This Chicken Salad with Peppadews and Olives is tangy and flavorful! Delicious for sandwiches, in lettuce cups or on its own!
Hi guys. I’ll let you in on a little secret about myself.
I don’t like change. Like at all.
When it comes to food, I’m always open to try new things, but to actually defer from tried and true recipes to something totally out of the box takes a lot.
I’ve been making and enjoying the same homemade chicken salad for years. It’s a staple for girls weekend when I’m hosting. All my girlfriends LOVE it.
It’s a classic. White meat chicken, onion, celery, a bit of mayo and fresh tarragon. It’s simple, yet totally delicious.
So when I received a copy of Teri Turner’s new cookbook, no crumbs left, Recipes for Everyday Food Made Marvelous and spotted her recipe for Teri’s Favorite Chicken Salad, to say the least, I was intrigued.
I went through the list of ingredients and WOW, I could already taste it. White meat chicken, peppadews (my favorite), olives, celery, onion, chives all tossed with a bit of mayo that’s combined with the brine from the peppadews.
Holy Moly! It’s perfect served on bread as a sandwich, in lettuce cups or on its own.
Teri says the secret to the recipe is blending the peppadew peppers with some of their brine along with some mayo to create a “magic elixir” and I couldn’t agree more. Such flavor and something so out of the box, I wish I’d thought of it!
And if you’re not familiar with Teri Turner, you need to be. She’s the creator of the food and lifestyle blog No Crumbs Left. Her passion for cooking is infectious and her recipes, most of which are gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and Whole30 Compliant are simple and incredibly delish!
Change is good friends! Enjoy!
I’m so excited about Teri’s new book that I’ve joined my friends at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to give away a copy to one lucky winner! The giveaway starts today, June 3rd and will run through Friday, June 7th. Just leave a comment below to enter. I will annouce the winner on my IG Stories on Saturday, June 8th. Good luck!
A Few Cook’s Notes for Chicken Salad with Peppadews and Olives Recipe:
I used a high-quality mayo for this recipe, but to make it Whole30, use a Whole30 mayo.
You can find peppadews in a jar or at your local market at the salad bar area. If you grab the peppadews from the salad bar, don’t forget to add some of the brine to make the sauce.
Chicken Salad with Peppadews and Olives
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Chicken
- 3 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Sauce
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise, high quality, or Whole 30 Mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup whole peppadews, plus 1/4 cup brine
To Assemble Salad
- 1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup Cerignola olives, pitted and chopped
- 1/2 cup peppadew peppers, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh chives, finely chopped
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic
- bread for sandwiches, crackers, tortilla chips, lettuce cups for serving, if desired
Instructions
Chicken
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Coat chicken with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on prepared sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and baste with juices. Return to oven and continue to bake for 5-10 more minutes, until chicken is cooked through and skin is browed and crispy. Remove from oven and let cool.
Sauce
- In a blender, combine mayo, whole peppadews and brine and blend until well combined. Set mixture aside.
Assembling the Salad
- When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and set aside. Pull meat off the bones, discarding red pieces, cartilage and any imperfections. Roughly chop crispiest bits of skin and reserve for croutons for the top of the salad. Measure 3 cups of the chicken, reserving the rest for another recipe.
- Divide the 3 cups of chicken into 2 groups: perfectly moist pieces in one, and dry not perfect pieces in another. Roughly chop the perfect pieces and add to a bowl. Add drier pieces to food processor and pulse for 5 seconds. Add pulsed chicken to chicken in bowl.
- Add the celery, olives, chopped peppadews, onion, chives, salt and pepper and granulated garlic to the bowl, tossing to combine. Top with 3/4 of the sauce and toss well. Add more sauce, if desired. Top with crispy skin pieces.
- Serve with bread, lettuce cups, crackers or chips.
Not a big fan of change over here either!! What I am a fun of, though, is this delicious, hearty salad! Sounds like a great book, Mary Ann! Love the olives in there :) Pinned! Happy Monday!
I can’t tell you how delicious this is Dawn! I’m loving all the flavor. Peppadews are my favorite so it was genius to add them and some of the brine to the sauce. You’d love Teri’s book!
I used to eat chicken salad sandwiches all the time but I haven’t had one in years. This has definitely kicked in a craving. Loving the added flavour from the peppadews and olives. Perfect light lunch for summer days!
It’s so incredibly tasty Leigh Ann! I LOVE the peppadew flavor! So different!
Absolutely perfect one to use chicken BBQ leftovers the next day :-)
Yes! Hope you give it a try.
I love how there are options with this recipe – delicious as a salad, great as a lettuce wrap, lovely in a sandwich, Yum yum yum!
Yes, so many delicious options Alex. Hope you enjoy it if you give it a try!
Nothing like a good chicken salad sandwich and Teri’s sure fits the bill! Have you tried her marinated red onions yet? Game changer!! Thanks for sharing, Mary Ann! Have a great week! Pinned!
Yes, I have! Soooooo good! I’m going to be cooking my way through her entire book!
I love that each of us can make this a different way, looks like the perfect meal for the entire family!
Yes, this one’s a winner Matt! Bet everyone would enjoy it!
Love this flavor combo for chicken salad! Looks so good! Perfect lunch idea!
