Learn how to make NYC deli chicken salad like a pro! It’s easy, and you can pile it high on rye bread, just like at your favorite deli. Serve it up with a pickle and a side of coleslaw—even from your home in Florida!
Today, we're heading out on the water with friends, and I'm bringing along some chicken salad sandwiches. Check out this delicious recipe, and learn to make chicken salad just like they do in the New York City delis!
My Top Chicken Salad Advice
Chicken: You need soft chicken. The best chicken for chicken salad is this poached chicken breasts recipe. To poach, cook the chicken breasts in a pot of water kept just below boiling. This method keeps the chicken tender and juicy, perfect for that classic deli-style texture. Check the recipe for the details.
Celery: Crunch celery is must-have in classic chicken salad. If your celery has leaves on it, you can chop up a few tablespoons and add it in. The leaves have tons of flavor and they're a good filler to make a little more chicken salad.
Mayonnaise: For that authentic NYC deli flavor, I use Hellmann’s mayonnaise. Down here in Florida, they love Duke’s—it’s good too!
Ingredients
- Chicken Breast
- Mayonnaise
- Celery
- Chopped parsley (optional, but it has good color and a little extra flavor.)
- Kosher salt
Chicken salad is all about the chicken. Kosher chickens are brined to make them kosher and they have more flavor than a standard chicken. A regular supermarket chicken can be flat tasting so if your salad needs more flavor add a little lemon juice, salt, or any of the mix-ins listed below.
Optional mix-ins: Lemon juice, grated yellow onion (on the big holes of a box grater), dill, chopped sour pickles, and yellow mustard can be added for more flavor.
How to Make Chicken Salad
- Place the chicken breasts in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Let the chicken cool.
- Once cooled, shred the chicken using two forks or chop it into small pieces.
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, mayonnaise, celery, and parsley.
- Season with salt to taste.
We have a full post about poaching chicken, a great way to cook chicken for chicken salad.
How to Serve Chicken Salad
- Scoop chicken salad onto rye bread, rolls, baguettes, croissants, bialys, or a big fat bagel.
- For low-carb, spoon the chicken salad into large lettuce leaves like romaine or butter lettuce and make lettuce wraps.
- Hollow out an avocado half and fill it with chicken salad for a creamy, nutrient-packed serving.
- Make a big salad with a generous scoop of chicken salad over a bed of mixed greens, sliced cucumber, and cherry tomatoes.
Sides for Chicken Salad
- Half sour pickles
- Potato chips
- Coleslaw
- Macaroni Salad
- Potato Salad
- Green salad
- Tomato soup
Storage
Place the chicken salad in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Do not freeze.
More Creamy Deli Salad Recipes
Where to Get a Great Chicken Salad Sandwich
Zabar's on Manhattan's Upper West side, makes great creamy chicken salad. The ingredients are chicken, celery, mayonnaise. That's it!
A chicken salad sandwich at the Second Avenue Deli on the Upper East Side will set you back $20.95...OMG! Good thing we moved to Florida!
Bagel Boss, from Long Island, also makes great bagels with lox, chicken salad, whitefish salad, and all the rest. They have locations all over Florida and New York.
Ben's Deli, originally from Baldwin, NY, has made it to Boca Raton. The Baldwin restaurant is long gone, but you can get all you kosher deli favorites in Boca. From corned beef and pastrami to chicken salad and hot knishes, it's all at Ben's Kosher Deli.
FAQ
New York chicken salad is made with white meat chicken for starters. Hellman's mayo gives it its signature taste and NY delis don't try to cover the chicken in a sea of mustard and relish. Many of these ingredients are cheap fillers so the chef could use less chicken. Years ago, they used to add breadcrumbs to creamy salads and people didn't even know. Its harder to do today because of the gluten free movement, but I'm sure some still do it.
Yes, you can make chicken salad in advance! In fact, it often tastes even better after a few hours in the fridge so the flavors have time to meld together. Store it in an airtight container and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
How To Make NYC Deli Chicken Salad
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 4 chicken breast halves
- ½ cup mayonnaise (add more or less to your liking)
- ½ cup finely chopped celery (2 stalks)
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Place the chicken breasts in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Let the chicken cool.
- Once cooled, shred the chicken using two forks or chop it into small pieces.
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, mayonnaise, celery, and parlsey.
- Season with additional salt if needed.
Notes
Nutrition
For more recipes, visit our full recipe index. We specialize in cooking fresh fish and seafood from the warm waters of the Florida Keys. Originally from New York, we like the best of the best and while we can't get a bagel, the fresh fish swimming outside, are delicious in every way.
Barry says
A++++ recipe! Just like the deli.
Felice Kaufman says
❤️❤️❤️