Delicious and Nutritious Brazilian Chicken Salad Recipe
Indulge in a taste of Brazil and transport yourself to the lively streets of Rio with this delicious Brazilian Chicken Salad, also known as Salpicao Especial De Galinha. This colorful salad is a staple in every Brazilian household, and once you take a bite, you’ll understand why.
With its vibrant ingredients and bold flavors, this salad is perfect for any occasion. Whether you’re hosting a dinner party or looking for a healthy lunch option, this salad will not disappoint. It’s easy to make and packed with protein and veggies that will leave you feeling satisfied and energized.
At the heart of this dish is the boneless skinless chicken breast, poached until it’s tender and juicy. The chicken is then pulled into small shreds and tossed with fresh veggies like apples, carrots, and frozen corn kernels. The addition of seedless raisins and stuffed green olives adds a sweet and tangy kick that balances out the creaminess of the mayonnaise dressing.
Topped with crunchy shoestring potatoes, this Brazilian Chicken Salad is simple yet full of texture and flavor. So what are you waiting for? Let’s dive in and experience Brazil’s culinary wonders through every mouthful.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
If you’re a fan of Brazilian food or looking to try something new, this recipe is sure to impress. Not only is it packed with flavor, but it’s also incredibly easy to make. Here’s why you’ll love this Brazilian chicken salad (aka Salpicao Especial de Galinha) recipe:
First and foremost, the combination of flavors in this dish is nothing short of amazing. With each bite, you’ll experience the perfect balance of tangy, sweet, salty, and savory. The mix of ingredients such as stuffed green olives, seedless raisins, apples, carrots, and chicken perfectly complement each other in every way possible.
Secondly, this salad recipe is versatile and customizable. You can easily make substitutions and variations by swapping ingredients that you may not have on hand. For example, if you don’t have apple on hand, you could substitute it for pear or use dried cranberries instead of raisins.
Thirdly, the recipe features shredded chicken breast which is not only high in protein but also low-fat. You can feel good about indulging in this dish without the guilt!
Lastly, another reason why you’ll love this recipe is that it lends itself to be paired with so many different sides. It’s perfect for a quick lunch or a light dinner accompanied by potato sticks or a side cheesy salad.
In summary, the Salpicao Especial de Galinha recipe is a true gem in the world of Brazilian cuisine. Don’t hesitate to give it a try – I guarantee that you won’t regret it!
Ingredient List
To make this Brazilian Chicken Salad, you will need the following ingredients:
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts – Poached, cooled and pulled into small shreds
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 1 apple – Peeled and cut into small cubes
- 1 carrot – Peeled and shredded
- ½ cup seedless raisins
- ½ cup stuffed green olives – Chopped into small pieces
- 2 cups shoestring potatoes
- ½ cup mayonnaise
All ingredients are easily accessible at your go-to grocery store. You can also add extra ingredients such as cheese or modify the measurements according to your liking.
The Recipe How-To
Step 1: Cook and Shred the Chicken
First, I poach 2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts in water until fully cooked. Once cooled, I pull the chicken into small shreds using a fork.
Tip: You can also use store-bought rotisserie chicken to save time.
Step 2: Prepare the Vegetables and Fruits
Next, I dice one apple, grate one carrot, and pour a ½ cup of frozen corn kernels into a bowl.
Step 3: Add the Extras
To give my salad some extra texture and flavor, I add a quarter cup each of diced stuffed green olives and seedless raisins.
Step 4: Combine All Ingredients
In a large mixing bowl, I combine all ingredients along with a cup of shoestring potatoes. Then, I add one cup of mayonnaise to bind the salad together until all ingredients are evenly coated.
Tip: Adjust the amount of mayo according to your preference for creaminess.
Step 5: Serve Chilled
I move the salad to the refrigerator and chill it for an hour before serving. This dish can be served on its own or alongside your favorite entree.
Enjoy your mouth-watering Brazilian chicken salad aka Salpicao Especial De Galinha!
Substitutions and Variations
As with any recipe, there are always substitutions and variations to fit personal taste preferences and ingredient availability. Here are some suggestions to adapt the Brazilian Chicken Salad recipe:
– Vegetarian option: For a vegetarian twist, you could replace the chicken with chickpeas or tofu.
