Perfect Chicken Broccoli Salad

If you have tasted Chicken Salad Chick's broccoli salad, you will know that it is a creamy mixture of fresh broccoli, chicken, cheddar cheese, sunflower seeds, mayonnaise, and more.

It is a wonderfully easy dish to make, is wonderful as a main dish, and can even be made up to have ready for lunches throughout the week. Here is how to make Chicken Salad Chick's broccoli salad.

Chicken Salad Chick's Broccoli Salad Recipe Ingredients

• 16 ounces of cooked boneless chicken breast
• 1 ½ pounds broccoli florets
• 2 ounces sunflower seeds
• 8 ounces walnuts
• 4 ounces chopped red onion
• 8 ounces mayonnaise
• 1 ounce of apple cider vinegar
• 4 ounces of Marzetti Slaw Dressing
• 2 ounces white sugar
• Salt, to taste
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• ¾ pound shredded cheese, optional
• 2 ounces of cooked chopped bacon, optional

Chicken Salad Chick's Broccoli Salad Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix the chicken with the broccoli, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and onions in a large bowl.

2. In another bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the vinegar, Marzetti Slaw Dressing, and sugar.

3. Pour the dressing over the broccoli and stir until combined; cover the bowl and let it chill in the refrigerator.

4. When it's chilled, season the salad with salt and pepper, to taste, and stir until combined.

5. Stir in the cheese and bacon if using.

6. Serve your Chicken Salad Chick's broccoli salad immediately.

Is the Chicken Salad Chick's Broccoli Salad Recipe Healthy?

It really depends on the ingredients you are using and how much you use, but this broccoli salad can certainly be a healthy, nutritious choice. The type of chicken (dark meat or white meat) you use will impact the salad's nutrition alongside whether you use bacon bits or not.

Chicken breast meat is generally a healthier choice than dark meat as it is lower in cholesterol and saturated fat.

Preparing the Chicken and Bacon

Prior to preparing your salad, you should prepare the chicken and bacon. Here is how to properly cook the chicken and bacon.

Preparing the Chicken for Chicken Salad Chick's Broccoli Salad

You can use the instructions below to cook your chicken for your Chicken Salad Chick broccoli salad recipe or if you want to use shredded chicken instead, I have another recipe that shows you how to prepare it.

Poached Chicken Ingredients

• 16 ounces of cooked boneless chicken breast
• 1 ½ pounds broccoli florets
• 2 ounces sunflower seeds
• 8 ounces walnuts
• 4 ounces chopped red onion
• 8 ounces mayonnaise
• 2 ounces of apple cider vinegar
• 4 ounces of Marzetti Slaw Dressing
• 2 ounces white sugar
• Salt, to taste Ground black pepper, to taste
• ¾ pound shredded cheese, optional
• 2 ounces of cooked chopped bacon, optional

Poached Chicken Instructions

1. Allow the chicken breasts to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Then, gently pound the chicken breasts with a meat mallet to thin them out a bit.
2. Add a few cups of water to a large pot and stir in the salt. Add the chicken breasts to the pot in a single layer, being careful not to stack them on top of each other.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients alongside more water until the chicken is covered by 1 inch.
4. Place the pot over medium heat and let the contents come to a simmer. Then, reduce the heat to low and gently simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes. To check if the chicken is cooked, use a meat thermometer and see if the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 170 F.
5. If you don't have a meat thermometer, you can check the doneness of the chicken by piercing it with a knife to check that the juices are running clear and aren't pink.
6. Finally, remove the chicken from the poaching liquid and let it cool completely before storing it in the refrigerator or using it in the broccoli salad recipe.

Preparing the Bacon Bits for the Chicken Salad Chick Broccoli Salad

While you can certainly just buy bacon bits at the store, they are often the best if you make them yourself. Here is how to make bacon for Chicken Salad Chick's broccoli salad.

Bacon Bits Ingredients

• 1 pound thick-cut bacon

Bacon Bits Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
2. Stack the bacon slices directly on top of one another in piles that are thin enough for your knife to cut through.
3. Next, slice the bacon strips in half lengthwise. Then, slice the bacon horizontally into chunks, keeping in mind that the bacon chunks will shrink down when they cook.
4. Place the bacon in a cast iron pan and cook them for just a couple of minutes over medium-high heat on the stove.
5. Transfer the cast iron pan to the oven and bake the bacon for 25 to 30 minutes in a 425 F oven, checking every 5-7 minutes to give the bacon a stir.
6. Once cooked, remove the bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain it on paper towels.

Storing Your Salad

If you have any leftovers of Chicken Salad Chick's broccoli salad or you decided to make it in advance, it's totally fine to store it in the fridge to maximize the shelf life of your salad.

Simply store your Chicken Salad Chick's broccoli salad in an airtight container. Then, leave it in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.

However, if you would like your salad to keep for longer, you can put it in the freezer. Here is what you need to do to store Chicken Salad Chick's broccoli salad in the freezer:

• Store Chicken Salad Chick's broccoli salad in freezer-safe containers or bags. Just make sure to remove as much air as possible.
• Your Chicken Salad Chick's broccoli salad should stay in the freezer for up to 2-3 months when properly stored.

When you decide to eat your Chicken Salad Chick's broccoli salad, you should:

• Thaw it in the refrigerator.
• If you see any excess liquids, pour them off.
• Stir in some additional mayonnaise or Miracle Whip if needed.

What to Serve With Chicken Salad Chick's Broccoli Salad

If you want to pair something with your broccoli salad for a full meal, you can serve it with these dishes:

• Hash Browns
• Ina Garten's Shepherds Pie

For dessert, you can serve:

• Chocobananos - Chocolate Covered Bananas
• Ice Cream

Continue to Content

Perfect Chicken Broccoli Salad

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

If you have tasted Chicken Salad Chick’s broccoli salad, you will know that it is a creamy mixture of fresh broccoli, chicken, cheddar cheese, sunflower seeds, mayonnaise, and more. It is a wonderfully easy dish to make, is wonderful as a main dish, and can even be made up to have ready for lunches throughout the week. Here is how to make Chicken Salad Chick’s broccoli salad.

Print

Ingredients

• 16 ounces of cooked boneless chicken breast
• 1 ½ pounds broccoli florets
• 2 ounces sunflower seeds
• 8 ounces walnuts
• 4 ounces chopped red onion
• 8 ounces mayonnaise
• 1 ounce of apple cider vinegar
• 4 ounces of Marzetti Slaw Dressing
• 2 ounces white sugar
• Salt, to taste
• Ground black pepper, to taste
• ¾ pound shredded cheese, optional
• 2 ounces of cooked chopped bacon, optional

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, mix the chicken with the broccoli, sunflower seeds, walnuts, and onions in a large bowl.
2. In another bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the vinegar, Marzetti Slaw dressing, and sugar.
3. Pour the dressing over the broccoli and stir until combined; cover the bowl and let it chill in the refrigerator.
4. When it’s chilled, season the salad with salt and pepper, to taste, and stir until combined.
5. Stir in the cheese and bacon if using.
6. Serve your Chicken Salad Chick’s broccoli salad immediately.

Notes

• These instructions include already-cooked chicken and bacon. Please see the instructions for cooking the chicken and bacon earlier in the article.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 916Total Fat: 55gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 28gCholesterol: 202mgSodium: 2148mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 7gSugar: 24gProtein: 67g