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by Jessica August 26, 2019
No more sad summer chicken salad lunches!
This smoky chicken salad is going to make you want to have chicken salad every.darn.day.
Loaded with flavor. Super easy. And totally versatile!
It may come as a surprise, but I have to freaking LOVE a chicken salad recipe in order to share it. I still have nightmares from my childhood of chicken (or tuna… or egg…) salad swimming in mayo, with barely any flavor, and worst of all – loaded with celery.
I just can’t.
I never HATED any of the salads like some people do, but the experience from a deli or cafeteria left a lot to be desired. So when I started making my own versions, I was blown away at how much I loved them.
And yes, in case you think you’re going crazy: I’ve made a chicken salad similar to this before. My sweet corn and bacon chicken salad is creamier than this but just as good. But the winner by far is my lemon almond roasted chicken salad. You guys love this!
First off, this isn’t even my own recipe.
This recipe comes from Lacy (again!) and is a chicken salad she has been loving for years. She has wanted to recreate it forever, so we got down to business.
It’s SO GOOD.
The smokiness? We grill the chicken which imparts a smoky flavor (you could totally grab a rotisserie chicken in a pinch) but we also dropped some liquid smoke in the mix! Just a tiny tiny drop. Makes it tastes SO good.
We added both corn cut from the cob (or course because #summer) and tomatoes. They are just so sweet right now, so combined with the smoky flavor? We knew it would be everything.
Scallions and cheddar cheese also found their way into the bowl.
The dressing is a yogurt and mayo hybrid with some seasonings and again, the liquid smoke. It’s amazing!
This salad is SO delish served in lettuce cup (like the very crunchy iceberg ones). But it also works on top of salads and inside of sandwiches. I grabbed the multigrain croissants from my local grocery store and the combo was just dreamy. They are fabulous.
It’s also pretty amazing when you stand over the bowl with a fork and eat it like that. Or scoop it up with chips. I am very very into this.
Smoky Summer Chicken Salad
Yield: 6 people
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 15 minutes mins
Total Time: 30 minutes mins
This smoky summer chicken salad is incredible! So much flavor from grilled chicken, sweet cherry tomatoes, corn, cheddar cheese and a secret ingredient!
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5 from 9 votes
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Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved or chopped
- 1 cup sweet corn kernels (raw, grilled, cooked, frozen, etc!)
- ⅓ cup sliced scallions
- ¼ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup plain greek yogurt
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 1 ½ tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Preheat your grill to the highest setting.
Season the chicken thighs with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Brush them with olive oil. PLace the chicken on the grill and cook for 6 minutes per side. When finished, let the chicken rest for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, cube or shred the chicken.
Place the chicken, tomatoes, corn, scallions and cheese in a large bowl. Toss it together.
In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayo, lemon juice, liquid smoke, salt and pepper.
Pour the dressing over the chicken mixture and toss well. Combine and stir until every bit is covered. Serve the chicken on croissants or toast with lettuce or microgreens.
This stays great in the fridge for about 3 days. It tastes even better!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Author: How Sweet Eats
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
Crunch! Flavor! I can’t get enough.
posted in: Lunch Ideas, Poultry, Recipes, Salads, Sandwiches 22 comments
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Pingback: Summer Chicken Salad - Smoky Tomato Chicken Salad - Kitchenpedia.co
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Chris W. — Reply
This recipe couldn’t have come at a better time. We have a gazillion tomatoes in our garden and my husband just went to a friends corn field and picked some fresh sweet corn – they always let us know when it’ll be harvested so we can get some before that happens. Can’t get any fresher than that! Hope I can find some croissants that look as good as these – can almost hear the gentle crunch…
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Jessica — Reply
yay! love that!
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bookmarking this – it looks SO good. good call, lacy! xx
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Jessica — Reply
thanks love!!
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Beth Duncan — Reply
LOVE the look of those multi grain croissants; at what store/chain did you find them??
thanks-
Jessica — Reply
giant eagle market district!! they are SO good. we love them!
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Jessica — Reply
thanks paige!!
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Kiss the Chef — Reply
This looks so good. I make a different one but will have to try this one. I add chopped smoked almonds to mine for crunch and more smokey flavor!!
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Jessica — Reply
thanks so much!
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Mae — Reply
I’ve never used liquid smoke – does the brand matter?
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Jessica — Reply
nope! i’ve tried a few brands and they are pretty similar!!
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Pingback: Currently Crushing On. - How Sweet Eats
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Blossom Smith — Reply
I love to do shredded chicken for so many thngs in my Instant Pot! And love love love chicken salad. Thanks for such a well thought out post!
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Bri — Reply
This is so good! Such a great summer lunch option!
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Lisa — Reply
DELICIOUS. Seriously — every single thing I make of yours is FANTASTIC. I’ve been cooking nothing but your recipes Jessica for the past three weeks and every one of them has been a HIT. We had this for dinner last night and when I talked to my husband today he brought up again how good it was!!! Thank you!
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Tracy — Reply
This was OUT OF THIS WORLD delicious! The sweet corn, liquid smoke, cheddar cheese…… just amazing. This brought chicken salad to an entirely different level!
