Carolyn J. Braden • 3 Minute Read
Zora’s Sweet and Savory Chicken Salad Recipe
Zora, my sweet friend’s mom, came into the world in the month of April, just like her daughter. April is often known in the US for being a time of new beginnings and new life, as it’s when much of the land starts to wake up from its sleepy winter slumber.
I love these dinner rolls for mini sandwich buns
The warmth that springtime brings always makes me want more salads to eat, which includes chicken salad. My friend makes her mother’s (Zora’s) recipes to keep her memory near and she shared her mom’s chicken salad recipe with me recently and it’s AMAZING. It has a secret ingredient too!
She gave me permission to publish it and maybe you can make it and start a recipe tradition of sharing them with your family, just as Zora did. I love my family’s Strawberry Chocolate Trifle recipe and making it always brings back some good memories.
Get my Strawberry Trifle dessert recipe in my 1 minute video below or via my YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:
According to Reader’s Digest, certain recipes contain memories and when you make them, they can help you to feel once again close to someone you loved very much. This is a good recipe to start with. You can make it as is or make some adjustments to fit your family’s tastes. Read on to learn how to make Zora’s sweet and savory chicken salad recipe.
You can omit the pecans, but they give the salad a little crunch
A little about Zora:
I met Zora once at her beautiful country home when she was battling an illness. The family threw a party in support of her and to educate people about her illness, Parkinson’s disease. I’ve known several people to battle this, and it’s not easy.
Michael J. Fox, the actor and an advocate for helping others learn about Parkinson’s, has battled it for many years. Learn more about Parkinson’s on the Mayo Clinic website. Zora was much more than Parkinson’s though. She had a loving family and a wonderful daughter in my friend.
I added a heaping 1/4 cup of mayo and mine turned out perfect
Zora was someone many women should look up to, and I definitely do. She received her bachelor’s degree in accounting and business from the University of Louisville (where I went too, and earned my master’s degree in Art Education) and went on to open several extremely successful businesses in Kentucky. She was a volunteer for NOW (National Organization for Women) and had a passion for woman’s rights. Zora passed away in November 2020, and has a large family that misses her greatly.
Add one cup or as many red grapes as you like!
I hope I have made her proud by sharing her recipe on my own website, Carolyn’s Blooming Creations, which is a brand/small business I started many years ago, and it’s doing well and I love creating chances for others to create like this for you, my readers, to enjoy. Thank you to Zora’s family and her loving daughter, my friend, Gail for letting me share her delicious recipe. It’s sweet from the grapes and savory from the green onions and like no other chicken salad I’ve had before. It’s DELICIOUS!
We love to eat this for dinner with air fried fries
Facts about the history of chicken salad:
Early American chicken salad recipes can be found in 19th century Southern cookbooks, which sounds like to me, it started in the south. I grew up in Kentucky (which is technically “the south”), so it’s no wonder that I love it
Read more fascinating Chicken Salad facts by clicking here
Make one sandwich for you or many for a crowd
How to Make Zora’s Sweet and Savory Chicken Salad Recipe
Now for the recipe! To make this delicious chicken salad, you’ll need the following ingredients (scroll below the photo or grab a printable version using the button below):
We love these dinner rolls for sandwiches
Tools: Large glass bowl (or any large mixing bowl), spatula, knife, spreading tool
Time: 15-30 minutes (depending on whether you use a prepared rotisserie chicken or not)
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs. cooked chicken breast, shredded (you can use prepared rotisserie chicken to speed it up and I shred chicken easily using two forks)
1 teaspoon peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger (it’s the secret ingredient that takes it up a slight flavor notch!)
2 green onions (a little over a ¼ cup), chopped
¼ cup chopped pecans (optional)
¼ heaping cup mayo (or more as needed)
1 cup sliced red grapes (or more or less as you like it)
Salt and pepper to taste
The green onions add the savory flavor
Watch and share this 1 minute video below containing the chicken salad recipe tutorial or watch it via my YouTube channel @carolynjbraden:
Directions:
1—If needed, cook your chicken breast. If you are using prepared rotisserie, just shred it with two forks. If not, you can either cook your chicken breast in an Instant Pot (here’s Instant Pot directions from All Recipes) or boil it in a saucepan filled with water on high heat for around 15 minutes or until it’s internal temperature reaches 165 degrees (F). Shred with forks and set aside to cool.
2—Peel and chop your ginger. I use a spoon to peel it, which works great!
The peeled and chopped ginger
3— In a mixing bowl, mix together the cooled chicken (I cooled mine for about 15 minutes), ginger, green onion, pecans (if using), mayo, red grapes, and salt and pepper. Stir with a spatula to fully combine.
Mix well and eat right away or the next day
4—I cut Nature’s Own Brioche Butter Rolls (they are a bit sweet and delicious and I usually find them at Whole Foods) in half with a bread knife and serve the chicken salad on them.
5—Eat and enjoy!
Tips and tricks:
Try adding green grapes or apples or pears instead
Omit the ginger if you need to, but it’s actually very tasty in this!
Did you try this recipe or create your own version? Let us know in the comments below!
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Carolyn J. (C.J.) Braden is the owner of Carolyn’s Blooming Creations is a regular contributor and editor for CBC. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Ways To Help You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.