Flavorful BLT Chicken Salad (Amy’s Recipe!)

Introduction & Inspiration

Get ready for a chicken salad that takes all the irresistible flavors of a classic BLT sandwich and transforms them into a wonderfully hearty and flavorful salad! This “Amy’s BLT Chicken Salad” is a fantastic combination of tender chopped cooked chicken, crispy crumbled bacon, sweet cherry tomatoes, crunchy celery, and a bit of sharp red onion, all brought together with a simple yet perfectly balanced creamy dressing. It’s a true delight!

My inspiration for this recipe comes from wanting to elevate standard chicken salad into something more exciting and texturally interesting. The BLT is such a beloved sandwich, and incorporating those key elements – bacon, tomato, and the spirit of lettuce (represented here by the crisp veggies and how you might serve it) – into a chicken salad base makes for an incredible flavor explosion.

This salad is perfect for lunches, light dinners, picnics, or potlucks. It’s easy to whip up, especially if you have leftover cooked chicken, and it’s always a crowd-pleaser. It is a perfect chicken salad recipe.

Nostalgic Appeal / Comfort Factor

Both chicken salad and BLT sandwiches are deeply rooted in American comfort food traditions. Chicken salad often evokes memories of picnics, deli lunches, or simple homemade sandwiches. The BLT, with its iconic trio of bacon, lettuce, and tomato, is a classic diner staple and a universally loved sandwich.

This recipe beautifully marries these two comfort food giants. You get the creamy, savory satisfaction of chicken salad, wonderfully enhanced by the smoky, salty crunch of bacon and the juicy sweetness of fresh tomatoes. It’s a familiar yet exciting combination that hits all the right comforting notes.

It’s a satisfying, flavorful salad that feels both classic and refreshingly new. A perfect comfort food salad.

Homemade Focus

This recipe celebrates the delicious results of creating a flavorful salad from scratch using fresh ingredients and simple techniques. While you can conveniently use pre-cooked chicken (like rotisserie or leftovers), the focus here is on cooking your bacon until perfectly crisp, chopping fresh tomatoes, celery, and red onion for maximum flavor and crunch, and whisking together a simple, tangy homemade mayonnaise-based dressing.

Making the dressing yourself allows you to control the balance of lemon, salt, and seasonings, perfectly complementing the savory chicken and bacon. The fresh preparation of the vegetables ensures they retain their crispness and vibrancy.

It’s about combining these fresh, homemade elements to create a chicken salad that’s far superior in taste and texture to most store-bought versions. The homemade dressing is key.

Flavor Goal

The primary flavor goal is a harmonious blend of savory cooked chicken, smoky and salty crispy bacon, sweet and juicy cherry tomatoes, crunchy celery and red onion, all enveloped in a creamy, tangy, and well-seasoned mayonnaise dressing.

The chicken should be tender and flavorful. The bacon must be crisp to provide essential textural contrast. The tomatoes add sweetness and acidity, while the celery and red onion contribute fresh crunch and a mild pungent bite. The dressing, flavored with lemon juice, garlic powder, and onion powder, should be creamy but not overly heavy, perfectly coating all the ingredients and tying them together.

The overall experience should be a rich, savory, creamy, crunchy, and fresh-tasting chicken salad that truly captures the essence of a BLT in every bite. A perfect balance between flavour and texture.

Ingredient Insights

• Cooked Chicken (Chopped): The protein base. Use leftover grilled or roasted chicken, rotisserie chicken, or quickly poach/bake chicken breasts and then chop or shred. About 3 cups.
• Bacon (Diced and Cooked Crisp): Essential for the “B” in BLT! Adds smoky, salty flavor and crucial crispy texture. Cook until very crisp, then drain well and crumble or dice. (1 pound before cooking will yield a generous amount).
• Cherry Tomatoes (Cut in half): Provide sweetness, juiciness, and color. Grape tomatoes also work.
• Red Onion (Diced Small): Adds a sharp, pungent bite that complements the richness. Dice it small for even distribution.
• Celery (Diced): Contributes essential fresh crunch and mild flavor.
• Mayonnaise (Light used, but regular works): The creamy base for the dressing. Use your favorite brand.
• Lemon Juice: Adds brightness and acidity to the dressing, cutting through the richness of the mayo and bacon. Freshly squeezed is best.
• Seasonings (Salt, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Black Pepper): Flavor the dressing and enhance the overall salad. Adjust salt carefully due to bacon.

Essential Equipment

• Large Mixing Bowl: For combining all the salad ingredients.
• Small Bowl: For whisking together the dressing.
• Whisk or Fork: For making the dressing smooth.
• Skillet: For cooking bacon until crisp (if not using pre-cooked).
• Knife & Cutting Board: For chopping chicken (if needed), dicing bacon, halving tomatoes, dicing onion and celery.
• Paper Towels: For draining cooked bacon.
• Measuring Cups & Spoons:

Ingredients

(Original recipe yields 8 servings)

Salad:

• ▢ 3 cups cooked chicken, chopped (from about 1-1.5 lbs raw chicken breast)
• ▢ 1 pound bacon, diced and cooked until crisp, drained
• ▢ 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• ▢ 1/2 small red onion, diced small
• ▢ 2 stalks celery, diced

Dressing:

• ▢ 1/2 cup mayonnaise (light or regular)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste, bacon is salty)
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prepare Cooked Ingredients:

• If not using pre-cooked chicken, cook your chicken (grill, bake, or poach) until done, let it cool, and then chop or shred it into bite-sized pieces. You’ll need about 3 cups.
• Cook the diced bacon in a skillet over medium heat until very crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain it well on paper towels. Once cooled slightly, crumble or keep as small diced pieces.