– Condiments: The recipe calls for mayonnaise as a binding agent, but you could also use Greek yogurt or sour cream for a tangier flavor. Additionally, adding Dijon mustard or honey can enhance the salad’s flavor profile.
– Fruits and vegetables: The recipe includes diced apples and shredded carrots, but feel free to add other fruits or veggies such as diced pineapples, berries, grapes, avocados, or cucumbers.
– Proteins: Rather than using chicken breasts, you could use leftover rotisserie chicken or even canned tuna. You could also make it with shredded pork or beef.
– Toppings: A traditional Brazilian Salpicao salad is usually topped with shoestring potatoes (batata palha) and stuffed green olives. If these ingredients are not available, you can substitute the potatoes with regular potato chips or French fries. Instead of olives, capers or pickled onions are great alternatives.
Brazilian cuisine has many tasty dishes to offer. So, let your creativity shine by trying different substitutions and variations when making this Brazilian Chicken Salad (Salpicao Especial de Galinha) recipe. You never know what new flavor combinations you may discover!
Serving and Pairing
This colorful and flavorful Brazilian chicken salad is a versatile dish that can be served in multiple ways. It can be enjoyed as a light meal or a side dish, making it perfect for a warm summer day.
For serving, I recommend arranging the salad on a large platter and topping it with crispy shoestring potatoes for that extra crunch. The potatoes also add an interesting texture to the dish, creating a balance with the tender chicken and juicy vegetables.
As for pairing, this chicken salad goes well with various side dishes such as sliced bread, crackers, or tortilla chips. The mild flavor of the salad makes it easy to pair with any accompaniment, be it sweet or savory. In fact, it’s a great dish to bring to potlucks or picnics because it pairs well with other foods without overpowering them.
Furthermore, this Brazilian dish can also be used in creative ways such as a filling for sandwiches or wraps. Adding cheese to the sandwich can create an enhanced flavor profile that draws out the various components in the salad.
Overall, this chicken salad salpicao is a delicious and healthful meal that can be presented in different ways and paired with various dishes, making it an ideal choice for culinary adventures.
Make-Ahead, Storing and Reheating
This Brazilian Chicken Salad, aka Salpicao Especial De Galinha, recipe can be easily made a day ahead, making it perfect for those who want to have a delicious and satisfying dish but don’t have the time to cook on the day.
To make this dish ahead of time, simply follow the recipe instructions and store the completed chicken salad in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The flavors will continue to develop as they sit, leading to even tastier results when ready to eat.
When ready to serve, take the chicken salad out from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes to take the chill off. This will help bring out its full flavor.
To reheat leftovers, place it in a microwave-safe container and heat on high for about 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Another option is to heat it in a skillet over medium-low heat until warm.
It is important not to overheat the salad when reheating as it may cause the mayonnaise to break down and lead to an unappealing texture.
Leftovers can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. After that period, we recommend discarding them for safety reasons.
If you plan on storing leftovers for later consumption, be sure to refrigerate immediately after serving and do not let it sit at room temperature for more than two hours.
Tips for Perfect Results
Achieving perfect results is crucial when preparing the Brazilian Chicken Salad. This dish requires careful attention to detail and preparation to ensure that every ingredient is in harmony with one another. In this section, I will provide some helpful tips to help you make the best salad salpicão de frango or Brazilian chicken salad.
1. Poach the Chicken Breasts
When cooking the chicken, poaching it instead of boiling ensures that it maintains its moisture and flavor. It also reduces the risk of overheating, as well as leaving it tough and dry.
2. Cool and Pull the Chicken
After poaching your chicken breasts in simmering water, cool them quickly by immersing them in ice water, and then pull them apart into small shreds. This process makes sure that the chicken stays juicy, allowing for maximum flavor penetration.
3. Chop Ingredients Uniformly
For the best texture in your salad, chop all ingredients to roughly the same size. This includes apples, carrots, stuffed green olives, seedless raisins, and frozen corn kernels. Additionally, finely chop shoestring potatoes and mix just before serving to maintain their crunchiness!
4. Preparing the Mayonnaise
The mayonnaise plays an essential role in binding all of the ingredients together in Brazilian chicken salad aka salpicao especial de galinha recipe. Therefore, select high-quality mayonnaise or make it from scratch at home using fresh eggs!
