Satisfy your craving for sweet pickle chicken salad with this recipe inspired by Olivia’s Old South—perfectly creamy and sweet! It’s a dish that will become a favorite for picnics, lunches, and gatherings.
Copycat Sweet Pickle Chicken Salad: A Perfect Crunchy Bite
If you’re a fan of the famous Olivia’s Old South chicken salad at Chicken Salad Chick, you’re in for a treat! This copycat recipe has finely chopped chicken and sweet pickles capturing the essence of the popular chicken salad.
Choosing the Right Chicken
For the best texture and flavor, selecting the right chicken is essential. This recipe calls for cooked chicken breast or tenders, and it’s recommended to boil your chicken for the best results. Avoid using rotisserie chicken, which may lead to a mushy consistency when mixed with the other ingredients.
Preparing Olivia’s Old South Copycat Sweet Pickle Chicken Salad
Chop the chicken in a food processor to give it the same texture as the salads at Chicken Salad Chick. A food processor produces a consistent texture and makes chopping fast and easy. It also lets you chop it much finer than with a knife.
Ingredient List for Olivia’s Old South Copycat Sweet Pickle Chicken Salad
Chicken Breast: Chopped in a food processor to create a uniform texture.
Celery: Minced fine to add extra crunch.
Mayonnaise: Binds the salad together and adds flavor.
Hard-boiled Egg: Chopped fine and adds flavor to the salad.
Sweet Pickles: Adds sweetness and crunch to the salad.
Yellow Mustard: Helps balance the sweetness of the pickles.
Sweet Pickle Juice: Sweetens the salad.
Salt: Balances the sweet pickle juice.
Lemon Juice: Brightens the flavor of the salad.
Sweet Pickles
Use any sweet pickles, cubed or whole. Chop cubed pickles finer if they are in large chunks. Here is a recipe for delicious 14-Day Sweet Pickles preserved for use throughout the year.
Serving Ideas
This chicken salad is incredibly versatile and can be served in various ways. Whether you’re piling it onto a bed of greens, spreading it on fresh sandwiches, or creating appetizers in mini phyllo shells, it’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Pair it with crispy crackers or freshly baked bread for a delightful meal.
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Olivia’s Old South Copycat Chicken Salad
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked chicken breast (or tenders), chopped (see note for calculating the amount of chicken needed)
- ¼ cup celery, minced
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 large hard-boiled egg, chopped fine
- ½ cup sweet pickles, chopped
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
- 2 tablespoons sweet pickle juice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Boil the chicken with a piece of onion, a stem of celery, and a little salt and pepper for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is 165 degrees F inside. Cutting the chicken into chunks will help it cook quicker if the breasts are thick. Remove the chicken from the water and let cool for a few minutes.
- Cut the chicken into smaller pieces, place it into a food processor, and process until it is finely chopped. Move the chicken to a large mixing bowl.
- Chop the celery, pickles, and egg and stir into the chopped chicken.
- Mix the mayonnaise, mustard, pickle juice, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to make a dressing. Pour it over the chicken and stir. Serve chilled.