Description
Learn how to make delicious, creamy, tangy and savory Instant Pot chicken salad. This recipe will show you how to make the tastiest chicken meat that can be shredded or diced to make that American-style, classic chicken salad. Serve it in a bowl, in a sandwich or in a wrap.
Ingredients
For cooking chicken
2 large chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup chicken stock
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
For the salad
1 cup diced celery (1 large celery stalk)
1 cup diced red grapes
1/2 cup chopped green onions (about 2-3 onions)
1/3 cup almonds, chopped or crushed
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream or Greek yoghurt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon salt & pepper (or to taste)
Instructions
PRESSURE COOKING THE CHICKEN
- Cut the chicken breasts into two pieces (cut the thickest part of the breasts to make them a little thinner and more even). Season with a little salt and pepper.
- Add a cup of chicken stock, sliced garlic and dried thyme to the Instant Pot. Nestle the chicken breasts in the broth.
- Secure the lid. Select the Pressure Cook button and adjust the time to 10 minutes on HIGH. The Instant Pot will take 6-7 minutes to come to pressure. Once the timer has finished, release the pressure naturally for 10 minutes and then manually let off the remaining steam.
- Remove the chicken breasts to a cutting board and cool down for 5-10 minutes. Dice or slice into small pieces and transfer to a bowl. Tip: save the broth to make a soup or stew with, you can freeze it.
MIXING THE SALAD
- While the chicken is cooking, dice other ingredients and prepare the dressing condiments.
- In a medium or small frying pan, pan-fry (toast, no oil!) the chopped almonds or other nuts over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes. Stir frequently, especially as the nuts start to brown and smell toasted. Remove when they turn golden brown. Keep an eye on them as they are easy to burn. Set aside.
- Add all ingredients to the diced chicken (hold back salt and pepper) and mix well. You can stir the almonds through or save them to sprinkle on top.
- Taste and season with extra salt and pepper to taste. We find adding a good pinch of each was perfect. If you like a little more tang, you can mix in a tablespoon of lemon juice or white wine vinegar.
Notes
- See the section on Ingredients above for tips and swaps/alternatives.
How much chicken salad per person?
- This recipe makes 4-6 servings depending on how you serve the salad (e.g. in a sandwich or as a salad). In general, about 6 oz worth of chicken with other salad bits and pieces should be enough per person. It may be less or more depending on what else is served. We usually calculate 1 large chicken breast for 2 decent servings.
- Once the chicken salad is made, it is best chilled in the fridge. This way it can keep for up to 4 days. Once served out of the fridge, chicken salad can sit out for up to 4 hours. If you don’t chill the salad straight after making it, it can sit out for up to 4 hours. Once you refrigerate it after 4 hours, don’t keep it for longer than 24 hours.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 oz worth of chicken with all the bits
- Calories: 543
- Sugar: 9.4 g
- Sodium: 762.6 mg
- Fat: 33 g
- Carbohydrates: 14.7 g
- Fiber: 2.2 g
- Protein: 44.7 g
- Cholesterol: 151.4 mg
Keywords: Chicken Recipes, Salad Recipes, Gluten-Free, Low-Carb, Chicken Breast Recipes