5. Let It Chill!
Finally, chilling your salad before eating is a work of art that requires patience; I recommend overnight refrigeration! The flavors in your Brazilian dish need time to meld together and produce its distinct taste.
Overall these tips are here to help you reach fluffy perfection with every bite of Salpicão Especial De Galinha or Brazilian chicken salad!
FAQ
As with any recipe, there may be questions or concerns that arise while preparing Brazilian Chicken Salad aka Salpicao Especial De Galinha. In this section, I address some common questions and provide helpful answers and tips to ensure success in the kitchen.
How to make chicken salat?
Let’s start by preparing the chicken. If you’re using raw chicken, we need to poach it. That means we’ll gently cook it in simmering water until it’s fully cooked. Don’t worry, it’s easy! Just fill a medium-sized pot with 2 quarts of water and add 1 tablespoon of salt. Bring the water to a boil and then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Add the chicken breasts to the pot and let them cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool down.
Now let’s move on to the dressing. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon of honey, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Mix all of the ingredients together until you have a smooth and creamy dressing.
Next, we’re going to add some crunchy and flavorful veggies to the mix. Roughly chop 1 cup of celery, 1 cup of bell pepper, 1/2 cup of green olives, and 1/4 cup of red onion. Cut 1 medium-sized apple into small bite-sized pieces. Add all of the chopped vegetables and apple to the bowl with the dressing and stir everything together until it’s well mixed.
Once the chicken has cooled down, dice it into bite-sized pieces and add it to the bowl with the dressing and vegetables. Mix everything together until the chicken is fully coated with the dressing.
Finally, let’s add some fresh lettuce to the mix. Tear up some lettuce leaves, about 4 cups, and add them to the bowl. Give everything a good mix, making sure the lettuce is well coated with the dressing. Serve and enjoy your delicious Brazilian-American chicken salad!
What is Mediterranean chicken salad made of?
This recipe features flavorful cooked chicken mixed with a delightful combination of fresh herbs, shallots, celery, and walnuts, along with a few Mediterranean staples such as artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes. The star of this dish is the zesty Dijon dressing that perfectly brings all the ingredients together. Get ready to fall in love with this delectable chicken salad recipe!
Bottom Line
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In conclusion, the Brazilian Chicken Salad aka Salpicao Especial De Galinha is a delicious and nutritious dish that should be added to your recipe collection. This dish is easy to make, versatile, and can be adjusted to your liking. The combination of shredded chicken, apple, carrots, raisins, corn, and mayonnaise creates a perfect balance of sweet and savory flavors.
With its origins in Brazil, this dish has become a popular option in the United States for those who enjoy Brazilian cuisine or are simply looking for new recipe ideas. It’s perfect as a light lunch option or served as a side dish at your next dinner party.
So next time you’re in the mood for some Brazilian food or just looking for something new to try, I encourage you to give this recipe a try. As always, don’t be afraid to experiment with different variations or substitutions. With these tips and tricks, you’ll be cooking up a storm and impressing your friends and family with this delicious Brazilian Chicken Salad.
Brazilian Chicken Salad Aka Salpicao Especial De Galinha Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, poached, cooled and pulled into small shreds, not cubed
- 1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels, defrosted
- 1 cup carrot, cooked, cooled and diced (frozen is OK, too)
- 1 apple, peeled, cored and diced small (Gala or Fuji)
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup seedless raisin
- 1/2 cup sliced stuffed green olive
- 2 cups shoestring potatoes
- salt and pepper (sometimes I use Lawry's salt)
Instructions
- Toss chicken, vegetables, apple, raisins and olives in serving bowl.
- Add mayonnaise, combine, then gently salt and pepper to taste, remembering that your next step is to fold in the shoestring potatoes and you don't want it to be too salty--if you are serving later, I recommend that you add the shoestring potatoes right before you serve.
- Garnish with green olives and a few shoestring potatoes scattered on top.
- Prep time listed below assumes your ingredients are cooked, cooled and ready to mix--servings yielded depends on how hungry you are; 8 is a good guess.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
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Dora
Dora is a chef well-versed in Brazilian and American cuisine. After a hard day's work in the kitchen of her restaurant, she finds the time to jot down recipes for her food blog. Her recipes are sure to delight foodies everywhere, as she strives to make each one unique and enjoyable to read.