It really is sooo delicious Leigh Ann! I love the classic, but this, for sure, is my new favorite!
I’m with you when it comes to change. CAN’T TAKE IT! But mixing things up in the kitchen is something I can manage–this looks awesome!
Lol Kelsie! Thanks so much!
oh my goodness, I LOVE that you are sharing Teri’s book! I am joining her in Houston on her book tour on Wednesday! She is the best and this cookbook is incredible! love this chicken salad!!! I’ll be making it soon too!
I’d love to meet her too Alice! Hope you have a great time!
I love this, it looks and sounds scrumptious! What a wonderful twist on chicken salad, so many great flavors going on!
It’s so incredibly flavorful Chris. Peppadews have always been my favorite!
Mary Ann – I saw the word “Peppadew” and I knew this was a recipe for me! I totally love the tried and true Chicken Salad, too, but add peppadews to anything and I’m all over it! Thanks for the recipe! And that cookbook sounds fantastic!
Me too Laura! This one is a MUST try!
Hah, Mary Ann! I’m glad you tried something out of your comfort zone! This salad sounds awesome. I would love to make a batch to last me all week for lunches! Anything with olives and I’m in. Looks like a great cookbook!
You would love this one Katherine. So much flavor! Teri’s book is fabulous!
haha…I’m the SAME about change and I too have a go-to Chicken Salad. But I’ll tell you what – after reading your rave reviews of this one, I’m all in on giving it a try!
Hope you enjoy it Marissa!
Teri is absolutely terrific and I totally need to get my hands on her book!! I have a weird obsession with peppadews, so this chicken salad is EVERYTHING to me!!!! Creamy, flavorful and absolutely perfect for salads, sammies or just eating with a shovel! ;) Pinned!
You’re going to love it Chey! It’s totally delish!
Whew, the chicken salad recipe sounds just fantastic. I am such a chicken salad fan….this one is pinned and will be made sooner than later. Excited about the book, too!! Thanks!
You’re going to LOVE this recipe Trish. Teri’s book is absolutely fabulous! Good luck!
Looks delicious. Can’t wait to try it on AkMak crackers. Relatively new subscriber and loving what I am seeing. Teri’s cookbook sounds amazing. I appreciate simple recipes with a twist.
Thanks so much Pam! So happy you found the BHK and are enjoying what you’re seeing! Good luck!
I love chicken salad, but I’m a lot like you – I always make it the same way! I’m going to need to give this version a try because it looks fabulous. The cover of that cookbook looks gorgeous!
You’re going to love it Kathy! Something so different and so flavorful!
This looks amazing and I cannot wait to try this!!
Enjoy Ronda!
This looks delicious and perfect for summer. Can’t wait to try it!
Hope you enjoy it Julie! Good luck!
This looks absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to try it out this weekend!! ????????
Enjoy Valerie and good luck!
Looks delicious!
It is Leslie! Good luck!
Such a perfect lunch! So full of flavour. Looks like a fabulous cookbook to add to my collection :)
It’s my new fave Jennifer and that says a lot since I’ve been enjoying the same chicken salad recipe for like ever!
This looks absolutely fabulous! I’m definitely going to make it over the weekend. And, now I’m dying to see what else is in this book- our friend Lori P. told me that she saw it the last time she visited and that it is beautiful. So excited!
You’re going to really enjoy it Michelle! Teri’s book is fabulous! Good luck!
So excited for Teri and her new book… and in Teri form, this recipe (and her book) looks absolutely fabulous! I adore peppadews, so I know I would looooove this, and that magic elixir! You’ve (and Teri) have given me a new idea for a recipe… Thank you for your inspiration and sharing Teri’s fabulous work with us!
You’re so welcome Traci! Teri’s magic elixer is sooooo good!
Yummy I live a cold salad in the summer, no need to heat up the oven
Yes! Me too Jan!
I love your recipes and when we move to OCNJ this month I am going to start trying some of them. This chicken salad looks delicious and I hope to try it!
Thanks so much Martine! Welcome to the Jersey Shore!
This looks absolutely dreamy ???? adding to my menu for girls lunch next week!
Hope you enjoy it Brittany!
I’m with you on not liking change! I would definitely try this, though. I received a copy of Teri’s book too and it’s gorgeous!
Isn’t it just? So many delicious recipes. I’ll be cooking my way through Natasha!
Thank you so much for introducing me to Teri’s blog and book! Can’t wait to try this recipe and very happy to have an excuse to run into the Mouse Trap to look for peppadews.
You’re so welcome Mary Beth! Hope you enjoy it!
Ooo, this sounds delish! Thank you for a chance to win the book! If all the recipes are this wonderful, it would be fun to try every recipe. Hope you have a lovely weekend!
You too Diane!
Change can be good:)
Yes it can!!
Adding the brine makes all the difference!! I love this chicken salad and it’s always so good in a salad cup to be eaten just so or between two slices of bread!
I totally agree Joanne! It’s like a magic elixir for sure!
This chicken salad in lettuce cups! Oh yes! Definitely a lunch win!
Agreed Lindsay!
Ooh, I’ll have to try this! I love fried chicken but with a toddler we have to watch what we serve at meals! Now I can have fried chicken again!
Enjoy!