This easy copycat version of a famous East Coast chicken salad for sandwiches is convenient to have in the refrigerator for a quick meal!
Do you enjoy chicken salad? Well today I want to share with you a recipe for Easy Chicken Salad For Sandwiches! I enjoy having chicken salad made up and ready in the fridge during hot summers, so I can easily make a great tasting sandwich for my family any time I want!
I found this recipe on a website that I enjoy called “A Family Feast”. Martha and her husband Jack (the bloggers/cooks) have a wonderful website, FB page and Pinterest page that feature lots of great recipes. I highly recommend their website (see recipe source below)!
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Why This Is Called A “Copycat” Recipe
The recipe is a copycat version of a brand of chicken salad for sandwiches marketed and sold on the East Coast. While I have never tasted the original Willow Tree Chicken Salad, I found this recipe to be almost identical (minus the brown sugar and garlic powder) to the recipe my Mom has been making for years, so I decided to test this version out! YUM!
The chicken salad is very flavorful, not too “mayonnaise-y” (new word!) once ingredients are mixed together, and is inexpensive and very easy to prepare. The recipe makes 4-6 servings, depending on how much chicken salad you use for each sandwich, and it tastes GOOD. If you want to cut out some carbs and not use bread, simply place the chicken salad between lettuce leaves and roll up like a burrito to eat! Here’s how to make this tasty chicken salad:
Shred The Meat For The Chicken Salad For Sandwiches
The recipe calls for cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast. I simply boil the chicken breasts in water until done (the easy way), but however you cook the chicken is up to you.
Once the chicken is cooked, place the chicken breasts in a stand mixer (with the paddle attachment on). Shred the chicken on medium speed until it’s finely shredded. If you want to shred the chicken by hand instead of using a mixer, simply use two forks.
This is how it looks once done. You will have a nice big bowl of finely shredded chicken, and it only takes a couple of minutes!
Add The Rest Of The Ingredients
Add the rest of the ingredients to the shredded chicken (mayonnaise, celery, onion, brown sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper).
Stir all of the chicken salad ingredients well, until thoroughly blended. Take a bite, and add additional salt and/or pepper, to suit your taste. Cover the chicken salad with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Chicken Salad For Sandwiches Is Now Ready To Eat!
When you’re ready to make sandwiches, place the chicken salad on top of lettuce leaves on sandwich bread, cut in half, and serve! That’s it! Pretty easy, right? Keep any leftovers covered in refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
I sure do love summer in Oregon! It is such a blessing to have warmth, sunshine, and blue skies, especially after the wettest, gloomiest Winter and Spring I can recall in several years! Having this chicken salad for sandwiches pre-made and ready is a welcome thing, so we can be outside enjoying the beauty of the Pacific Northwest!
Thanks for stopping by. Be sure to check out ALL my recipes in the Recipe Index, located at the top of the page. Have a great day!
Interested In More Recipes?
Thank you for visiting this website. I appreciate you using some of your valuable time to do so. If you’re interested, I publish a newsletter 2 times per month (1st and 15th) with all the latest recipes, and other fun info. I would be honored to have you join our growing list of subscribers, so you never miss a great recipe!
There is a Newsletter subscription box on the top right side (or bottom) of each blog post, depending on the device you use, where you can easily submit your e-mail address (only) to be included in my mailing list.
You Can Also Find Me On Social Media:
Facebook page: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Pinterest: The Grateful Girl Cooks!
Instagram: jbatthegratefulgirlcooks
Recipe Source: www.afamilyfeast.com/copycat-willow-tree-chicken-salad/
This easy and delicious copycat version of a famous East Coast chicken salad is convenient to have in the refrigerator for a quick sandwich for lunch or dinner!
- 1 pound cooked chicken breast (boneless/skinless), shredded
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3 Tablespoons finely minced celery
- 3 Tablespoons finely minced onion
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (+ more to taste, as desired)
- Place cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a stand mixer (with paddle attachment on). Shred chicken on medium speed until finely shredded. If you want to shred by hand instead of using a mixer, use two forks.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the shredded chicken (celery, onion, brown sugar, garlic powder, salt and pepper). Stir all ingredients well, until thoroughly blended. Take a bite; add additional salt and/or pepper, as desired. Cover salad with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- When ready to make sandwiches, place the chicken salad on top of lettuce leaves on sandwich bread, and serve! Keep leftover chicken salad covered in refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
NOTE: Caloric calculation is based on 6 servings.
*Prep time does not include cooking time for chicken. I simply boiled the chicken in water until done, but however you pre-cook chicken is your choice.
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!