2. Prepare Fresh Ingredients:

• Wash and halve the cherry tomatoes.
• Dice the red onion finely.
• Wash and dice the celery stalks.
• Place the prepared chicken, crumbled bacon, halved tomatoes, diced red onion, and diced celery in a large mixing bowl.

3. Make the Dressing:

• In a separate small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper until smooth and well combined.
• Taste the dressing and adjust salt and pepper if needed. Start with a little salt, as the bacon will add saltiness to the salad.

4. Combine Salad and Dressing:

• Pour the prepared dressing over the chicken and vegetable mixture in the large bowl.
• Stir gently but thoroughly with a large spoon or spatula until all the ingredients are evenly coated with the dressing.

5. Serve or Chill:

• You can serve the BLT Chicken Salad right away.
• Alternatively, for best flavor, cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to an hour (or longer) to allow the flavors to meld together.
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. (Food safety note from original: If the salad sits out at room temperature for more than 2 hours, leftovers should be discarded).

Troubleshooting

• Salad Too Dry: Not enough mayonnaise for the volume of chicken and other ingredients. Add more mayonnaise, a tablespoon at a time, until desired creaminess is reached. A splash of milk or extra lemon juice can also help moisten.
• Salad Too Wet: Used very juicy tomatoes, or mayo was very thin. Ensure tomatoes aren’t overly watery.
• Bacon Not Crispy: Bacon wasn’t cooked long enough or became soft after mixing with dressing. Cook bacon until very crisp. For maximum crispness, consider stirring in half the bacon initially and sprinkling the other half on top just before serving.
• Flavors Bland: Needs more salt, pepper, lemon juice, or seasonings in the dressing. Taste and adjust. Ensure ingredients (especially chicken if cooked plain) were adequately seasoned.

Tips and Variations

• Crispy Bacon: Cook bacon until truly crisp for the best texture contrast. Drain it very well.
• Chicken Prep: Rotisserie chicken is a fantastic time-saver for this recipe.
• Red Onion Mellowing: If red onion is too strong for your taste, soak the diced onion in cold water for 10-15 minutes, then drain thoroughly before adding to the salad.
• Add Lettuce: Serve the chicken salad over a bed of crisp romaine or iceberg lettuce for a more traditional “salad” presentation, or mix some shredded lettuce directly into the salad for extra crunch.
• Avocado: Diced avocado is a delicious and creamy addition (add just before serving to prevent browning).
• Cheese: A sprinkle of shredded cheddar or crumbled blue cheese would complement the flavors.
• Pasta: Turn it into a BLT Chicken Pasta Salad by adding 2-3 cups of cooked, cooled small pasta shapes (like rotini or small shells). You may need to increase the dressing amount.
• Serving Formats: Delicious in sandwiches (on toasted bread or croissants), in wraps, stuffed into pita pockets, served in lettuce cups, or with crackers.

Serving and Pairing Suggestions

• Serve Chilled or Cool Room Temperature: Best when flavors have melded.
• Sandwiches/Wraps: Perfect filling for sandwiches on toasted bread, croissants, or in flour tortillas/lettuce wraps.
• On Greens: Serve a scoop over a bed of fresh lettuce.
• With Crackers/Chips: Offer as a hearty dip or spread with sturdy crackers or pita chips.
• Picnics & Lunches: A fantastic make-ahead option.

Nutritional Information

(Note: Estimated, per serving, assuming 6-8 servings. Highly variable based on mayonnaise type (light vs. full-fat), bacon leanness/amount, chicken type.)

• Calories: 300-450+
• Fat: 20-35g+
• Saturated Fat: 4-8g+
• Cholesterol: 60-90mg+
• Sodium: 500-800mg+ (Bacon and added salt contribute significantly)
• Total Carbohydrates: 5-10g+
• Dietary Fiber: 1-2g+
• Sugars: 3-6g+
• Protein: 20-30g+

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Recipe Summary and Q&A

Summary: Amy’s BLT Chicken Salad combines chopped cooked chicken, crispy diced bacon, halved cherry tomatoes, diced red onion, and diced celery in a large bowl. A simple creamy dressing is made by whisking together mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper. The dressing is then stirred into the chicken and vegetable mixture until well combined. The salad can be served immediately or chilled to allow flavors to meld.

Q&A:

• Q: What kind of cooked chicken is best for this salad?
  • A: Any kind of plainly cooked chicken works well! Rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut. Leftover grilled or baked chicken breast or thighs are also perfect. You can also quickly poach or pan-fry chicken breasts and then chop them.
• Q: Can I make this salad ahead of time?
  • A: Yes, this salad is excellent made ahead. In fact, the flavors often improve after chilling for a few hours or even overnight. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you want to maintain maximum bacon crispness, you could stir in most of the bacon and reserve some to sprinkle on top just before serving.
• Q: My dressing seems a bit thick. What can I do?
  • A: If the dressing is thicker than you prefer, you can whisk in a tiny splash of milk, water, or even a bit more lemon juice until it reaches your desired consistency.
• Q: Can I use a different type of onion?
  • A: Yes. Green onions (scallions) would offer a milder flavor. Sweet Vidalia onion would also be less pungent than red onion. Adjust the amount based on the onion’s strength.