingredients & Preparation
The Usual Suspects:
- 1 rotisserie chicken, about 3 to 3 1/2 cups chicken removed from the bones
- 1 cup fresh cherries, chopped and pitted
- 1/2 cup sweet onions, chopped
- 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, lightly toasted (optional) and chopped
- 1/2 cup celery, chopped
- 3/4 to 1 cup really good mayonnaise
- Juice of one lemon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 8 croissants
The Plan:
- Place the chicken into a large mixing bowl and add the cherries, onions, walnuts and celery, toss gently to combine. Set bowl aside
- In a small bowl, add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whisk together until combined
- Pour dressing over the chicken mixture. Stir until combined. Cover and refrigerate for about 6 hours or overnight
- Slice each croissant in half. Spread 1/2 cup of chicken salad over the bottom of each croissant. Top with the other half. I even like to spread a little mayo on the croissant for added moisture and flavor. I love my condiments but who doesn’t? or who admits it? Haha!
- Serve and enjoy!
Cherry Chicken Salad Croissant
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Loading...Ingredients
- 1 rotisserie chicken, about 3 to 3 1/2 cups chicken removed from the bones
- 1 cup fresh cherries, chopped and pitted
- 1/2 cup sweet onions, chopped
- 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, lightly toasted (optional) and chopped
- 1/2 cup celery, chopped
- 3/4 to 1 cup really good mayonnaise
- Juice of one lemon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 8 croissants
Instructions
Place the chicken into a large mixing bowl and add the cherries, onions, walnuts and celery, toss gently to combine. Set bowl aside
In a small bowl, add the mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whisk together until combined
Pour dressing over the chicken mixture. Stir until combined. Cover and refrigerate for about 6 hours or overnight
Slice each croissant in half. Spread 1/2 cup of chicken salad over the bottom of each croissant. Top with the other half. I even like to spread a little mayo on the croissant for added moisture and flavor. I love my condiments but who doesn’t? or who admits it? Haha!
Serve and enjoy!
