Cubes of marinated chicken grilled to perfection, sweet seedless grapes, chunks of fresh pineapple and toasted pecans are tossed in mayo, sour cream and a tiny drizzle of lime juice.
Why fruits and nuts? Well, why not? Chicken potato salad and chicken macaroni salad are popular, I know, but there comes a time to try combining poultry with other ingredients.
Fruits and nuts go perfectly with chicken, I tell you. The sweet juiciness of the fruits and the crunch of the pecans give this salad a wonderful combination of flavors, textures and colors.
Why grill the chicken instead of poaching or boiling? Because grilling imparts a smoky flavor and aroma that contrast well with the fruits.
Fruity Nutty Chicken Salad
Just ten minutes to assemble, and about 20 minutes to cook the chicken. Serve as a snack, a side dish or a main course salad.
Ingredients
- 3 chicken thighs bone in
- salt
- pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
- 1 ½ cups seedless grapes well chilled
- 1 ½ cups fresh pineapple chunks – well chilled well chilled
- ¾ cup pecans toasted in an oil-free pan, cooled and roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- ½ teaspoon lime juice or lemon juice
Instructions
- Wipe the chicken thighs with paper towels.
- Rub with one teaspoon salt, a quarter teaspoon pepper and all of the cayenne powder.
- Place in a covered container and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least two hours.
- Grill the chicken just until done (see notes after the recipe).
- Cool the chicken then chill in a covered container for at least two hours or overnight (see notes after the recipe).
- Take the chicken out of the fridge. Discard the bones and cut the meat into one-inch cubes.
- Place the grapes, pineapple and pecans in a bowl.
- Add the chicken. Toss lightly.
- In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream and lime juice.
- Add the to chicken, fruits and nuts.
- Toss lightly but thoroughly.
- Taste. Add salt and pepper, as needed.
- Serve the fruity nutty chicken salad at once while all the ingredients are still cold. Alternatively, chill in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.
Notes
If you’re not into grilling, you may broil, poach, fry or steam the chicken. How you cook the chicken will affect the flavor and texture of the salad. Grilling will give the salad a lovely smoky taste and aroma while frying will give the chicken, and the salad, better texture. You choose which cooking method you prefer.
Chilling the chicken after cooking allows the fat to firm up and make cutting easier.
Updated from a recipe originally published in June 6, 2017
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