Marry Me Chicken Salad

Savory, rich marry me chicken, turned into a creamy chicken salad that's great with buttery crackers, served on a bed of lettuce, or made into an incredible chicken salad sandwich.

Prep: 15

Cook: 30

Total: 45

Yield:8 servings

Equipment

Wide skillet with lid if cooking chicken
Tongs if cooking chicken
internal meat thermometer if cooking chicken
Cutting board if cooking chicken
2 forks if cooking chicken
large mixing bowl
Silicone spatula
Plastic wrap or lid for mixing bowl, optional

Ingredients

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 2 ¼ pounds cooked and shredded chicken
1 32-ounce carton low-sodium chicken broth or chicken stock, see Notes
¾ cup mayonnaise plus more to taste
½ cup full-fat sour cream
1 small shallot finely chopped, approximately ¼ cup
½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes chopped, oil reserved
2 tablespoons oil from sun-dried tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
¼ cup grated fresh parmesan
1 teaspoon kosher salt more or less to taste
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper more or less to taste

Instructions

To Cook the Chicken (Skip if Using Pre-Cooked Chicken)

Place 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts in wide skillet and place skillet on stovetop over medium-high heat. Pour 1 32-ounce carton low-sodium chicken broth into skillet, covering chicken breasts completely.
When liquid begins to boil, reduce heat to low and cover skillet with lid. Simmer chicken in broth 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken breasts reach 160° Fahrenheit internally.
When internal temperature reaches 160° Fahrenheit, transfer chicken to cutting board. Let chicken breasts rest 5 minutes, then use 2 forks to shred chicken into small pieces. Reserve chicken broth in skillet until ready to use.

To Make the Chicken Salad

Transfer shredded chicken to large mixing bowl. Add ¾ cup mayonnaise, ½ cup full-fat sour cream, 1 small shallot, ½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, 2 tablespoons oil from sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, ¼ cup grated fresh parmesan, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Stir all ingredients together until fully combined.
Add reserved chicken broth to bowl in 1-tablespoon increments, stirring after each tablespoon to fully incorporate broth into salad. Continue adding broth until desired consistency and creaminess is achieved.
Taste salad and adjust seasonings and mayonnaise if desired. Serve prepared chicken salad immediately, or cover bowl with plastic wrap or lid and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

Notes

Chicken Broth: If you're using pre-cooked chicken (like rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken) then you'll only need approximately 4-8 tablespoons of chicken broth. It just depends how creamy you want your salad to be.

Nutrition

Recipe By:Cheryl Malik